Harvesting Hope in North Macedonia, 2026-2028
Harvesting Hope: Community Rainwater Systems and gardening for Gender Justice, 2026-2028
Rural areas of North Macedonia are facing persistent poverty, including the regions of Polog, Pelagonia, and the Eastern Region, where the project will be implemented. These regions have been affected by wildfires and droughts, and water scarcity has a negative impact on agriculture. At the same time, they face a lack of access to safe drinking water or water pollution. Access to drinking water is also a challenge in many urban marginalized minority communities. In these settings, women and girls bear the main burden of water scarcity, inadequate sanitation, and the resulting poor health.
The project »Harvesting Hope: Community Rainwater Systems and gardening for Gender Justice« addresses the above-mentioned challenges—water scarcity, poverty, and gender inequality—in North Macedonia, in the regions of Polog, Pelagonia, and the Eastern Region, as well as in marginalized communities in Skopje.
The project is implemented by Zavod Krog in cooperation with the local partner Legis (North Macedonia), which will lead the implementation of field activities. The project also brings together several expert partners from Slovenia and North Macedonia, as well as environmental and development specialists.
The main objective of the project is to contribute to poverty reduction and to improve the quality of life of vulnerable communities, especially women, by ensuring access to safe drinking water and by strengthening knowledge and skills in sustainable gardening. At the same time, the project promotes climate change adaptation, sustainable water resource management, and gender equality.
Within the project, rainwater harvesting systems will be established for households and communities, together with equipment for the treatment of drinking water. Women and other participants will be trained in sustainable urban and rural gardening, community gardens and irrigation systems will be established. The project also includes training for local authorities and professionals on sustainable rural development, the preparation of green development plans, and numerous awareness raising activities for children, youth, and the wider public on climate change, water, the environment, and gender equality.
The project is financed by Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia within international development cooperation. The opinion and content of the project do not represent the official position of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia.
Project duration: January 2026 – September 2028
Project partners: Zavod Krog (Slovenia) and Legis (North Macedonia)
The project is funded by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia as part of international development cooperation.
