TWI for the Children

"Assessment of Needs"

Training Workshops

October-November 2000
 Oct. 27 - Nov.4, 2000  

The purpose of the October-November assessment workshops at Bosnian Orphanages was to determine what subjects, if any, should be addressed at future training workshops by TWI for the Children. Assessment Training Workshops were held at orphanages in Banja Luka, Tuzla, Sarajevo, Mostar and Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The results of the assessment were to host future workshops on how to help caregivers and teachers cope with war-related trauma and reduce the stress caused by this trauma in children.

Dr. Dupont and Bobby Houser

Workshop and Assessment of past 3-years Training Workshops

Schedule of Events

October 27 (Friday): Bobby Houser and Dr. Philippe Dupont depart Washington Dulles-via Swiss Air through Zurich, Switzerland.

October 28 (Saturday): Arrive Sarajevo. Met by Vjeko Saje, coordinator. Overnight.

October 29 (Sunday): Depart for Banja Luka via Sipovo for dinner/overnight.   Staying overnight in Sipovo was more cost effective than staying in Banja Luka.

  ·  Met with: Coach and his wife from the Sipovo School who worked with the school for the Friendship Summer Camp held there this summer (July 2000).

October 30 (Monday): Banja Luka Orphanage - Dom za Nezbrinutu Djecu "Rada Vranjesevic". Early departure for the Banja Luka CTT Workshop to begin at 9:00am. The workshop was very successful and, by working in shifts, most caregivers were able to attend. Following the workshop, lunch was paid for by the orphanage and included the Director and all who participated in the workshop. Lunch was followed by a visit to a "family" where young children (age 6 months to 2 years old) live. We left the orphanage and Vjeko gave us a tour of the city. We left Banja Luka for Tuzla at the end of the tour where we spent the night at a hotel that is located near the Orphanage.

·         Met with: Mr. Danilo Ponjarac, Director,  prior to CTT Workshop

·         Discussed: Overall TWI program, to include the camp there this past summer. He was in favor of a 2001 Summer Camp and asked what group of children we wanted him to select - those who would never go with the other children on the group vacation - troubled teens and younger children with physical and learning disabilities who attended the TWI camp this summer. Or 'typical' children. We left it for both sides to contemplate this. I explained that I would be meeting with the TWI Camp Team and would bring this up.

October 31 (Tuesday): Tuzla Orphanage - Ime I Zanimanj. CTT Workshop in Tuzla. 
Following the introduction, the Pedagogy said they did not need the workshop as it was sent to them. She explained that they had more than enough help from local organizations on how to work with the children - but none on how to address the personal needs of the caregivers. Dr. Dupont asked all participants about this and they seemed to prefer the original topic, however one woman did talk about excessive smoking and over-eating to ease her stress. Dr. Dupont decided to change the workshop topic, because the Pedagogy was emphatic about his not giving the original topic. He discussed emotional stress and the misunderstandings that are created when people don't hear the words of others as the speaker intended. The orphanage provided lunch. Following lunch we met with the Director of the Orphanage and the Pedagogy to complete the Evaluation Questionnaire. Following this discussion, we departed for Sarajevo and overnight.

Met with: Ms. Ademir Hasanorid, Director and Pedagogy to discuss past training. When asked if the previous CTT participants were able to 'pass on' information covered at each workshop to staff and co-workers, the Director indicated that was left up to the Pedagogy and she asked her to give the response. The Pedagogy said she had decided to wait until the end of the four year training period to ask the caretakers to give their report and to share their workbooks with the staff and other caregivers.

·         Discussed: Their interest in participating in future CTT Workshops. The Director said she would discuss this with the Pedagogy and caregivers and let us know. The Pedagogy and one caregiver requested training workshops focused on stress reduction for caregivers. The other caregivers seemed to need continued information on behavioral problems and were so interested in attention focused on personal problems, however one other caregiver talked about excessive smoking and eating to calm her emotions. 

November 1 Wednesday): Sarajevo Orphanage - Dom Bjelave.  
CTT Workshop in Sarajevo. Lunch provided by the orphanage and followed by the Evaluation Questionnaire with the Director. Overnight in Sarajevo.

·      Met with: Mr. Amir Zelic, Director after the workshop to do the Evaluation and to consider future activities.  

·      Discussed: This workshop and future workshops. It was decided that Dr. Dupont will make his report and give the results of the Survey. Based on the report and Survey results TWI and its team of professional trainers will make suggestions for the future.  

·         Actions: A donation of medicine (DIMETAPP for colds and allergies - donated to TWI for the Children by Crosslink, International) was delivered later in the week by Bobby, Audrey and Vjeko.

November 2 (Thursday): Mostar Orphanage. 
Early departure for Mostar CTT Workshop. The workshop was followed by lunch with all of the participants and the Director. Lunch was followed by the Evaluation Questionnaire with the Director. We departed for Sarajevo and overnight.

·         Met with: Met with Ms. Sabaheta Kodic, Director, after the workshop to do the Evaluation and to discuss the workshop held this day.

·         Discussed: Future workshop plans.

·         Actions: A donation of medicine (DIMETAPP for colds and allergies - donated to TWI for the Children by Crosslink, International) was delivered.

·         Additional action: When Bobby met with the Director of the orphanage the next week on Monday, Nov. 6, she was asked to visit the orphanage during the March CTT workshop when Dr. Roland Reed will be on the CTT team. We will work with students from the Mostar Theatre (who have been working with the children in the area of play acting but who have no experience in working with children with emotional and behavioral problems) and students from The University Dzemal Bijedic Mostar in the field of child care. We were asked to teach these students how to use play/puppetry to allow children to share their emotions and untold stories - and how to use this information so the caregivers can better understand the children.

November 3 (Friday): Zenica Orphanage - Dom I Porodica.  
CTT Workshop in Zenica. Lunch was provided by the orphanage and followed by the Evaluation Questionnaire with the Director, with a brief discussion of the workshops held in the other orphanages. Because Zenica Orphanage is the initiator of the CTT 'Four Year' Workshop Program for Caregivers in all orphanages in Bosnia and Herzegovina and TWI partner. Dr. Dupont will send her the outcome of the Survey Questionnaire and Evaluation and give the TWI statement of future workshops. Returned to Sarajevo and overnight.

  ·         Met with: Ms. Ajsa Kalico to do the Evaluation Questionnaire.

  ·         Discussed: Because Ajsa first invited TWI to prepare a series of Coping with Trauma Training Workshops that would be centered in her orphanage, she has been responsible for getting all of the orphanages in BiH to participate and to house the participants. She has been very successful and has been a valuable leader in making the workshops successful. We briefly reviewed comments made at all of the orphanages to let her know that they were not prepared to bring the workshops to a close at this point. However, they would rather have the workshops at their orphanages on a regular basis so that all caregivers would be able to attend. It was mentioned that we have a yearly workshop that would include at least two caregivers, the pedagogy and director from each Home, which would continue to give participants the opportunity to share their concerns and promote a relationship between Homes throughout the country. To continue in this manner meets the goals laid out by TWI and Ajsa in the beginning, as well as the desires of former participants as stated in their surveys in the past.

November 4 (Saturday): Dr. Dupont departed for Washington Dulles, via Swiss Air.

Read about TWI for the Children Trauma Training Workshops in 1999.