To support his nine-member family, Rahim Serif works 11 hours a day, digging through Bujanovac’s rubbish in search of recyclable materials.
Some days he scours landfills; other days he visits industrial complexes. Although the locations differ, Serif is constantly exposed to poisonous chemicals and bacteria that cause disease.
Serbian shoe and textile manufacturers are negotiating nearly $2.2 million worth of orders following their debuts at German and Russian trade shows, appearances made possible through the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) assistance.
Since 2009, trade fairs have brought $14.1 million in new sales to USAID-supported companies based in Serbia’s South and Sandzak regions. For these two regions, among Serbia’s most economically disadvantaged, the returns helped companies survive the economic crisis, enter export markets, and create jobs.
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