Svitac (Firefly in Bosnia) Project Report – June 2025

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

Local volunteers: Eldar Bešić, Amna Balija, Aida Slomić, Edna Čorbadžić, Milica Pelagić, Valentina Perić, Maida Karahasanović

‘Weltwärts’ volunteers: Ada Gabriela Groneick, Paula Scholz

‘ESC’ volunteers: –

      

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 shared learning, enjoying the sunshine, and a variety of activities. Whether it involved playing games in the park, solving puzzles, drawing, or simply having fun, these moments made our time together truly unforgettable. At the start of the month, we hosted a Spring Event to celebrate the vibrant energy of the season. This special gathering was all about joy—a lively celebration for children, young people, families, and the entire community to enjoy together. It was more than just an event; it was an opportunity to foster togetherness and progress among our participants, as well as to connect, celebrate, and be present with one another. We also explored a range of interesting and educational topics, celebrating World Family Day, World Environment Day, World Day against Child Labour, and World Refugee Day. International volunteers have engaged in various daily activities, focusing on different initiatives such as supporting online events and promoting the organization through social media.
    • In June, approximately 160 participants regularly took part in Svitac’s (Firefly in Bosnia) activities. The age range of participants was 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 summer themes related to food and clothing while creating a variety of intriguing items. Due to the heat wave this month, the group crafted small fans to help keep cool. They prioritized competitive games and outdoor team activities, as well as engaging in educational card games and crafting jewellery. The group engaged in rhythm practice, song rehearsals, and dance choreography. Participants continued to learn the Cyrillic alphabet, focusing on writing the letters Л, Љ, and Н (L, Lj, N) along with simple words in Cyrillic. 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 English, German, and Turkish language workshops, they learned vocabulary related to reptiles, sea animals, summer foods, and caterpillars. 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 the workshop for the Global Day of Parents, where they celebrated family, love, and the small acts of kindness that bind us together.
      • Older group –  They covered the following topics: hate speech, child labour, refugees, the environment, and board games. 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, phrases, grammar, school assignments, and engaging projects. The highlight for the older group was the interactive workshop for World Environment Day, where they discussed the importance of safeguarding our planet.

ESC, WELTWARTS AND OTHER VOLUNTEERS’ PROGRAMMES

  • In June, Svitac (Firefly in Bosnia) greatly appreciated the collaboration with two international volunteers from Germany.
  • Sending ESC and ‘Weltwärts’ – Three volunteers from Bosnia are doing their service in Germany and Belgium (12 months).

MEETINGS and PRESENTATIONS

  • Svitac’s (Firefly in Bosnia’s) staff continued to participate in regular monthly meetings with the youth centre coordinator and other NGOs in Brčko. The goal of these meetings was to discuss the conditions and schedules necessary for the continuation of the centre’s activities.
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Activities, news, Project Report