Anniversary of the Center for Health Promotion and Improvement Marked in At Mejdan

The Center for Health Promotion and Improvement of the Stari Grad municipality, which functions as a health service for citizens of all age groups, marked its anniversary of successful work by organizing the "Little School of Health in Nature". More than 400 members of the Center from the third age group, as well as preschool-aged users of the Center and those of working age, gathered in At Mejdan park today.

Preventive-therapeutic exercises, exercises for proper child growth and development, as well as workshops in the field of medical counseling, healthy and proper nutrition, and promotion and tasting of healthy food and other products were held.

The Center for Health Promotion and Improvement is managed by the Association "Generacija", and the head of the center, Mahir Selmanović, thanked everyone who helped this idea come to life.

- We opened the Center a year ago with the aim of offering health support to all age groups. We have achieved a lot in a short period. In addition to the elderly, we have provided support to the youngest in the kindergartens 'Pčelica' and 'Biseri', as well as mothers and children attending the Mjedenica Institute. We completed the mini-project 'Let's Steal Ten Minutes from Our Break for Our Health' with high school teachers, and today we can boast that our Center provides services for 100 to 120 elderly users daily - said Selmanović.

Last year, the Municipality of Stari Grad also provided and equipped premises for the opening of the Center at Obala Kulina bana 22 street, and co-finances its operation. The Mayor of the Municipality, Ibrahim Hadžibajrić, congratulated the users on their first anniversary, and expressed hope that the Center will continue to operate just as well in the future, and even expand its capacity, given the growing interest of the elderly in such centers.

- In its year of operation, our Center has managed to gather over 600 members, not only from the Stari Grad municipality but from the entire Sarajevo Canton, which was our goal. Citizens from any other municipality can come to the Center, join, socialize, exercise... here they can also receive necessary therapies, blood sugar measurements, and other services. For our contribution to improving the living conditions of the elderly, we received recognition from the UN Population Fund for Development last year, and this is proof that something like this can be achieved - said Hadžibajrić.

The Association Generacija also prepared gift baskets of healthy food today for their oldest member, Fadila Džemidžić, and the most active member, Safa Butmir, who did not hide her enthusiasm.

- I have been with this Center since its establishment, and nothing better could have happened to us. We exercise, socialize, we even have a choir section, and this is our second youth - said Butmir.

Children from the kindergartens "Pčelica" and "Biseri" from Stari Grad, as well as users of the Mjedenica Institute, are also included in the programs of this center, and they also received gifts today. Members of the choir section presented guests with two songs, "Razbolje se šimšir list" and "Sarajevo ljubavi moja", followed by the second part of the program with exercises, promotions, and tastings.

- The "Little School of Health in Nature" is part of the project "Living Healthy" supported within the Regional Program for Local Democracy in the Western Balkans – ReLOaD, financed by the European Union, and implemented by UNDP, with the support and co-financing of the Stari Grad Municipality.