Last week, 260 hospital mattresses were donated to the Proplan Foundation, an organisation that has been helping people in need, particularly in Bosnia-Herzegovina, for 27 years. The mattresses are destined for IFS Emmaus, a large aid organisation in the country, which runs a care centre in Klokotnica for 465 residents with mental disabilities, among other things. The shelter for the widows of Srebrenica will also receive some of the mattresses.

Why these mattresses are desperately needed

Good sleeping facilities are not a luxury but a necessity – especially in a care environment where intensive support is required on a daily basis. The care centre in Klokotnica is home to people with a wide range of mental disabilities, and mattresses wear out quickly. Thanks to this donation, residents can look forward to greater comfort and improved hygiene.

The shelter for the widows of Srebrenica, where 50 women receive loving care 24/7, will also receive a number of these mattresses. Some are still independent, while others receive intensive support. After losing their husbands during the genocide in 1995, this home is a safe place where they can grow old with dignity. These donations were made possible in part by ZGT-Overzee and the Proplan Foundation.

Thanks to ZGT-Overzee

This donation would not have been possible without the involvement of the ZGT-Overzee foundation. Thanks to their efforts and network, the mattresses could be released and prepared for transport. ZGT-Overzee has been committed to the reuse of medical supplies at home and abroad for many years and is therefore an indispensable link in initiatives of this kind.

Who is the Proplan Foundation?

The Proplan Foundation is a no-nonsense aid organisation based in Gouda that focuses on offering help, hope and a future to people who have no one else to turn to. They work with what is known as the “traffic light model”:

• Green: do it immediately.
• Yellow: we will consider it.
• Red: we’re not doing it.
  

They are active in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia and support, among others, disabled people, Roma, small entrepreneurs, schools, drinking water projects and widows. Thanks to the efforts of volunteers, there are no salary costs and virtually every euro goes where it is needed.

Here you can see a volunteer from the Proplan Foundation preparing for transport.

How the transport works.

The mattresses have now been loaded onto a lorry with a trailer. Volunteers from the Proplan Foundation and a logistics partner have ensured that the entire operation ran smoothly. The driver, Co van Diepen, will take the load directly to Bosnia-Herzegovina. It is expected to arrive early next week. The partner organisation IFS Emmaus will take care of distribution on site.

The storage space is full; transport has clearly been a major logistical task.

IFS Emmaus not only runs the care centre in Klokotnica, but also three children’s centres, two care institutions, three soup kitchens and a food aid programme. Every day, around 2,000 people are helped. Elderly people are visited at home, orphans are taken in and families receive food parcels.

From question to action

The request for the mattresses came directly from IFS Emmaus. With 465 residents and little government assistance, every contribution is welcome. When it became clear that mattresses were available, action was taken quickly. The involvement of the Proplan Foundation in projects of this kind is deeply rooted. Willem Pronk, founder of the foundation and of De Baanderij – an organisation that supports NGOs – is closely involved himself.

Arrival and Unloading of Mattresses

The lorry has arrived safely at partner IFS Emmaus, where the mattresses are now being unloaded. Due to Ramadan, there were some delays at the border, but fortunately the lorry will be able to return to the Netherlands tomorrow. Many thanks to everyone involved for their efforts and cooperation!

What can you do?

We hope this campaign will be the first of many. The Proplan Foundation remains committed to helping vulnerable people in South-Eastern Europe. Would you like to contribute? Visit www.stichtingproplan.nl and find out what you can do. Your help, no matter how small, really makes a difference.