Sian Platt
First published in
SFOR Informer#164, August 1, 2003

Why state the obvious? For all the SFOR soldier’s that drive around Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) it's impossible not notice the rubbish dumped down spectacular mountainsides and floating down rivers and streams. Illegal dumping is a serious problem in BiH. But here are some locals who are trying to change that with the help of World Vision.

Sarajevo - As well as the rubbish from everyday living which needs to be disposed of all the time, the Civil Society Promotion Centre of BiH reports that large quantities of waste materials accumulated during the war, including unusable, out of date pharmaceutical materials from humanitarian aid shipments. The country has no facilities for the safe disposal of such dangerous waste, and even facilities for ordinary household waste are inadequate.
So many people dump their trash in the countryside and rivers, creating an eyesore and a health hazard. Yet not everyone is content to live with this situation, small independent environmental groups exist all over BiH and concerned citizens are beginning to wake up and demand the restoration of their beautiful country.
These posters are just one part of an ongoing programme of environment related projects by World Vision in conjunction with a surprising group of activists, the Roma people of Sarajevo. If you take a second look at the posters you will see another sponsor, - UG Prosperitet Roma BiH, the Roma community association World Vision has been working with.
Eko-Sekund
Many of the Roma eke out their low incomes by clearing rubbish, and recycling materials where they can. World Vision has been working with the Roma of Sarajevo to use this underrated skill to earn them money and to create a fully functional business that can bring in a healthy income. Through their service company "Eko-Sekund" (Eco-recycling) the Roma have been cleaning the banks of the Miljacka and Bosna rivers for the municipal authorities.
World Vision has also helped Eko-Sekund to set up a number of other small businesses which all help to bring jobs and money for this vulnerable people group.
The Roma People
One of the other objectives of World Vision's environmental awareness campaign is to get people to associate the Roma with their positive contribution to BiH society. Roma people are often portrayed in a negative way as lazy and living off charity. The ongoing 'River Bosna, Plastic Free' campaign joint funded by DFID, the Swiss Co-operation Office and the Heinrich Boell Foundation shows what an active role Roma can take on this important issue.
Apart from the on-going series of posters (Coming soon to a Billboard near you! ) the river clean up will be going on for at least 20 days. During this period a cleaning day will take place using Eko-Sekund staff to co-ordinate the work and willing volunteers to help increase the impact. The date will be fixed as soon as we have clearance on the mines status along the river. Everyone is welcome but you have to bring your own boots! So for all those SFOR personnel who have critised the local population for neglecting its country there are other organisations out there helping to make a difference in BiH.