13 February 2009

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina: UNV volunteers took time out to assist an orphanage as part of their International Volunteer Day (IVD) activities.

Ljubica Ivezic orphanage in Sarajevo is one of the oldest still running orphanages in the country. It has a tradition of hosting Bosnian and Herzegovinian children from infancy to the age of 18, regardless of their national/ethnical background.

While visiting the orphanage, our UNV office was surprised at the level of professionalism and devotion to mutually beneficial volunteer service encountered at the orphanage, and decided to make their efforts more visible by celebrating IVD together.

Additionally, after asking the directors about what else UNV could do to support the children and best practices of volunteerism at the orphanage, we were encouraged to help co-sponsor the children’s winter skiing excursion by providing winter garments for the children of the orphanage. We did the shopping together at the end of our UNV retreat and delivered a collection of winter scarves, caps and gloves a week after.

During the 1992-95 conflict the orphanage proved to be a very bold institution, taking care of children on a zero budget, until having to organize risky evacuation operations.

As of now, the orphanage runs a very successful volunteer-involving programme, providing international volunteers with interpreters in the beginning and language assistance during a longer-term stay, as well as professional guidance from childcare psychologists and experts.

Typically, the international volunteers have been coming from Great Britain and staying for a year, adding an international and multicultural dimension to the children’s upbringing and to a staff composed of local employees and local volunteers. The latter are often experts in their fields, such as child psychology.