We have launched the social initiative “Eco-social aid” in Pirot, which will be implemented by the association for ecology and environmental protection GEA.
A large amount of waste branches that are usually burned or end up in landfills is an environmental problem that will be mitigated through project activities.
By burning branches, we are wasting energy that can be used for heating. Moreover, burning can cause uncontrolled fires with unforeseeable consequences, and it also releases carbon dioxide, directly contributing to global warming. Sawmills, which cut timber, planks, etc., often face challenges in disposing of sawdust and wood waste generated during production. In agreement with them, we aim to collect the sawdust and wood waste for a minimal fee, thus solving their problem while securing additional raw materials for pellet production.
The target group includes beneficiaries of the Pirot Center for social work, who will participate in providing innovative social and ecological aid, as well as the group of service recipients. Specifically, recipients of social protection services are individuals or families facing obstacles in meeting their basic needs, which prevent them from achieving or maintaining a decent quality of life, and they are unable to meet these needs through employment or income from property.
The social service will have an ecological character, as the removal of wild vegetation, bio-waste (straw, stubble, corn husks), and wood waste will help prevent forest fires, which are very common in the villages around Pirot.
Many socially disadvantaged households will also receive services for the maintenance of orchards and parcels that have been neglected due to economic or health difficulties, preventing them from carrying out these activities on their own.
General project goal:
To enhance the capacity of the GEA association by establishing efficient mechanisms that provide innovative social services in Pirot through environmental protection efforts, thereby creating positive social changes.
Specific goal:
To increase the capacity, quality, and reach of social services in the Pirot district in an innovative way by involving marginalized social groups in the implementation of ecological activities.
The project is supported under the institutional support component of the “Reintegration II – Further Support for the Sustainable (Re)Integration of Returnees in Serbia” project.