Center for Girls on a study visit to organizations in Nikšić

The Center for Girls was on a study visit to organizations in Nikšić. We went on a study visit to Montenegro on the 21st and returned on the 25th of October. Marta Stanojević, Sara Plazinić Nikolić and Marija Virijević went on the trip.

The reason for the visit was our need to get to know the way of work of organizations that successfully deal with the problem of human trafficking (more specifically, child marriages and work with street children), as well as violence against girls, women and women, and to learn from them and exchange ideas experiences.

The organizations we visited in Nikšić are: Center for Roma Initiatives, SOS telephone for women and children victims of violence, as well as the Center for Security, Sociological and Criminological Research of Montenegro – “Defendology”. We talked to 10 people. In all organizations, we got to know the staff and talked about common topics, and we spent the most time in CRINK and SOS Nikšić.

For the first two days of our visit, we stayed at CRINK, where we were welcomed by Fana, Valentina and the two Jovanas. We talked about their work in general, but we mostly focused on child marriage. We learned that in addition to mobile teams, there is an option of local coordinators, how to reach them, how they are engaged and how they function. We talked about the procedure in the case of child arranged marriage, to whom it is reported, what the results of the report can be. We received useful information and ideas for ways of financing and opened the issue of cooperation on future projects. In addition to the office, we also visited the premises located in the Roma settlement itself, which they received from the municipality for free use, where they hold workshops. We heard about the NGO Defendology from them, and Fana arranged with Jelena, the director of Defendology, to be our host on Friday so we get to know them and their work.

We spent the second two days of the visit at SOS Nikšić where we talked with Nada, Ivana and Jovana. We received important information about the process of licensing services and space, finding our own space, ways to connect with institutions, we visited a shelter for women and children with experience of violence and got acquainted with their services and procedures for providing this type of service. We talked about the work of local associates, learned what obstacles and problems they face in their work as a women’s non-governmental organization. We also talked about the potential project cooperation between our two organizations.

At Defendology, we met and exchanged experiences with Jelena, Vasilije and Milica. We talked with them about the licensing process, potential ways of financing and potential cooperation on joint projects, about overcoming the challenges of communication and agreement with the community, about the insensitivity of the system to the needs of street children and their families. We exchanged experiences, examples of good practice. We received information about ways to work with parents of children.

We received materials to take away, but the most important thing was that we got to know all these people, exchanged experiences and that we actually saw how these organizations work and function.

With the help of this study visit, we expected to improve our knowledge about working with a population that is at potential risk of human trafficking, but also victims of human trafficking through the form of child marriages and women who are in a situation of violence.

After our impressions settled, we believe that our expectations were justified and that this has once again proven to be a good method of transferring experience and learning.

The study visit was supported by OAK and the Trag Foundation through the United Fund for Study Visits.

Photo: Marija V., Marta S., Sara P. N.