Social entrepreneurship – Solidary economy

Evo ruka started with its economic activity – social entrepreneurship – in 2015. It was then that Delta Foundation started a support programme called Plantation for the Future (Serbian ‘Zasad za budućnost’). This programme was intended for local agricultural manufacturers and associations that wanted to start with agricultural development. The final goal was to ensure finances for vulnerable groups programmes and their economic empowerment. 

We were one of six supported organisations and we therefore managed to ensure two greenhouses of 500 m2, plantation for one sowing and necessary equipment and tools. We did not know much about growing vegetables, but we had huge support and assistance by our neighbours and local agricultural manufacturers. We managed to grow green beans, cucumber and lettuce. The next year we excelled in growing tomatoes and paprika. We planted strawberries in the open and prepared wheat for Christmas. 

We were selling all vegetables or made juices and ‘ajvar’ out of it. We used to sell it directly from the field or distributed it ourselves.

We now have a modest workshop for fruits and vegetables processing, with professional machines and kitchen pots. We have a machine for fruit puree, fruit and vegetable drying and roasting paprika and grinding. We have ensured them through different projects. 

Our aim in the coming period is to advance the production with additional machines and expand our workshop. We are developing different channels of sale and want to increase our visibility. We would like to ensure a selling place, such as a stall or a kiosk selling only products of social enterprises and small size manufacturers from all over Serbia. 

All these activities we carry out aim at ensuring sustainability of the organisation and creation of conditions for employment and work engagement of children and the young with developmental disabilities. In addition to this, we want to financially empower parents and other marginal groups in our community, who struggle to find jobs.

In the second support cycle of Delta foundation PLANTATION FOR THE FUTURE programme, we started processing fruits and vegetables and thus found out another way of providing resources for our programmes. 

By selling out products, we have been able to ensure additional financial resources for the organisation and new programmes supporting parents and children. Having in mind the scope of activities and need for larger quantities, we tend to organise production of jams and ajvar as large volunteering activities. Big companies, as a part of their socially responsible activities, often gladly accept the invitation by humanitarian organisation in the local community, assisting vulnerable groups. 

This is how we launched our CORPORATE VOLUNTEERING programme and connected with companies, which now look forward to volunteering for us at least once a year. This is how we manage to provide for the market and clearly communicate reasons for initiating these activities, as well as problems families of ill children face in Serbia. 

Through the project HOTHOUSE OF IDEAS, KNOWLEGDE AND SKILLS (Serbian ‘RASADNIK IDEJA, ZNANJA I VEŠTINA’) financed by Caritas Serbia, we managed to purchase DRIER FOR FRUITS AND VEGETABLES and started the production of DRIED TOMATO IN OLIVE OIL, which is our main speciality. 

All our products are homemade without any preservatives or additives. We carefully select fruits and vegetables and purchase them from well-known manufacturers in limited quantities. Everything we earn is invested in further development of our organisation and enhancement of the production. All our products are 100% socially responsible. 

This project is financed from our own resources, projects, as well as by citizens’ donations. These are projects funding social entrepreneurship, solidary economics and economic empowerment of persons who have difficulties in finding a job.