Municipality

Sombor

Community

Aleksa Šantić

Title

Construction of a Marketplace

Problem

Aleksa Santic’s 2,374 residents lacked a central marketplace for the sale and purchase of fruits, vegetables, agricultural products, and other goods. Residents were limited to either purchasing items in four small private groceries or traveling to nearby villages or Sombor for even basic articles. The lack of competition also drove up prices. With nearly 90% unemployment in the village, many households rely upon small scale farming and home trade such as honey production. These producers were put at a large disadvantage due to the lack of a central location to market their goods. Some managed by improvising “wild” shopping places on grass surfaces in front of shops and other inappropriate places without parking places, water supply , waste baskets, or toilet facilities; this practice resulted in ruined green surfaces, litter strewn about, and a generally disheveled atmosphere. They needed a local place to sell their products rather than market goods in other towns and cities markets, losing profit through transportation costs.

Solution

An adequate space in the center of the village was constructed into a marketplace, with an area of 150 square meters, a concrete floor, a roof construction, and at least 20 stands. The new marketplace was also provided with water supply, waste baskets and containers (regularly emptied by the existing communal service), and a small room for control scales and a sanitary inspector. A road was also constructed to join the marketplace with the existing road.

Impact

The existence of a modern marketplace has a profound impact on life in this village, enabling agricultural producers to bring more products to the market and increasing the variety of products available for consumers. Tradesmen from the neighboring areas of Sombor and Subotica also have the opportunity to bring their merchandise to Aleksa Santic as well. Such an increase in direct competition will help maintain reasonable market prices. Apart from the economic benefit, having an organized market center helps ensure that green surfaces remain clean and orderly. The local community collects a certain fee from producers who rent the stands and use it for marketplace maintenance and salary for a worker.

Beneficiaries

3,574

USAID Funds

$29,631

Community and Other Contribution

$11,920