A ceremony was held in Pirot to mark the provision of support for the employment of 19 individuals from disadvantaged groups, beneficiaries of the project, who will be employed in newly created positions with a total of 8 employers. This support to employers includes the procurement of equipment and machinery, as well as business expansion, amounting to 3,750.00 euros per newly created job.
The ceremonial signing of contracts with selected employers was attended by the Mayor of the city of Pirot, Mr. Vladan Vasić, representatives of the city of Pirot, as well as the directors of the organizations ASB, Mr. Gordan Velev, and the Initiative for Development and Cooperation IDC, Mr. Miodrag Nedeljković, along with the team implementing the REINTEGRATE II project aimed at providing support to returnees and other socially vulnerable residents of the Pirot district through economic, psychosocial, and institutional support measures. Representatives of local governments and social welfare centers from Novi Pazar, Kruševac, and Dimitrovgrad, cities where the project is also being implemented, were also present at the ceremony.
Following the event, the dignitaries visited the Good Neighbor Club in Pirot and attended the presentation of activities within the psychosocial component of the project. This is part of a two-day study visit to the city of Pirot, where the second day includes a seminar titled “Development of Social Services at the Local Level” for representatives of local governments and social welfare centers, as well as other stakeholders from the regions where the project is being implemented – Pirot, Raška, and Rasina.
Since the beginning of the project, a total of 30 unemployed individuals from disadvantaged groups have been employed by 13 employers with grants to create new job positions and business growth. The overall financial support for this endeavor amounts to 112,500.00 euros, which was secured through the acquisition of machinery, equipment, and tools. In the coming period, there are plans to provide support for the employment of an additional 10 project beneficiaries through defined grants.
Various project activities in Pirot will support over 400 beneficiaries, aiming to strengthen their economic and social status through packages of economic, psychosocial, and institutional support. In addition to supporting the employment of unemployed individuals from harder-to-employ categories with established employers, there is support through subsidies for self-employment, various business training, retraining and reskilling programs, support for children and youth through inclusive workshops, and the development of institutional capacities in the field of social welfare at the local level to support the development or improvement of social services locally.
The total project value in Pirot is 400,000.00 euros, and the project is set to continue until April 31, 2025. Information about project activities, open calls, and more is available on the project’s website at www.reintegracija.net, as well as from the city of Pirot, partner organizations, and associations.
The project is led by the German organization ASB (Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund), with the implementation partner being the Initiative for Development and Cooperation (IDC) from Belgrade, and the project beneficiary districts are Pirot, Rasina, and Raška. In Pirot, the local partner is the Ternipe Association. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with the support and co-financing from the city of Pirot.