MARCH AT SVITAC (FIREFLY) – volunteer’s blog
March was a busy month that seems to have flown by. With the month of March being filled with the observance of Zero Discrimination Day, International Women’s Day and European Action Week Against Racism, we had many opportunities to speak with the children about inclusion, diversity and to recognize that everyone counts. We also supported “Global Money Week” on March 9th with the assistance of the Association of High School Students in Bosnia and Herzegovina (ASuBiH).
We started the month off with Zero Discrimination Day* discussing with the children the importance of everyone deserving respect and inclusion no matter who they are. The younger children made penguins and it was a little bit of a struggle at first for them to use different colored paper than the example, but we got there. We explained that even though they are different they are all part of the same waddle (group). The older group learned a bit about Japanese culture with origami.
International Women’s Day brought flowers and treats for the female volunteers at the center (a sweet surprise). We colored #1 Mom pictures with the younger children and created cards and paper flowers with the older group.
European Action Week Against Racism* was full of activities stressing the importance of inclusion and how we all have differences but are ultimately the same and deserve respect. All activities and crafts had the same theme of uniqueness but unity at the same time. The older group was able to have more in-depth discussions on how they see discrimination in their everyday lives and how to handle it as well as how to address bullying. The week was wrapped up with a movie for the 16+ group Friday afternoon, followed by discussions about racism. It has been mentioned that sometimes discrimination is difficult to address in Brčko district when the differences are not as apparent as skin color but is still incredibly relevant.
Global Money Week* was observed on Friday the 9th of March with the Association of High School Students. The High School students spoke with both age groups about saving money and what the children would like to save money for. After discussing attitudes towards money and the importance of saving, the High School students painted the children’s faces. The older group had a similar discussion surrounding money and were given the opportunity to play games and have their face painted.
It has been a fun filled month for us here at the center. We’ve learned a lot and look forward to more growth opportunities for the volunteers and children. Our two Americans have settled in and are adding their own flare to the crafts and activities. Unfortunately, we did say farewell to our two interns Hanna and Camilla. We wish them well and thank them for their time here with us.
*Please follow the links for a more in-depth description on our activities.
Don’t forget to check back on this space to see what fun and exciting activities this next month brings. Please remember to keep in touch for more on Svitac (Firefly) and all that we do by continuing in reading this blog or by following us on Facebook (Omladinska Organizacija Svitac), Twitter (Svitac_BiH) and Instagram (svitacbrcko) for more regular updates!
Hvala puno! (Thank you very much!)
Kirby Richman, Svitac (Firefly) volunteer
