Gračanica, a small and tranquil place in the Tuzla Canton, is widely known for its entrepreneurship and hardworking people. Even during the times of our former common state, where the main form of ownership was social, or state-owned, employing the majority of people, a significant number of Gračanica residents had their own businesses. They were particularly known for plastic production, metal galvanization, and craftsmen of various trades. This entrepreneurial spirit has continued to persist and withstand all the challenges that Bosnia and Herzegovina has faced since the 1990s, including the latest ones faced by Europe and the world, such as labor migration and the departure of quality workers to third countries in search of better working and living conditions.
Therefore, a significant part of the mission of the organization Help is to, among other things, support and assist those enthusiasts and creators of their own entrepreneurial ventures to realize, develop, and succeed here in their own country, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In 2023, such support was given to 20 beneficiaries from the area of the City of Gračanica. Many of them deserve to be mentioned in a positive story; however, the protagonist of this one is a twenty-eight-year-old young man, Samir Šišić.
A physiotherapist by profession, he could have easily gone to one of the Western countries that offer wide open doors to specialists of this kind. However, Samir decided to succeed here and provide his fellow citizens with the best possible service and therapy. He achieves this through continuous professional development, dedication, and the use of modern therapeutic equipment, which is often the best way to successful rehabilitation and recovery of patients. Such equipment is often very expensive and hard to afford for those who are just starting their entrepreneurial venture. Therefore, the organization Help strives to recognize such stories on the ground and provide them with the necessary initial support so that their small business can reach its full potential.
In October 2023, the organization Help donated valuable equipment to Samir’s Fizio A&S Center for Physical Rehabilitation. The donation was financially valuable but even more valuable for the development of new services at the center. This donation was realized through the procurement of an Endomed electrotherapy device, which Samir told us in an interview, forms the basis for about 60% of the services his center offers. Consequently, the revenue generated from this source makes up an equal percentage of the total business income.
Samir is expanding his team, and we believe that in the near future, he will become a recognizable name in the field of physiotherapy in his community and beyond, employing new young people and increasing the range of services at the center. We wish him success in this endeavor.