A key part of IOCC’s mission is supporting the humanitarian efforts of the Orthodox Church around the world. Such is the case in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country dogged by poverty where social institutions struggle with limited resources.

 

Here, IOCC is working with the Serbian Orthodox Church’s Diocese of Zvornik and Tuzla. The diocese’s humanitarian organization, Trojeručica, has long offered programs serving schools, social institutions, and people in need. It also coordinates and provides administrative support to all the diocese’s parish-level humanitarian initiatives.

 

In one such program, a recent grant from the IOCC Foundation is helping IOCC and Trojeručica support food production at a residence for girls and women with disabilities. The program built and equipped a new 2,150 square foot greenhouse at the institute and repaired two existing greenhouses. Using seeds, fertilizer, and drip irrigation, the greenhouses will eventually yield some 10,000 pounds of vegetables a year—meeting about 50% of residents’ needs and dramatically reducing the center’s costs.

 

Through the same program, agricultural experts trained the institute’s staff in vegetable production and land management. Greenhouse production also provides occupational therapy for some residents.

 

This single program is just one example of how a relatively small investment can make a significant impact and yield lasting benefits for the people IOCC serves.