Taking Care of the Basics: Humanitarian Civic Assistance in Croatia

Croatian President Ivo Josipovic talks with the Mayor of Slunj, school officials and the parents of children who attend Slunj Primary School during his visit . (Photo credit: MAJ G. Lee Sepulvado)

The town of Slunj, Croatia, was not far away and Diana and I were traveling there by car to participate in the Croatian President Ivo Josipovic’s visit to Slunj Primary School. For months prior, Diana had worked closely with the US and Croatian military representatives, as well as with the civilian authorities in the town of Slunj, to ensure the availability of the necessary construction materials for a renovation project at the Slunj Primary School. Today, she too could celebrate. The joint Croatian-US military exercise Immediate Response 2011 had just finished and President Josipovic was visiting the Croatian military base where the exercise had taken place. He was there to thank the Croatian and US military members who had participated in the exercise and to view several joint military construction projects that had taken place concurrently with the exercise.

One of these projects was the complete renovation of the boys’ changing and restroom facilities in Slunj Primary School that Diana had worked. More than 400 students attend Slunj Primary School and the boys’ and girls’ bathroom facilities were in need of complete renovation. With nearly $25,000  provided by US European Command’s Humanitarian Civic Assistance program (HCA) to purchase construction materials for the project, a joint US- Croatian military engineering team worked to complete the renovation. An extremely functional and beautiful changing and restroom facility was the result. The City of Slunj provided matching funds and labor to renovate the school’s girls’ changing and restroom facilities simultaneously.

Croatian President Ivo Josipovic posing with representatives of the Office of Defense Cooperation, US Mission Croatia, the Minnesota Army National Guard and US Army Europe representatives during his visit to the Slunj Primary School.(Photo credit: MAJ G. Lee Sepulvado)

Until it is absent or not available, the basics are sometimes easy to take for granted. A working restroom, a functional primary school, passable roads, responsive and capable civic and military institutions, and security are things not taken for granted by most in Slunj as the evidence and memories of its absences are still too near and remain in memory. But, at least for the current and future students of Slunj Primary School, a working restroom can now begin to be taken for granted.

MAJ G. Lee Sepulvado, US Army Reserve,
Civic Engagement Branch, Logistics Directorate