Amid the plush green landscape of Konjevic Polje, Eastern Bosnia, a small field lies full of promise and hope. This patchwork of land is home to large greenhouses and 14,000m2 of agricultural cultivation, where the production of 5 tonnes of vegetables, 3 tonnes of wheat and employment for locals is the result of Muslim Aid’s Greenhouse Project. Started in 2009, the project was established as part of Muslim Aid’s income generation programme with the aim to rehabilitate and economically empower the internally displaced peoples (IDP’s) of the eastern region of Bosnia with employment and self-reliance.

Woman cleaning spring onions grown in the greenhouse

For many of the returnees who fled the Bosnian conflict between 1992-1995, the Greenhouse Project has become a shining beacon of hope in pursuit of a new life. During the war, Konjevic Polje was a village marked by ethnic cleansing and devastation. Thousands lost their homes, families and livelihoods. A stark contrast to today; a picture perfect postcard of a quiet village undergoing prosperity and change.

For the returnees, the greenhouse project represents more than just economic empowerment but a real chance for new possibilities. The four greenhouses which sit elegantly lined next to each other give the beneficiaries the opportunity to grow vegetables such as spinach, peppers and tomatoes. Indeed, an estimated 20 tonnes of vegetables is expected to be produced by the end of 2010. This means people will have crop for their families and also to sell, especially a decade and a half after the war, when unemployment is high.

Somewhere over the rainbow... greenhouses lie

Currently the project is managed and supervised by Muslim Aid until conditions allow them to hand it over to a farming cooperative formed by the returnees. More than 50 beneficiaries, including their families, have gained from the project so far. Muslim Aid’s final goal is to ensure the economic recovery of the rural areas and it is hoped that if the final project expands, a large number of the returnees who have greenhouses would become sub-contractors allowing them to trade in vegetable/fruit production and distribution.

Muslim Aid’s Country Coordinator, Edina Sehnic, who is overseeing the project, expressed her delight on the progress so far: “we are excited about how much has been achieved and the potential involvement of partners who will help us assist the beneficiaries to achieve self-sustenance, turning their dreams into a reality.”

The Muslim Aid Greenhouse project from a distance