Summer Camps 
in Bosnia and Herzegovina

  SUMMER 2000  

This section provides a day-to-day journal of the two TWI for the Children's  summer Camp2Kids projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  This page provides the journal for the TWI Team that worked in villages and orphanages in the Southern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the team from the New Jersey Lutheran Synod who worked in the Northern part of the country.  Of particular interest is the summary of the daily agenda used by the teams when working with the children.

 

28 -29 June - Travel to Sarajevo:

The Southern Team departed Dulles airport via Zurich on Swiss Air on Wednesday 28 June arriving in Sarajevo at 3:00 PM on Thursday, 29 June.  A large orange van that would carry all of our 14 oversized bags and our faithful driver Vahid awaited at the airport. Our carry-on luggage had everything from "furbees" to craft supplies and we carried our individual clothes in hand luggage. The team went directly to our apartment on a hill overlooking Sarajevo where we met the rest of our team who had been in Bosnia for a week working with Art Therapy Workshop in Zenica.  The total team was assembled and ready to go.  Our Southern Team consisted of Mike and Bobby Houser from TWI for the Children, Lisbeth and Jim Willis, Nicole Wilkes Roche, Allen Priester, John Chase, Heidi Haines, Audrey Ciconne and Jill Foley.

30 June - Travel to Mostar and Dubrovnik:

After overnight in Sarajevo, the team plus interpreters left early Friday morning by van and car to visit Mostar, tour the Pavarotti Center and see the destroyed city. The Old Bridge between east and west Mostar had been destroyed in the war and replaced by the SFOR forces.  The replacement bridge had been washed away by the spring floods leaving no way to cross the river at the old city.  The tourist business on the East side had dried up.  After a snack, our trip to Croatia began.  Everyone will long remember the long and wonderful seafood dinner at Mali-Ston, a walled city on the Adriatic. The food was super.  Following supper the tired group slept in the van while Vahid drove to our bed and breakfast hotel in Mlini, a small village south of Dubrovnik where we were staying. 

 

1 July - 4 July - Culture Period:

TWI for the Children always has a period in the former Yugoslavia where our team can learn about the area and the culture of the Balkans.  Our team enjoyed a longer than usual cultural period on the coast from 1 - 4 July, visiting the islands, swimming, visiting Dubrovnik and preparing for the summer camps.  Our coordinator, Vjeko Saje, arrived on 2 July from America where he had been attending courses of study on crisis intervention.  The team completed a final preparation time and cultural period and as some had colds, it gave us a get well period as well.

 

5 July - Camp 1 at Buguaj near Mostar:

On 5 July, the team was up early at 5:30 AM to drive the 3-hours to our first camp at Buguaj, a village near Mostar. The drive was beautiful and everyone enjoyed a beautiful early morning sun rising over the Adriatic Sea.  How great it is to watch things awaken.  Vahid had some difficulty finding the small school in the small village, but just a bit late our troop was soon greeted enthusiastically by 85 youngsters ready for camp.  This was our first camp together and although we had held an orientation session in Mlini and a full day of rehearsal in Washington, this was our first test under real conditions. 

 

Typical Camp Day:

This initial camp typified what went on during every camp day.

Immediately upon arrival at the school, Jim Willis would immediately find rooms for our country group activities -- France, Japan, Africa, Mexico and a gym for our Olympic theme activities.  Allen Priester and John Chase would unload the balls and craft bags and take them to the gym.  Nicole Wilkes Roche and Lisbeth Willis would set up the Olympic Flag and Registration Banner at the entrance area. Heidi Haines and Jill Foley would set up the craft gear in each country group areas while our interpreters; Amena and Azra would set up the registration desk.  It was amazing how quickly an efficiently things went together.

At 9:30 AM the "Campers" ranging in age from 8 - 13 years formed two lines and waited to come into the camp to kids.  The children moved two by two to the "Registration Desk" where they received a county coded name tag to wear around their neck - Red: Japan, Yellow: Mexico, Green" Africa and Blue: France.  The campers then signed the "Friendship Banner" and had their picture taken for use in their passport.  TWI for the Children received a wonderful donation of Polaroid film and a camera that allowed us to make pictures of each camper to put in their passport. Country team leaders kept the photos until the passports were distributed.

The campers then moved into the gymnasium for a short free-play period with our assortment of basketballs, volley balls, footballs, inflatable balls and animals.  This allowed us to register the campers and still allow the kids to play.  When the campers were registered, they were called together and taught the English words for "stand-up" and "sit -down" and the "special" sign for quiet. Our team members were introduced and Bobby Houser gave an overview of the Olympic day ahead. Bobby also provided an introduction to the history of the Olympics and told why all nations participate in a strong spirit of friendship.  The campers then went to their country groups in the gym. In these country groups the children received their passports and pasted -in their picture and signed the passport. They also learned a country "identify chant".  Each group then moved out of the gym and assembled for the Olympic march into the stadium.  Campers were selected to carry the torch and Olympic flag, the American flag and the Bosnian flag.  When all the participants entered the gymnasium, they marched around the gym and held hands around the flags and Olympic torch.  The group read aloud the Olympic creed written in their passport and then went to their first country group activity.

 

At each country activity the country team taught the campers facts about their country and provided an "Olympic Journal" and pencil in which they wrote answers to country questions.

 

 

•          Heidi Haines and John Chase provided information on France for the campers to enter into their Olympic Journal. The campers prepared country flags for the country they represented.  Finally, they prepared individual torches form paper and colored streamers to be carried into the final ceremony.

 

•          In Japan, Nicole Wilkes and Lisbeth Willis provided information on Japan that the campers used to answer questions in their Olympic Journals.  They then made book covers from modge poge paste and colored paper for their Olympic Journals.  They also made origami peace cranes and wrote a personal wish on their piece crane.  These paper cranes were exchanged at the final ceremony for origami cranes from students in America. 

 

•          Jill Foley and Audrey Ciccone told about Mexico and helped the campers answer their Olympic Journal questions about this country.  They then taught dances from Mexico and other countries of the world.

 

Each country group had a 45-minute period with the campers. At the beginning of the period the passports of each camper was stamped to show that they had entered a new country.  Before lunch, two country group sessions were held in which campers moved among the countries.  In the afternoon campers continued to travel to the various country groups. All campers participated in each activity,. They learned about the different countries, answered questions in their Olympic Journals, obtained passport stamps for each country visited, worked on new arts and crafts and created their country group Olympic flag and their individual Olympic torch. The campers also made covers for their Olympic Journals and peace cranes on which they put their individual Olympic wishes.  They also played games and learned new dances.

 

At lunch, each camper went through passport control to eat in the USA.  Their passports were stamped and at each seat the camper received a McDonald's "Happy Meal" with "furbee" gift along with drink and Bosnian "fast food".  They loved the food and McDonald gift.  After lunch, Heidi Haines led the campers in singing new songs.  The camp really rocked.

 

After lunch, we completed our final two country group sessions and prepared for the Olympic games in the gym.  Campers played "Crab Soccer" with each country competing against the other. The children also held a shoe relay and a paper race relay with the countries shouting their country chants and cheering for one another.  What spirit and surprise, it always happened that the games ended in a tie and all campers were awarded gold medals.

 

At the final Olympic Ceremony, the country groups paraded into the gym led by the Olympic torch, Olympic, Bosnian and American flags and country flags constructed during the day.  The kids marched around the gym and were seated in front of the awards podium.  At the awards ceremony school leaders were given gifts and each camper was honored. Camper introduced themselves, stated the wish that they had written on their peace crane, received a gold medal on their name tag and went to the McDonald's "Wishing Well" where they exchanged their peace crane for one from a student in the United States.  They then reached into the wishing well and got another McDonalds gift.  At the end of the Awards Ceremony, the "Olympics Games" were closed.

 

Each camp day began at 9:30 AM and often did not finish until 4:00 PM. Everyone enjoyed thoroughly the Olympic camp day. Campers went home with their plastic carrying bag donated by Computer Cop, Inc. filled with passport, passport picture, (Polaroid), Olympic Journal (Designed by Krista Reed), Furbees, Happy Meal Box, Dinosaur puppets from McDonalds, and peace cranes from students in America.  TWI for the Children also provide baseball hats for each student and from the New Jersey Nets, basketballs, hats and backpacks.  Each school received 5 new basketballs. In all, more than $12,000.00 of toys and equipment were donated and provided to the children.

 

After the camp in Mostar, we drove through the mountains to Sarajevo enjoying a roasted lamb on a spit supper in Jublinskj.  The team arrived home late but happy. Immediately, Nicole, Lisbeth and Allen began preparing for the next day's camp.

 

6 July - Zenica Orphanage:

Unfortunately, we were not able to hold our camp at the Chingic Vila School in Sarajevo as previously scheduled.  In place of this school the team traveled to visit the orphanage in Zenica.  Our group played games and provided special gifts to the children.  Our visit in Zenica with the children concluded at 5:00 PM after giving "furbees", happy meal bags, and gifts from Bloomindales, handbags, cosmetics and school materials to this needy orphanage.  On the way home to Sarajevo, our team ate at a great local restaurant beside a picturesque river and enjoyed local music and delicious food.

 

8 July - En-route to Gorazde:

  On Sunday, 8 July, our group less Audrey Ciconne drove through the Republic of Serpska and most of the team took a raft down the River Nirita to Gorardza.  The day was rainy and quite cool after the extended heat of the previous days.  Although the team thought they would freeze, they enjoyed the beautiful scenery and the river.  Our van picked-up the raft when it arrived in Gorarzde.  Soon all were enjoying a warm drink at a very nice hotel and walking the streets of this picturesque town.  Our group particularly enjoyed walking the walking bridge hanging beneath the main bridge across the river.  This hanging bridge had been used during the war to protect people crossing the river from snipers in the surrounding hills.  The evening meal was delicious and after dinner and ice cream, everyone soon were asleep.

   

9 July - Camp 2 in Gorazde:

 Monday, 9 July, our camp began at the local school and dance academy in Gorazde.  There were 80 campers and a full 9:30 - 4:40 PM Olympic camp was held.  The children were quite well behaved and as a couple of camps were behind us everything moved very efficiently. The children had a great time. At the conclusion of this camp more of the delicious ice cream was eaten and some of the team went swimming in the river. After swimming the group returned to our apartments in Sarajevo.  This drive through the mountains of Bosnia was quite beautiful and impressive.

 

10 July - Camp 3 in Visako:

  On Tuesday, 11 July, our van departed Sarajevo early en-route to a small village near the town of Visako.  Upon arrival we knew we would be overwhelmed.  Children were everywhere. The school itself had not received any assistance since the war and was in need of repair.  The old school standing adjacent to the current school had been completely destroyed during the war and only its shell remained. The gym floor was warped and the school only had one ball to play with.  Windows throughout the school were difficult to open and doors were without handles.  Regardless, the facility was clean and the teachers were enthusiastic.

   

 

The camp enrolled 135 campers and although our country groups were large, the campers were well disciplined and moved through the Olympic activities without problem.  At lunch, two rooms were required for all of the campers. So, while additional food was prepared, Heidi Haines led the campers in song. The school rocked!

 

The country groups and Olympic Ceremony were great hits.  As we left the village, all along the roads children could be seen going to their homes with their plastic bags of McDonald toys and country team crafts They had a great time.  This school is desperately in need of school materials such as pencils, paper, crayons, art supplies as well as computers.  Currently, they have no computers or sports equipment. School supplies will be delivered in November by our CTT team.

 

12 July - Camp 4 in Ilidza:

On 12 July, our team held our camp at the middle school in Ilidza near Sarajevo.  Camps had been held at this school in each of the past 4-years so we saw many familiar faces among the 70 campers attending.  The director of the school stated that attendance was low as many students had just returned from the seaside the evening previous and another group was in Spain.  It felt good that we were able to have a camp for the children unable to leave Sarajevo.

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