The non-governmental organization Center for Entrepreneurship successfully implemented the project “Reviving Ošvice – Traditional Craft as an Opportunity for Empowering Women from Northern Montenegro.”
The project was carried out with the financial support of the European Union through the YouSEED program. The program is implemented by the Italian organization COSV, in partnership with the Local Democracy Agency and the Montenegro Rural Development Network, with co-financing from the Ministry of Public Administration.
Goran Joksimović from the NGO Center for Entrepreneurship told Radio Bijelo Polje that the aim of the project was to revive the traditional embroidery technique known as ošvic, which was once widely present in northern Montenegro but is now almost, as he stated, forgotten.
“At the same time, we wanted to provide women from rural areas with an opportunity to gain practical knowledge through this skill, which can become a foundation for self-employment and social entrepreneurship. In northern Montenegro, especially in rural communities, women often face limited economic opportunities. Many are unemployed, lack access to the labor market, and are frequently excluded from modern development trends. On the other hand, valuable traditional skills, such as ošvic embroidery, are disappearing because they are not being passed on to younger generations. That is why this project addresses a dual challenge: we preserve cultural heritage while simultaneously transforming it into a concrete economic opportunity. We like to say: ošvica is not just embroidery – it is part of our identity and a potential for new value,” Joksimović emphasized.
He recalled that during the implementation of the project, five practical ošvic embroidery workshops were organized.
“Ten women and girls from rural areas of Bijelo Polje participated in the training. Intergenerational exchange was particularly important – older women who were familiar with the technique acted as bridges of knowledge, while younger girls learned and adapted the technique to contemporary products,” Joksimović stressed.
Senada Gredić from Bijelo Polje attended the embroidery training and, as she said during the Radio Bijelo Polje program, it was a wonderful experience for her.
“It was very enjoyable to work on something that had been forgotten. Ošvice is a very beautiful type of embroidery, with various patterns. The other women who attended the training and I are very satisfied with how everything went. To younger generations it may seem like an easy process, but in fact it is very demanding. A shirt with embroidery is very valuable, and completing the embroidery for one shirt can take up to five days,” Gredić stated.
The Center for Entrepreneurship marked the conclusion of the project with an exhibition of works featuring shirts decorated with ošvic motifs.
“Visitors had the opportunity to see how traditional embroidery can be integrated into contemporary design. The exhibition conveyed the message that tradition does not have to remain in a drawer – it can live on, be worn, and become part of the modern economy,” Joksimović concluded.
Source: radiobijelopolje.me