https://svitac.org

Staff: Gordana Varcaković, Dina Vošanović, Sanjin Vošanović, Miloš Popić,

Local volunteers: Eldar Bešić, Danijela Jović, Lejla Ajanović, Maida Karahasanović

International volunteers: Annalena Tabea Milkerat, Maryam Malik

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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, our activities unfolded in a festive and vibrant holiday atmosphere, marked by an enthusiastic countdown to the New Year. Participants engaged in diverse creative projects, learned songs in English, and enjoyed accompanying music activities. A highlight was an engaging cultural presentation on Germany and Aachen, led by Maryam, our international volunteer, which offered valuable insights into new traditions and perspectives. In addition to these activities, high school students joined us in commemorating the International Day of Human Rights. Together, we reflected on the vital themes of equality, dignity, and respect for all. As the month drew to a close, we celebrated the much-anticipated school vacation at our annual traditional New Year’s party. This gathering marked a festive culmination of our programs. 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 December, approximately 145 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 created various drawings and presentations on animals, nutrition, and professions. At the creative workshops, different decorations and ornaments for the New Year’s party were also made. The group engaged in rhythm practice, song rehearsals, and dance choreography. Participants continued to learn and write numbers; this month, they learned to write numbers from 11-15. 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 (Snow White and the 7 Dwarves, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Heidi). In the English, German, and Turkish language workshops, they learned vocabulary related to winter, occupations, transport and holidays. 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 preparations for the New Year Party, when they made holiday decorations and practiced choreography for the performance.
    • Older group –They covered the following topics: human rights (the role of youth in human rights advocacy, how young people are leading movements for change, and raising awareness about human rights issues), celebrating festive holidays (how different cultures define the purpose of holidays; food as a tradition: comparisons of signature dishes, preparation rituals, and shared meals across cultures; how holidays bring communities together: public celebrations, parades, markets, and charitable traditions; traditional songs, dances, and festive performances unique to each culture), volunteering (how does volunteering contribute to the growth and improvement of local communities, what strategies can be employed to encourage young people to get involved in volunteer work, how does the concept of volunteering differ across various cultures and societies, what are some common obstacles volunteers encounter, and how can they be overcome; long-term vs. short-term volunteering: what are the pros and cons of committing to long-term volunteer projects versus short-term opportunities), and how can celebrities influence politicians and do peace-building work. 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 the workshop held on Human Rights Day when they learned about important issues like equality, justice, and standing up against discrimination.

MUSIC PROJECTS

• The Samba group continues to create rhythms and music using samba percussion instruments. They work intensively as a team, writing lyrics for diverse songs and practicing specific compositions. Within the group, they divide instruments and arrange parts for the percussion set. They record their material, foster teamwork through group music-making, and stay in online contact through educational videos tailored to the participants’ ages and roles, drawing from the music archive, music history, and knowledge of musical instruments.
• Through these workshops, Svitac (Firefly in Bosnia) also offers international volunteers the opportunity to meet local youth and engage in intercultural dialogue.

ANNUAL EVENTS

• New Year Event 2025  – This event was held on 17^th December at the Youth centre and organized with the support of international and local volunteers, alongside Svitac’s (Firefly in Bosnia’s) staff. The participants had an opportunity to participate in the program, various games, and fun activities and enjoy the snacks and refreshment. The New Year Party was attended by 120 participants.

VOLUNTEERS

• In December, Svitac (Firefly in Bosnia) greatly appreciated the collaboration with 2 international volunteers from Germany.
• Three volunteers from Bosnia are doing their service in Germany and Italy (11-12 months).