Local Voices

Meet the people shaping PlaceCRAFT's pilot regions. Through Local Voices, we introduce inspiring local people and explore their work, their connection to place, and their perspectives on local development.

• Project of Civic Democratic Initiative (PGDI) l Ana Savanović •

Ana Savanović is a professional associate at the Project of Civic Democratic Initiative (PGDI), an organisation working in Baranja, Croatia, on programmes focused on supporting, educating and actively engaging young people. Her entry into civil society wasn't planned: with a background in education, Ana had imagined her career within the school system, until she joined PGDI in 2020 as coordinator of educational activities.

Since 2023, as a professional associate, Ana works directly with children and young people, particularly those facing disadvantage or at risk of social exclusion. Through programmes such as Foster Care Support in Baranja and the Educational Club, she combines individual and group work, creative and psychosocial workshops, and practical life-skills support, from writing a CV to managing a household budget. For Ana, trust is one of the most important foundations of this work: she sees PGDI as a kind of safe haven, a place young people can turn to without feeling judged.

Through the Generation of Action project, Ana supports young people in identifying problems and launching their own initiatives, rather than telling them what to do. One project she's particularly proud of is Lounge&ART, an art event designed and organised entirely by young people in a small suburban community, drawing a large number of visitors.

Ana's work is strongly connected to the PlaceCRAFT approach because it builds an inclusive, active community where young people are not merely users of existing services, but active participants and drivers of change. It also shows that opportunities for personal and professional development can be created in rural areas such as Baranja. To support this work long-term, PGDI is developing social entrepreneurship through a laundry service, a birthday party venue and an educational centre, helping finance a supported housing community for young people leaving alternative care.

As a locally rooted initiative, PGDI shows what community-led youth work can look like when it's built on trust. Ana would like PGDI to become synonymous with a place young people can come to when they want to learn something, create something, or simply find someone who will listen to them.