Healthy City

Name of the organization or artist

Healthy City

Email

ured@zdravigrad.hr

Address

Vukovarska 65

Country

Hrvatska

Website URL

https://zdravigrad.hr/V1/

Missions and objectives

Healthy City (HC) is a non-profit organization, also known as a Civil Society Organization in Croatia, founded in 2000. Association members work on gathering and connecting people and organizations to cooperate for a healthy and sustainable community. The main goal of the organization is contribution of the overall health, sustainability, and wellbeing of the individual and society. Association supports and actively influences eco-sustainable development, social inclusion, and health preventive programs. HC cooperates with scientific research institutions, educational, economic, health, state, county, and local administrative entities, as well as with other CSO and individuals, in Croatia and abroad.
The activities of the association are aimed at the primary prevention of health and psychosocial disorders, and sustainable and healthy development of local communities in general. A healthy community means a healthy environment, healthy workplaces, healthy families, and healthy individuals.
The association works on projects that affect the development of a healthy and sustainable community, targeting children, youth, vulnerable groups (unemployed, long-term unemployed), prisoners and former prisoners. We have developed educational programs, psychosocial support programs for vulnerable groups, as well as prevention programs aimed at healthy eating, physical activity, mental health, etc. HC has published numerous publications, manuals, and curriculums for different educational programs, performing numerous education programs for different groups.
The overall work of the association is supported by numerous volunteers: students, experts, and interested citizens whose energy and enthusiasm give our organization additional value.

Main Activities

Association has developed five programs:
1. Children and youth benefit programs
The Association has delivered many educational and psychosocial empowerment programs for children and youth especially focusing on social media security, healthy alimentation, and early alcohol consumption prevention. Recently we have contributed to the social inclusion of children and youth with disabilities and those living in deprived areas through inclusion in cultural and artistic activities. We teach more than 60 alimentary school children about healthy eating, every year. We have contributed to the social inclusion of 45 elementary and secondary school children and 10 children with disabilities last year. We have educated 30 volunteers (youth and students) on how to work with children, and the alcohol prevention program has passed almost 100 secondary school children.
2. Psychosocial support of vulnerable groups program
The association has participated in the promotion of innovative forms of eco-social entrepreneurship as a tool for the sustainable development of local communities. We have supported the creation of a more appropriate and innovative regulatory framework for the local social welfare system, and the efficiency of social services through private-public partnership and greater involvement of private service providers (for-profit and non-profit). We are supporting vulnerable groups, especially the long-term unemployed in resocialization by psychosocial support and education, raising their capacity and competencies. HC has published “Study on social welfare systems in the Adriatic Region”, recently has published a manual for mentors and experts who work with vulnerable groups. Out of 23 participants of our program who earned a certificate in eco-sustainable agriculture last year, 10 of them have found permanent jobs afterward plus 5 of them surely self-employed.
3. Prison and post-prison inmates support program
The association has participated in data and information collection and possible solutions related to the treatment of prisoners with mental health problems on an international level. We are developing an international perpetrator treatment protocol for their rehabilitation. We are currently actively implementing a program of education and psychosocial support for ex-convicts. We are actively including ex-convicts in an educational program supporting them in job finding, we have employed 5 of 30 participants, others are still educating.
4. Eco-sustainable development and protection of the cultural heritage
The association is actively promoting the intangible cultural heritage of deprived areas. We have reconstructed a few protected cultural areas and promoted eco-sustainable coastal and marine development. The organization restored, reconstructed and protected several sites of ancient wells (10) in the hinterland. Recently the association has organized and published an education session for experts and educators titled “Environmentally responsible nautical tourism and related services”. The training is currently active; recently 30 marina employees and users have passed the education program.
5. Mental Health program
Since it’s conception, the Association has continually focused on mental health education. We have involved high school children in an anti-depression prevention program and included more than 200 of them in education about depression and other depressive disorders. Currently we are developing a series of live webinars focused on maintaining mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic that will be accessible internationally. The program is intended to give psychosocial support during the pandemic to all included in the program and to help prepare them for life after the pandemic.