REACHING THE MARGINS

In Montenegro, the number of old, lonely and ill people unable to meet their own basic needs continues to grow in rural areas, some of which are not connected by any sort of organized transport.

Due to the lack of state-provided services, transportation and proper infrastructure, elderly rural residents are virtually incapacitated in performing everyday tasks - buying groceries, registration of documents, bill payments and taking to the doctor. In many cases, these people lack the benefits of good health and the support of a family. They are living in secluded areas, detached from outside society.

The most vulnerable continue to face numerous barriers to social inclusion.

For many elderly in rural areas, hearing another human voice is rare. Just the act of having a visitor goes a long way to easing some of their loneliness. The fact that these visitors also deliver necessary services - like cutting wood, helping with housework and bringing medications from cities - only makes their presence more impactful.

One man, although living alone, remains vibrant and hopeful the passing of three of his four daughters and his wife.

"These people mean so much. They help me get water, and help me with the bills. I am an old man and can't go far. It's good that they are here and I thank them all."

UNDP in Montenegro puts a special focus on social services for the elderly: "home care" assistance and visits to the elderly in both urban and remote, rural areas. Working in 16 out of 23 municipalities, their programs have affected more than 1,000 elderly, and provided jobs for 109 previously unemployed women in 2016.

Apart from the home visits for the elderly in rural areas, the program also improves social service facilities, such as day care centres for the elderly in urban areas. 17 facilities for provision of social services refurbished since 2013.

Efforts to combat social inequalities are also focused around people with disabilities, by improving facilities and creating engagement and skills programs.

The fight to end social exclusion has stretched from the legal side (UNDP helped create a legislative and institutional framework, and a new Social Welfare Law and 21 bylaws were adopted) to the technological side (a new, innovative information system 'Social Card' was developed to reduce inclusion errors and improve efficiency and effectiveness of financial assistance).

UNDP Montenegro has partnered with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare in continuation of the project "Social Welfare and Child Care Reform - Enhancing Social Inclusion", to facilitate access of vulnerable, socially excluded groups to comprehensive, inclusive and sustainable family and community based services