If you pass through Bogatić, be sure to stop by Avlija (The Courtyard). It is more than just a restaurant; it is a place where catering and social protection meet as well as agricultural production and ethno tourism, and the result is unique. Here, they say, you will find peace, quiet, rediscover forgotten smells and tastes, but also be the support and encouragement for the people who have found another home and started a new life.
The restaurant that employs people with mental and intellectual disabilities was founded by Caritas from Šabac, based on two decades of experience in the field of social protection, and in accordance with the principles of social economy. On the farms in Bogatić, Badovinci and Vukošić where vegetables and fruit are produced, food, juices, jams, preserved fruit – slatko and homemade brandy are prepared. Caritas has given a chance to people who need help and support, encouraging them to work just like all other people do.
“Why is this property unique? Because we have turned differences into opportunities. We have a wide range of services that we provide on the property. These are kitchen services, a restaurant, agricultural production in greenhouses, fruit production, and we also have a registered distillery as well as the production of juices, jams and preserved food for winter. We also run a pottery and flower workshop. On the one hand, our users can be professionally rehabilitated, and on the other hand, all visitors of Avlija can enjoy our products and services,” Mr Miroljub Nikolić, director of Caritas Šabac, explains.
In this way, Caritas Šabac has improved services – home help for people with mental disabilities and intellectual disabilities, then they developed a day-care service and supported housing, and Bogatić became the unique municipality in Serbia because it has three services for this population.
“Our users are happy and satisfied here under the supervision of a professional team. Their families have full confidence in us and that is the wind at our backs and something that moves us,” says Ms Sanja Vuković, a day-care worker.
This idea was supported through several EU programmes and through the project Support to the Prevention of Residential Housing of Persons with Intellectual and Mental Disabilities in the Mačva District by Developing the Services of Help in the Home and Day-Care in the Local Community. Apart from this, Avlija is the winner of the Interreg award for the best project.
The EU is the largest donor in Serbia in all areas, especially in social inclusion. In the last five years alone, the EU has donated and invested more than 115 million euros to improve the living standards of the most vulnerable.
