The festive Erste Bazaar #verujusebe will bring together inspiring female entrepreneurs, social enterprises, startups and work centers of civil society organizations founded or led by women for the second time. On 21st December, visitors to the Botanical Garden "Jevremovac" will have the opportunity to get acquainted with a rich offer of unique products and support the development of female entrepreneurship. The bazaar will last from 11:00 to 15:00, and admission will be free that day. This event provides a unique opportunity to buy gifts with a story, while the youngest can expect an entertaining and educational program and the play "Guardians of the Dragon's Treasure".
This year's bazaar brings a rich offer of handicrafts and products: from healthy treats and winter food to handmade fashion accessories, soaps and decorative items. Each product carries a unique story of perseverance, creativity and solidarity.
The bazaar is attended by Sombor seamstresses, former victims of domestic violence, now proud entrepreneurs who, after staying in a safe house, decided to take their lives into their own hands, but also to help and empower other women. By purchasing decorations made by children without parental care from the "Zvezda" Center, you make the New Year's holiday filled with positive energy. You can buy healthy treats and organic chocolate from the Suma pastry shop and Chocollama, i.e. salty and sweet snacks from the "Nasa kuca" Association, which employs young people with various types of disabilities, and thus supports their work.
Erste Bank, committed to socially responsible business, continues to promote gender equality and the economic empowerment of women. For this reason, ekoBag, the first ecological social enterprise in Serbia, which employs women over 45, will also be presented at the bazaar. "Milan Petrovic", a school that educates and raises children and adults with developmental disabilities, will also present its products at the bazaar. Dragin kulen i kobasica will have a stand with homemade products, as well as Avlija Bogatic, a center for professional rehabilitation and employment of people with disabilities, which will offer its widely known brandy, behind which there is a humanitarian story that brings together and engages sensitive categories of society. Atina, an association fighting human trafficking and gender-based violence, will be selling handmade jewelry at the Erste Bazaar - a symbol of the fight for freedom and equality, while Bio Idea Soaps will be selling its natural soaps with interesting shapes and scents, made by women and women's associations in rural areas.
For the first time, the women's enterprise Sto i Stolice will also be participating in the Erste Bazaar, delighting visitors with handmade clothes stands and racks, coffee tables and umbrella stands. The Women on the Way association, which employs refugee women, will also be there. Hand-painted bags, T-shirts, makeup bags and glass bead bracelets are part of their assortment. The South Backa District Dystrophic Association, which brings together children and young people, will present handicrafts such as crocheted toys and Christmas decorations, while the Utociste pastry shop will offer Sicilian, Italian and Middle Eastern desserts. There will also be elegant products from Modernissime, unique greeting cards and glass balls from Mazek Design, made from recycled materials.
"We believe that creating sustainable opportunities for women contributes to overall social progress. Our initiatives are focused on providing real support - through education, mentoring and enabling access to the market. The Erste Holiday Bazaar is just one of the steps in that direction, a place where their ideas are turned into reality and where their work is valued in the right way, and in this way we want to be part of their story and give these brave women a boost," said Sonja Konakov Svircev, Manager for Corporate Social Responsibility, Diversity and Inclusion at Erste Bank.
Join us and support women who believe in themselves and their ideas!
