Svitac (Firefly in Bosnia) Project Report – July 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, extreme heat posed a significant challenge, occasionally making outdoor activities more demanding. Despite this, the Svitac team successfully adapted their plans to ensure the continuous delivery of enjoyable and meaningful activities for all participants. A large portion of the month was dedicated to preparing for the Music Camp in Pecka, coordinating activities, and expanding Svitac team of local volunteers. Welcoming these new volunteers brought fresh energy and ideas, strengthening our shared commitment to creating a memorable experience.
        The Music Camp was undoubtedly the highlight of the month; surrounded by nature, it uniquely brought together music, creativity, learning, and new friendships. Witnessing young people connect, collaborate, and express themselves through music in such a beautiful environment made the initiative especially rewarding.
        Another highlight was meeting Chrissie, Firefly’s new Director. Her visit provided a wonderful opportunity to connect, exchange ideas, and align on the organization’s vision and future plans.
        The Svitac team continued its active involvement in the Mind Over Screens (MoS) initiative. An online meeting was held with partners to review the progress of ongoing activities, ensure alignment with the project timeline, and address recent updates. This session also provided an opportunity to coordinate next steps, exchange insights, and plan future tasks for successful implementation. Alongside these collaborative efforts, the team focused on refining training materials and preparing subsequent project milestones.
        International and local volunteers also engaged in various daily activities, focusing on different initiatives such as supporting online events and promoting the organization through social media.
      • In July, approximately 165 participants regularly took part in Svitac’s (Firefly in Bosnia) activities. The youngest and the oldest participants attended Culture and Art Diversity around the World workshops and English/German conversational workshops.
        • Younger group – They explored a range of engaging topics and played competitive games in the park, focusing on themes such as best friends, hygiene, sea animals, and summer hobbies. Weekly general knowledge quizzes were organized by our team of international and local volunteers. During creative sessions, participants crafted decorations and ornaments. Physical activities included warm-up exercises, children’s yoga, dance, and sports every Thursday. Furthermore, the program focused on enhancing attention spans through storytelling (Dwarf’s treasure, The boy Robbie and his dog Bobby, Nina and her little red shoes, The Snake and the Frog); the children actively discussed narrative events, which successfully encouraged even the youngest participants to engage in the conversation and share their views. In the English, German, and Turkish language workshops, they learned vocabulary related to music, sports, summer, beach, and hygiene. 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 for the younger group was learning dance choreographies and songs for the upcoming summer camps in August.
        • Older group –They covered the following topics: peace, tolerance vs. acceptance, hate speech, and discrimination. 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 celebrating the International Day of Friendship. Through collaborative group activities, participants explored core values such as respect, understanding, and mutual support. The session concluded with the group creating a shared list of traits that define a meaningful friendship.

MUSIC PROJECTS

  • Participants in the guitar workshop continued to develop their basic and advanced playing techniques. Activities included rhythm exercises, chord progressions, bass lines, and performing selected compositions from various musical genres. Special attention was paid to practicing the repertoire for joint performances, as well as fostering musicality, coordination, and independence in their work.
  • The Samba Group began working on a new piece in common time (4/4), under the working title “Drop the Wrench.” The younger participants continued practicing short rhythmic patterns that they had developed together and shared with one another.

VOLUNTEERS

  • In July, Svitac (Firefly in Bosnia) greatly appreciated the collaboration with international volunteers from Germany and USA.
  • Three volunteers from Bosnia are doing their service in Germany and Croatia (6-12 months).

ANNUAL EVENTS

  • Summer camp Pecka 2026 – The music camp in Pecka, Mrkonjić Grad, BiH, took place from July 12th to 19th. A total of 20 people participated, including youth from Brčko, staff members, and both foreign and local volunteers. The camp provided a lively setting for musical discovery, creative expression, and intercultural exchange. Designed to build cross-cultural understanding and artistic cooperation, the program included two daily music workshops—one in the morning and one in the afternoon. During the morning sessions, participants split into smaller groups to shape and develop musical material based on stories they wrote during the first session. In the afternoons, everyone gathered for rhythm exercises, joint rehearsals, and the composition of original pieces, which strengthened teamwork and communication. Beyond the musical program, the camp offered a mix of recreational and creative activities, including sports, hikes, drawing sessions, and film nights, rounding out a well-balanced experience. The camp’s central purpose was to encourage genuine intercultural exchange and collaboration. By the end, participants had not only gained new musical skills but also formed lasting friendships and a deeper appreciation for cross-cultural cooperation.
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