Providing access to credit in Bosnia-Herzegovina
Sedifa Sako, CWS micro credit beneficiary from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Photo: CWS
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In Canton 10 of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the municipalities of Bosansko Grahovo, Drvar, and Glamoc continue to accept large numbers of minority returnees--more than 25,000 in 2005. People are returning to an area that has not recovered from the destruction and devastation of the war. Jobs are limited and seasonal due to the isolation of villages and their weakened links to towns. Most unemployed returnees and internally displaced persons have little or no access to credit from banks, given their low-incomes and limited assets. So, one good option is to rely on their skills and turn to self-employment.
Church World Service, with support from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)-United Church of Christ, is helping Refugee Return Service to implement Credit Opportunities for Minority Returnees, a 24-month project to address the urgent need to raise income, develop businesses, and create jobs in Canton 10 by providing credit to low-income people, including female heads-of-household, displaced persons, and minority returnees.