Beneficiary testimonials
ILO interventions transform lives in Central and Eastern Europe
Five beneficiaries of ILO programmes from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ukraine tell their stories how the ILO assistance they received made a difference not only in their own lives, but also in their community's.
17 December 2024
Albania
Andi Tanushi is a Logistic and Operations Manager at Grassi Ltd., a textile company producing workwear and uniforms in Togez, Albania. In 2023, Grassi Ltd. participated in the Swedish-funded ILO Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) Programme which aims to improve productivity in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This is what Tanushi had to say about the impact of SCORE on productivity at Grassi Ltd:
“In May 2023, 3000 pieces were rejected, leading to the appointment of a new external manager in June. With support from the SCORE-trained Enterprise Improvement Team and ILO experts, we revised our quality control procedures and implemented a new defect recording system. This resulted in a 35% decrease in defects and a 15% reduction in repairs.”
Ester Lala is Human Resource Officer also at Grassi Ltd. The SCORE programme achieves improvement in productivity by helping SMEs enhance their working conditions. In 2023, at the time of joining SCORE, the company had 87 workers while in May 2024, it employed 119 people, mostly women. Lala explained how SCORE changed operations in the enterprise:
“SCORE has enhanced our HR procedures and practices leading to a 31 per cent increase in staff and a reduction of 82 per cent in turnover.”
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Thirty-one-year-old Antonela Sičaja is from Gornji Vakuf – Uskoplje in Bosnia and Herzegovina with an MA in education of children with special learning needs. Sičaja successfully completed the training “Start Your Own Business” implemented by the ILO with EU support,and also received funds to purchase the didactic equipment which is essential for her work. She managed to rent a space and launched the Center for Development Support "Small Steps" in Gornji Vakuf – Uskoplje with activities for children with special needs.
“Starting my own business was a big step for me. I always thought I would find a job or get a job somewhere. Since it didn’t work out that way, I had to do something. I’m glad the ILO training equipped me with entrepreneurial knowledge to launch my learning center, especially for the sake of the children, since there is no similar institution in our municipality where children and parents can turn to.” – said Antonela.
Ukraine
Olena Kirichenko's family moved from Markove in the Donetsk region to Serhiivka in the Poltava region as the war broke out in Ukraine. At the new location, they began restoring the family business of cattle breeding with a grant from a Danish-funded ILO project.
"While searching for financing, we were lucky to come across information about a mini-grant competition for operating entrepreneurs covering critical needs of the Ukrainian population and employing internally displaced people. We applied, won the grant and received funds of 180,000 hryvnias. This allowed us to purchase building materials, and renovate and insulate the premises for the cattle, thus fully preparing it for the wintering of animals. The premises are designed for 25 cattle, so there is room for expansion, and the farm will increase its livestock in the spring. This will increase the amount of milk and make it possible to expand the production of craft cheeses. We want to meet the demand for these products not only in the Serhiivka community but also in neighbouring areas."
Oleksandr Shatalov (Kvasy village, Zakarpattia region of Ukraine) is developing his business and supporting small households despite the war. A GIZ-funded grant programme implemented by the ILO for existing entrepreneurs helped him purchase modern equipment.
"We used the funds to buy juice processing, bottling and pasteurisation equipment. We chose a pasteuriser made by a Ukrainian manufacturer from Kharkiv. Thus, the grant also helped these producers save jobs in the city under fire.
The "Carpathian Apples" project has helped to strengthen the community's economic and social resilience. Last season, we processed 30,000 kg of apples, producing 15 tons of juice. We created new jobs and an additional source of income for both permanent residents and Internally Displaced Persons. Four IDPs were employed as part of the project thanks to the ILO project."
