Warmer classrooms after replacing windows in the primary school "Sveti Sava" Crnjelovo

Bijeljina

February 2, 2024

The local community of Crnjelovo Gornje initiated a project named "Children Are Our Treasure", aiming to improve conditions for children's daily stay in the Primary School "Sveti Sava." Defined by the Bijeljina City Development Strategy 2014-2023, its goal is to build a tolerant, educated, and inclusive community with developed social infrastructure, quality public services, and equal opportunities for all citizens.

In this primary school windows were installed in 1963, and due to wear and tear, it was impossible to achieve a working temperature during winter, often forcing students and teachers to attend classes in winter jackets. The project activities included replacing windows, with 26 new windows installed in 6 classrooms, improving energy efficiency and the quality of teaching for students and staff. Additionally, this project also contributed to environmental protection by reducing pollution due to lower coal consumption for heating.

Mladen Stevanović

Photo by Imrana Kapetanović

“I had the honor of participating in the project from day one, starting from the Citizen's Forum where we aligned priorities with our locals, primarily considering their needs. We had excellent cooperation with the City Administration of Bijeljina, led by Dr. Ljubiša Petrović, Mayor, and representatives from the Department for Local and Economic Development, led by Ms. Ankica Todorović and Dragan Jovanović. I must emphasize that as a local community, we had excellent cooperation with UNDP throughout the project phase. The project "Children are Our Treasure" further strengthened the connection between the local community and the school, especially in selecting priorities because we had a clear goal from the beginning and knew how to use the funds received from Switzerland and Sweden through the LC project.”

Mladen Stevanović, a member of the Crnjelovo Gornje Community Council

The direct target group of the project is over 180 students and 47 employees, who will benefit most from the improved conditions for teaching through window replacement and improved energy efficiency. Besides them, the target group includes parents of students and the elderly population who use the school facilities for meetings, lectures, and workshops. Therefore, it can be freely said that the target group of the project is all the inhabitants of the village, about 5000, of which at least 45% are female.

Dragana Kokanović Perić

Photo by Imrana Kapetanović

“This project significantly improved the working conditions for students and teachers. Students and teachers, as well as other employees, now stay in better hygienic conditions and are able to ventilate classrooms, i.e., open windows during breaks. During the winter period, students and teachers stay in warm rooms without jackets that hindered learning and moving around the school." According to the principal of the primary school “Sveti Sava,” concrete changes after the implementation of this project are reflected in the reduced departure of married couples from the village, healthier students, and a more secure building from burglaries: “Students are delighted with the new interior and exterior look of the school and are motivated to decorate and arrange classrooms and hallways.”

Dragana Kokanović Perić, the School Principal

Stevanović added that the completion of the project achieved the general goal of creating better and higher quality conditions for the children and staff at the school. Economically, significant savings were made, allowing the school administration to further invest in modernizing school infrastructure. Also, the school employs personnel responsible for taking care of the school infrastructure, ensuring the sustainability of the improvements made. In addition, there are guarantees from the contractors regarding standards and quality, which is another guarantee of sustainability.

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