CRDA

Selected communities for CRDA program…

Old CRDA communities:

VRANJE OFFICE:
• TRGOVIŠTE: Trgovište, Donji Stajevac, Radovnica, Novo Selo-Šajince;
• BOSILEGRAD: Dukat, Donja Ljubata, Donje Tlamino, Gornja Lisina;
• BUJANOVAC: Klenike, Klinovac, Samoljica, Nesalce, Oslare, Ljiljance, Spancevac, Levosoje, Žuželjica, Lopardince, Muhovac, Žbevac, Veliki Trnovac, Letovica, Biljaca, Lucane, Konculj;
• SURDULICA: Klisura, Jelašnica, Masurica;
• PREŠEVO: Miratovac, Trnava, Donja Šušaja, Rajince, Žujince, Bukurevac, Crnotince, Oraovica; Preševo Sector One, Preševo Sector Two, Reljan, Strezovce, Norca.

LESKOVAC OFFICE:
• LESKOVAC: Vucje, Manojlovce, Predejane, Brestovac, Pecenjevce, Turekovac;
• VLASOTINCE: Vlasotince(Centar), Donja Lopušnja, Stajkovce, Gornji i Donji Prisjan;
• LEBANE: Lebane, Bošnjace, Prekopcelica;
• MEDVEÐA: Medveda, Lece, Sijarinska Banja, Tupale, Ðulekare, Ravna Banja;
• BOJNIK: Lapotince, Stubla.

NIŠ OFFICE:
• ALEKSINAC: Aleksinac, Žitkovac, Korman;
• MEROŠINA: Merošina, Gradište-Balajnac, Dudulajce;
• PIROT: Temska, Krupac, Ponor;
• BABUŠNICA: Babušnica, Gornji Striževac, Zvonce;
• RAŽANJ: Ražanj, Vitoševac, Pardik;
• NIŠ: Mramor, Gornji Komren, Mezgraja, Gornji Matejevac.

ZAJECAR OFFICE:
• ZAJECAR: Brusnik, Grlište, Veliki Izvor, Zvezdan;
• KNJAŽEVAC: Kalna, Minicevo, Podvis;
• BOR: Gornjane, Luka, Metovnica, Zlot;
• MAJDANPEK: Vlaole, Rudna Glava, Topolnica;
• SOKOBANJA: Dugo Polje, Josanica, Resnik.

New CRDA Communtiies:

VRANJE OFFICE:
• VRANJE: Donji Neradovac, Rataje, Pavlovac, Vrtogoš, Donje Trebešinje;
• BUJANOVAC: Bujanovac sektor 3, Bujanovac sektor 5, Bujanovac sektor 6, Krševica, Dobrosin
• VLADICIN HAN: Lepenica, Stubal, Žitorade
• SURDULICA: Božica/Topli Dol, Suvojnica
• PREŠEVO: Preševo sektor 3, Preševo sektor 4, Buštranje, Železnicka stanica, Cukarka

LESKOVAC OFFICE:
• LESKOVAC: Grdelica, Donja Lokošnica
• LEBANE: Konjino/Ždeglovo, Togacevce
• VLASOTINCE: Konopnica, Ladovica
• BOJNIK: Bojnik
• CRNA TRAVA: Crna Trava
• MEDVEÐA: Rujkovac

NIŠ OFFICE:
• SVRLJIG: Svrljig, Niševac
• DOLJEVAC: Doljevac, Pukovac, Malošište, Kocane
• GADŽIN HAN: Gadžin Han, Zaplanjska Toponica
• NIŠKA BANJA: Niška Banja, Jelašnica
• BELA PALANKA: Dolac, Bela Palanka
• DIMITROVGRAD: Željuša, Dimitrovgrad

ZAJECAR OFFICE:
BOLJEVAC: Boljevac, Bogovina, Podgorac

The foundation of the CHF development strategy in the CRDA program is the Community Development Council.

What are Community Development Councils - CDCs?
CHF began by organizing meetings in villages most in need of assistance, and asked village residents to elect a council of community members to represent them concerning community improvement projects. Community Development Councils - CDCs are groups of 8 to 12 formal and informal community leaders elected by community residents and representing the community's diversity across lines of ethnicity, age, education and gender. Once Councils are formed, CHF facilitates efforts to identify projects that will most benefit the community, and then continue to facilitate efforts to implement these projects through partial funding and contract supervision. The CDCs work together to identify, plan, implement, and maintain projects in their communities. Each community participated with 25-50% of the costs for the project (depending on the wealth of the community). The rest of costs were provided by CHF International, through USAID support. This methodology provides the community with a feeling of involvement, achievement and ownership with CIDP program.

The four pillars of CRDA program
The CRDA program represents a large-scale attempt to make a difference in the quality of life in Serbia. The tangible effects of the programs such as road and school improvements are part of a greater process of building confidence in public life. The main focuses of the programs are categorized under four pillars:

I Civil Works
Improvements to roads, schools, water, sewage, electrical and telephone systems, sport fields, community & cultural centers, street lightning… provide the basis for economic and civic development.

II Civic Participation
Encouraging activities, training leaders and facilitating the development of civil society bring energy and confidence to communities. CHF supports such projects as: creation of and support for community centers, sports activities, community associations and adult learning programs; community clean-up programs and public property improvements; formation and moderation of multi-ethnic child and youth groups, with specific focus on conflict resolution skills; vocational training in computer skills and business opportunities; training in preventative health and sanitation programs, such as anti-drug and HIV/STD information campaigns; construction of community playgrounds, parks, and nature centers; training initiatives to encourage women's participation in decision-making structures.

III Environment
Solutions that protect and benefit the environment are essential to sustainable development: rehabilitation or expansion of sewage system networks-large and small scale (from comprehensive village sewage systems and water treatment to liners for drainage systems); disposal and treatment of solid and liquid waste by small private entrepreneurs; rehabilitation of degraded environment through tree-planting and clean up; erosion control activities such as tree planting, terracing, and drainage canals; environmental action measures, such as tree planting, mud clean-up and rubbish disposal; school environmental education programs…

IV Economic Development
Economic development is fundamental to the development of all other segments that are essential to a strong and stable society. This area is oriented toward development of small and mid-size companies, agriculture, cattle farming, health food production and tourism, and it creates a positive impact on dealing with unemployment. As CHF programs mainly affect rural areas, the programs also undertake creating conditions for the young people to stay or return to their rural communities.

More on the CHF's Principles and Objectives for the Economic Pillar…
A CHF supported economic initiative must be an integral part of a community's Vision and Action Plan, created by a Community Development Committee (CDC) with active participation by all groups of citizens. The Pillar's main objective is support of initiatives that create direct employment, increase household incomes, and inject money into the local economy. Particular emphasis is the creation of employment and business opportunities for youth, providing incentives for the younger population to remain in their villages instead of moving to larger urban centers. Likewise, creating economic opportunities for women, minorities, refugees, and IDPs is a key priority - these groups are often the last to be employed.

Business Development Units (BDUs)
Each POC relies on a Business Development Unit (BDU) to spearhead job creation and economic revitalization in participating communities. The BDU is the link between POCs and CHF's NGO partners. BDUs create a team environment with participation and input from the Community Development Committees (CDCs)/Municipalities, NGO partners and Community Facilitators. The BDU will have a full time Business Development Coordinator to assist Communities in mobilizing the resources required to carryout Economic Action Plans. BDUs will work closely with CDCs and municipalities to initiate a plan to deal with expected high levels of unemployment as result of privatization. CHF has created a comprehensive approach to economic development that will be initiated through the BDU network in Eastern and Southern Serbia. The BDUs, in close cooperation with NGO partners, will be the catalyst for introducing market driven sustainable business ideas that will create permanent job opportunities, as well as address the need for temporary jobs to offset increasing unemployment. CHF will rely heavily on local NGO partners in executing this strategy and will assist building the NGO capacity to become an integral part of community-based economic development.

CHF has created a four-part program that will be deployed under the CRDA Economic Pillar. The four-part strategy provides communities with an Economic Development "Tool Kit" to address their needs for job creation and economic growth. These tools consist of:

- Public Works Program (PWP) creating short-term employment opportunities for groups of vulnerable citizens

- Kick Start Program (KSP) providing grants to individuals or groups of citizens that have creative business ideas and can express these in a basic Business Plan. People with an existing business or an entrepreneurial idea will compete for small grants that will "kick start" their concept. This programming initiative will be the catalyst for people to come forward with creative ideas, particularly the younger generation that have little financial clout with banks and other credit providers. Some of the world's largest corporations have been started with micro entrepreneurs with a good idea. For example, Bill Gates started Microsoft with a group of high school friends in the family garage.

- Enabling Economic Environment (EEE) giving communities and municipalities access to CRDA funds to carry out research on development initiatives that can have a profound impact on the area. For example, coming up with a plan to exploit the tourism potential in a given area. Communities often know where their competitive advantages lie, but are faced with the realty of few resources to unlock the potential. EEE can potentially provide these resources. In many cases EEE support may go toward the development of larger economic cluster projects. The EEE strategy allows communities to move from "ideas" to concrete proposals and concepts to attract private investment capital in the execution of larger cluster projects. For example, there may be an opportunity to promote the concept of an Environmental - Tourist Center to promote the collection and processing of healthy herbal and organic food products. Such a center would create considerable interest in the global market and would offer communities an opportunity to combine healthy food production with a tourism and conference center. The EEE strategy offers communities resources to complete planning and feasibility studies required to attract private sector interest and investment.

- Sustainable Business Development (SBD) provides technical expertise and resources to business ventures to expand current operations or support start-up of new business endeavors. No community is entitled to SBD programming support -- they must compete for it. This program initiative will support business ideas that are market driven and sustainable, thus creating permanent jobs in the community. Through an extensive promotional campaign entrepreneurs will be encouraged to complete a "dehydrated" business plan outlining their ideas. If these concepts merit investigation, technical support from NGO partners may be utilized to help the entrepreneurs complete detailed market feasibility studies and corresponding business plan. The CRDA program will then be in a position to help capitalize the business and/or refer the entrepreneur to credit institutions providing SME loans.