In order to boost the development of the young AFS organisations in Slovenia and Croatia, throughout the last year EFIL has worked closely with AFS Croatia and AFS Slovenia on a project including setting up a combined office for both organisations. Together with the key leaders of both organisations a Development Plan for 2016-2017 was created. In March 2016 a meeting involving all the key people took place to define how a combined office can function and how the two organisations can cooperate better together. Inga Menke (EFIL) was present at the meeting (see picture above).
The plan is to keep both organisations (they are branch offices of AFS International) throughout the entire running of the project, but they will be using the services of one single combined office. In the autumn of 2016 the new office will be launched. It will be based in Zagreb, Croatia. A staff member has been recruited, Tinka Valtl, an active Slovenian volunteer who has attended several EFIL training events and meetings (incl. the Programme Directors meetings in 2015 and 2016, the Support and Risk Management training in Belgrade 2015, the EFIL Volunteer Summer Summit, etc.). EFIL will steer and monitor the entire process throughout the duration of the project. This will include regular Skype meetings and visits. EFIL will also promote Croatia/Slovenia with AFS partners both within and outside of Europe to broaden the scope of partners cooperating with Croatia and Slovenia.
With the preparations done, partners of the EFIL network were approached to support the initiative with seed money. We are now happy to say that 10 partners plus EFIL are committing to contribute financially to the new combined office, covering the expected expenses between the launch and the middle of 2018 . A wonderful act of solidarity in the European network.
You will read more about the developments in Croatia and Slovenia in the upcoming EFILife editions.