Study trip to Croatia 2024

This year, the students of the third semester of the MA Development Studies program worked together with ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency Croatia https://adra.hr/) as part of the annual project management excursion. Accompanied by Dr. Annette Witherspoon, they visited ADRA project sites in Donja Mlinoga, Croatia, from 19 to 26 May 2024.

During the visit, they experienced the day-to-day reality of managing social development projects. Together with the staff of ADRA Croatia, they had the opportunity to conduct a needs assessment in the rural areas affected by the earthquakes in 2020. The needs assessment focused primarily on access to clean drinking water and health services in these areas.

The exercise familiarized them with the aspects of needs assessment and project management. They were able to gain valuable insight into the impact of ADRA Croatia's current interventions in the area - building the community center, emergency services and on-site water treatment.

Dr. Annette Witherspoon, head of Study program International Social Work, reports that the ADRA Croatia team also gave the students an insight into Croatian life. "We explored Croatia's famous Plitvice Lakes. The view was breathtaking. On Saturday, we were welcomed to a small church outside Zagreb for a service and a delicious potluck. An individual city tour of Zagreb and an unforgettable dinner with local Croatian cuisine formed the cultural highlight of the trip. Many thanks to the ADRA Croatia team."