Svitac (Firefly in Bosnia) Project Report – April 2026

ON-GOING PROGRAMME

  • Culture and Art Diversity around the World – Includes Language, Art&Crafts, Music, Drama, and Sports workshops from Monday to Friday (4-14)
    • Standard and Conversational Language workshops – English, German
      • I love English – English workshops for 15-30
      • “Lasstuns Deutsch sprechen!/Pričajmo njemački!“ (Let’s speak German) – German workshops for 15-30
    • Music workshops – samba, guitar for 15-30
         

      HIGHLIGHTS ON THE MONTH’S ACTIVITIES

      • This month was filled with educational activities, collaboration, and the exchange of knowledge. We celebrated Earth Day with our youngest participants, learning about the importance of recycling and how small actions can help protect our planet. Svitac’s team (Firefly in Bosnia) continued to actively work on the Mind Over Screens (MoS) project, planning the next steps, including organizing follow-up workshops in schools next month. A special highlight of the month was a captivating cultural presentation delivered by our Turkish volunteers, Almila and Selin. Their creativity and enthusiasm left a lasting impression on the participants. As their time with us came to an end, we bid them a warm farewell, grateful for their valuable contributions and positive energy. Additionally, our German volunteers organized an engaging presentation about the school system in Germany, which sparked meaningful discussions and allowed participants to compare it with the education system in Bosnia. This exchange encouraged critical thinking and broadened perspectives among the youth. April was marked by strong teamwork, as international and local volunteers joined forces in both regular activities and special events. Our ongoing programs continued to bring joy, play, knowledge, and active participation, while language and intercultural workshops remained a key part of our work—encouraging confidence, dialogue, and self-expression. These experiences have allowed us to learn together, collaborate closely, and explore meaningful topics in engaging ways, fostering creativity and contributing to conversations that truly make a difference. International volunteers also engaged in various daily activities, focusing on different initiatives such as supporting online events and promoting the organization through social media.
      • In April, approximately 143 participants regularly took part in Svitac’s (Firefly in Bosnia) activities. Participants were aged between 4 and 30 years old. The youngest and the oldest participants attended Culture and Art Diversity around the World workshops and English/German conversational workshops.
        • Younger group – They explored the fascinating world of dragonflies, bees, pollen, and plant pollination, as well as the metamorphosis of butterflies. They also discussed the messengers of spring—swallows, storks, and other birds native to the area. In the creative segment, they crafted various decorations and ornaments, illustrated their favourite ice cream combinations on paper, and created beautiful pink flamingos. Participants continued to learn and write numbers; this month, they learned to write numbers from 26-30. They performed warm-up exercises and children’s yoga, and every Thursday, they danced, participated in sports, and worked on maintaining focus and concentration while reading and listening to stories (In the Kingdom of Wild Creatures, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Little Mermaid and Butterfly, Fairy Amelia). In the English, German, and Turkish language workshops, they learned vocabulary related to shapes, colours, animals, flowers, bees, and insects. All workshops employ an educational visual method utilizing pictures and videos; these informal educational sessions aim to foster creativity, memory, motor skills, empathy, socialization, and tolerance for diversity. The highlight with the younger group was a workshop featuring fun motor activities, where participants selected colourful pom-poms while wearing transparent gloves. This provided a great opportunity to practice visual discrimination and fine motor skills.
        • Older group –They covered the following topics: Earth Day (how to think critically about our consumption habits and explore ways to make more sustainable choices in our daily lives, how to advocate for environmental policies, and engage in community activism to promote sustainability), history of music (how different cultures have shaped musical styles and traditions, how music shapes personal and cultural identity, the role of music in youth movements), the role of clothing in society (the importance of traditional clothing in various cultures and how it reflects identity, heritage, and social status) and ADHD (how it affects the lives of young people, friendships, and family dynamics). In this way, we aim to offer young people a safe and neutral environment where they can share their opinions and express both positive and negative emotions without fear of judgment. During the Language Workshops, the group focused on practicing everyday communication, reading and translating short texts and phrases, working on grammar, completing school assignments, and engaging in projects. The highlight for the older group was an interactive workshop, where they discussed the globalization of music and how music from different parts of the world has become more accessible and popular across cultures in the age of the internet.

MUSIC PROJECTS

  • The activities at the guitar workshops improved participants’ skills and had a positive impact on their enthusiasm. Additional variety and slightly different content could improve them even more.
  • The samba group has started working on a new rhythmic idea in 9/8 time. Short rhythmic patterns are being shared and blended into a collaborative composition, while body percussion exercises continue to improve rhythmic accuracy and group listening skills.

VOLUNTEERS

  • In April, Svitac (Firefly in Bosnia) greatly appreciated the collaboration with four international volunteers from Germany and Turkey.
  • Three volunteers from Bosnia are doing their service in Germany, and Italy (11-12 months).
  • Local volunteers from Svitac (Firefly in Bosnia) participated in the Training Course for ESC Mentors held in Sarajevo. The training utilized non-formal learning methods, peer exchange, reflection, and practical exercises. The primary objectives of the course were to enhance mentors’ understanding of their roles and responsibilities within ESC volunteering projects, support them in developing the competencies necessary to effectively guide volunteers, clarify the mentoring process and the mentor’s position within the broader support framework, and provide tools and methods to promote volunteers’ learning and well-being. Additionally, the training aimed to create a space for mentors to exchange experiences, discuss challenges, and share best practices, strengthen regional cooperation and peer support, and explore ways to further develop mentoring support systems within ESC.
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