SPRING AT SVITAC (FIREFLY IN BOSNIA) – volunteer’s blog
Hello everyone! My name is Orla and I am volunteering at Svitac (Firefly in Bosnia) through the Turing Scheme’s International Traineeship Programme for a total of six months. Arriving in Brčko at the beginning of March, I have been involved in a wide variety of activities so far, and as the seasons have changed my role too has evolved as I have taken on new responsibilities.
Having graduated from the University of Manchester in 2023 with a degree in German and Russian, I knew I wanted to expand on my passion for languages and cultures. As my degree focussed on central and eastern European politics and history, the Balkans always lay on the peripheries of my studies, just a bit out of reach.
After working a few customer service jobs back in my hometown of Edinburgh, Scotland, I was eager to finally engage in a sector that really makes a difference. That’s when I came across an advertisement for a six-month International Traineeship funded by the UK Turing Scheme where I would have the opportunity to work with an NGO abroad. The prospect of coming to Bosnia and Herzegovina truly excited me; I could gain hands-on experience in the third sector, share my passion for foreign languages, and properly get to know another vast region of Europe.
Bosnia’s history of different national identities being in conflict with one another sounded rather familiar; my mother grew up during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, a 30-year-long sectarian conflict between two main groups of people with opposing national identities. On frequent visits to Northern Ireland I saw first-hand how the deep-rooted divides have severely impacted society, politics and the economy, even decades after the conflict officially ended with the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. Despite the ethical ambiguity of comparing two unique conflicts, I couldn’t help but find similarities between Northern Ireland and Bosnia. I consider myself very lucky to be from a family that rejects sectarianism and embraces cross-community cooperation, and I believe that’s why I felt a particular draw towards Svitac as the charity promotes similar, unbiased values of tolerance and collaboration.
Upon arrival in Brčko I soon encountered my first challenge: the language. I already had knowledge of Russian and I naively thought that the local languages (Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian, or BHS for short) would be mutually intelligible. In an incident involving an embarrassing conversation with a shop worker, I quickly discovered I was very wrong. Nevertheless, my background in languages and knowledge of another Slavic language certainly gave me a big advantage in picking up vocabulary, and I was quick to learn that there is more than one form of communication.
One particular highlight of my first three months here was the opportunity to go into school to lead workshops in English classes. Before coming to Bosnia I had completed some TEFL training and I was excited to put what I had learned to use. The very early school mornings (7:30am!) were certainly a shock to the system but they were worth it as I was able to share my experiences and connect with local young people outside of the youth centre. Some lessons turned into cultural exchanges as I shared music popular amongst young people in Scotland and the students gave me their recommendations for musicians from the Balkans.
Brčko’s central location between the capitals of Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia has made it easy for me to explore other areas of the region during public holidays and weekends. From learning about the siege of Sarajevo in Bosnia’s capital, to discovering the Austro-Hungarian architecture of Novi Sad, to exploring the food scene of Zagreb, I have found every part of the Balkans I have explored so far to be completely unique and full of character. Learning about the different countries and cultures which once made up the Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia has been fascinating and I cannot wait to venture even further ashore.
With the trees now in full bloom and temperatures exceeding 30 degrees, Brčko looks and feels like a completely different place to when I arrived at the start of spring. Looking back now I realise I have already achieved so much: leading my first ever lesson, bringing out my creative side in arts and crafts workshops, and learning to enjoy Bosnian coffee. I am looking forward to what summer at Svitac brings, learning even more about this beautiful region, creating new connections, and contributing more to the work of this wonderful NGO.
facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/omladinska.svitac
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Svitac_BiH
Instagram: omladinska.svitac
YouTube: Svitac Firefly Bosnia
See you around,
Orla Ryan, Svitac’s (Firefly in Bosnia’s) Turing Scheme’s International Traineeship Programme volunteer
