I have spent the past 3 months volunteering in Brčko, Bosnia and Herzegovina, with arts and education-based NGO Svitac. These past 3 months have been very enriching for me, as I have learnt to adapt to a new way of life and learn about new cultures. The opportunity to live abroad for the first time has enabled me personal growth, I will continue to remember my experience fondly for years to come.
Whilst in Brčko, I have been assisting with the daily activities in the youth centre, which run every day for two hours. During this time, I have found great enjoyment in designing workshops and assisting with the crafts. It has enabled me to reconnect with my creative side and share some of my favourite artists with the kids. My experience with Svitac has shown me how joyful it can be working with children. Originally, I was concerned that my lack of language skills would make it harder for me to communicate with the children, however this is something easily overcome. Craft is something which is unifying and in many ways acts as an equaliser for all ages.
Further highlights include leading some 16+ activities as part of Advanced English class, or English Club, where was great to see young people engaging with topics close to my heart as a geography student, such as citizenship.
In my free time, I have enjoyed getting to explore the Balkans further. This is an area I have always wanted to explore further but had only been to Sarajevo and Mostar prior to the traineeship. The
location of Brčko has been perfect for exploration in Croatia and Serbia, with the proximity to these meaning it is possible to do a daytrip on the weekend. I have visited Belgrade on a solo trip and met up with my mum in Zagreb and to explore both Croatia and Slovenia.