Elementary school students in Foča welcomed the winter in warm classrooms

Energy-renovated primary school "Sveti Sava" in Foča through the LowCarbon project

December 31, 2023

Sitting in the classroom without a jacket on winter days was almost impossible at the "Sveti Sava" Elementary School in Foča. With frostbitten fingers and red noses, elementary school students had a hard time following the lessons. Although the school spent a lot of resources on buying coal, the radiators were never hot enough to heat the school rooms.

This winter everything is different. Students and teachers welcomed the new school year in warm classrooms thanks to the energy renovation and heating of the school building as part of the project "Increasing investment in public facilities with a low carbon emission rate in Bosnia and Herzegovina" (LowCarbon), financed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF). and is implemented by UNDP in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the support of the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska and other partners in the country.

By participating in the project, the school got a new pellet heating boiler, which abolished the earlier coal-fired heating system, which caused a black cloud of smoke to waft above the school and caused air pollution. Parts of the heating system that were not in operation were also reconstructed. The complete carpentry and roof structure were replaced, and the facade was renovated.

The director of the school, Jelena Čančar, could not even imagine how much happiness the warm radiators would bring to the school. She says that the impact of the project on the environment and working atmosphere in the school is immeasurable. "Working conditions in the school premises are much better compared to the previous period. The space is warmer, cleaner and airier, whereas earlier during the heating season, when entering the school, you often felt a specific smell of coal, and occasionally smoke. This happened especially in the classrooms on the ground floor, directly above the boiler room," said director Čančar.

By switching to pellet heating, the students were able to have an undisturbed stay in the schoolyard, where coal and slag were previously stored. Because of this, the yard was unusable because after the game, the students would bring soot and blackness into the school on their shoes, which was difficult to clean.

"There are no more black marks on the floors of classrooms and corridors. It is much easier to stay in all the rooms while we are cleaning because they are airy and warm and there is no unpleasant smell of coal", said Anđa Marić, who has been maintaining cleanliness at the "Sveti Sava" elementary school for 23 years.

629 students and 86 employees of the elementary school "Sveti Sava" benefited directly from the energy renovation. Warm classrooms and better working conditions motivated students and teachers to devote themselves to their school duties better. Earlier, during the winter days, they stayed in the classrooms in warm and heavy clothes, while now everyone is dressed more lightly, which makes them feel more comfortable and carry out their tasks more easily.

The goal of the Low Carbon project is to remove financial barriers to increase investment in public facilities, which contributes to reducing CO2 emissions, creates savings, creates new "green" jobs, and provides support for the country's economic development.

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