Over 130 Roma children and their parents will have opportunity to benefit from the first Toy Libraries opened in the first week of September in Kakanj and Visoko. Toy Library is an innovative approach to early growth, development and learning of the children from 0 to 6 years and all toys are educational and safe for use.

The two Toy Libraries have been opened at the kindergarten “Mladost” in Kakanj and the premises for the pre-school education in Visoko within the educational program and represent the first toy libraries to be used in the community’s early development education program.

The Toy Library is being implemented as part of the regional project “Increased Education Opportunities for Roma Students and Roma Youth in Western Balkans and Turkey”, funded by the European Union and the Roma Education Fund, and implemented by the Romalen Support Center “Romalen” Kakanj.

Mayor of Kakanj Municipality Aldin Sljivo said: „I am enthusiastic with innovative approach of this project, which is indeed a real resource that needs to be even more empowered and expanded in the future period, so the new generation of children who come will be able to benefit from it, too“.

The Toy Library in Visoko was opened by Amra Omerbegović, Head of the Department of Social Affairs of Visoko Municipality, and she wished the little ones to take advantage of all the benefits offered by the toy library for playing and learning.

The libraries are meant for non-kindergarten children who are on the waiting lists to be included in pre-school education and through educational workshops to learn, grow up and play.

The libraries have also small reading rooms where people of different occupations (police officers, firefighters, doctors, plumbers and others) will have the opportunity to read stories to children and to entertain each profession in a fun way.