TWI "Camp for Kids" in: 
Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,  and in Montenegro 

 

  Summer 2006  
29 June - 19 July  

This page provides information concerning dates, places and the camp journal for the "TWI for the Children" summer of 2006 Camps to Children in the Balkans.  These camps include schools in Serbia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina; orphanages in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina; and a special camp for children with special needs at a monastery at Rama in central Bosnia.

 PURPOSE

TWI Camp : This camp is made up of volunteers from  the United States and focuses its camp programs on orphanages and  schools. The team is responsible for:

(1)     Starting new camps in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Montenegro  

(2)     Spending several days in orphanages where the team stays in the orphanage and become part of the “orphanage family”. This gives the volunteer opportunities to spend private time and form lasting friendships with the children as they become part of an extended family.
 

Date/Activity

Journal

29 June:   Thursday

Team arrived in Sarajevo

Click here to view the daily agenda for the 2006 Camps

Click here to view the coordinating details for the 2006 Camps

• 30 June :  Friday

   

  Day free in Sarajevo  

Bosnian Interpreters: Students who have worked with TWI Camps for many years

1 July :   Saturday

• Free time to settle-in
   
• Group “get acquainted meeting” 
  

• Dinner with US team and Bosnian team members who serve as partners and interpreters for the camp

Overnight Sarajevo  

1 July 2006

Accommodations: While in Sarajevo , team members stayed in the homes of Bosnian families. This   gives each of the team members an opportunity to provide friendship and to learn about Bosnian customs and homelife. 

2 July :  Sunday

• Travel to Paracin Serbia
   

• Stop in Visegrad for lunch and visit the Bridge over the River Drina  
  

• Dinner in Paracin

Overnight Paracin 

• Visegrad , located along the Drina River , is almost on the border with Serbia.
   
• The town is famous for the Cuprija na Drina (Bridge on the Drina ) which is a magnificent Ottoman bridge spanning the wide river.
  
• The old part of town, once a charming example of old Ottoman architecture, is in dire need of maintenance. The area around Visegrad is wild and untamed .

• Suggested reading: (1) The River Runs Salt, Runs Sweet “A Memoir of Visegrad , Bosnia ” by Jasmina Dervisevic-Cesic.  (2) The Bridge Over the Drina by Ivo Andric  

• Team stayed in a small pension in Paracin.

3 July:   Monday

• Camp in Paracin , Serbia
   

• The camp was in a private school  
  

• We were joined by children with special needs who attend the school that is connected with the private school
   

• After camp  we visited the city and surrounding areas
   

•  Drive to Jogodina (a 30 minute drive)
   

• Team dinner and evening free

Overnight Jogodina  

Click Here to check the TWI Shutterfly web Site for pictures from the camp.  

3 July 2006

80 Children and 19 Teachers attended camp at Paracin.

For the first time in it's history "TWI for the
Children" took their "Camps to Children" to Serbia. The Camps were held in Paracin and Jagodina, neighboring cities in Eastern Serbia. The TWI team,  composed of both Americans and Bosnians, was greeted with much excitement in both cities and friendships quickly formed between our volunteers and the hosts and children at the camps. 

This camp was organized by a teacher in the private school whom we met during the UNESCO Camp in Greece in August 2005 when TWI had a team from Bosnia-Herzegovina and he had a team of students from schools in this area of Serbia.

School at Paracin:

• This is our first time to be invited to have a camp in Serbia.  

The first camp held in Paracin was a great success and hosted 80 children as well as 19 teachers. The camp was concluded by a celebration that included a dance and musical performance put on by children from the school. 

 "I’m very glad that we had an opportunity to spend such a great time with all of you from TWI4KIDS. This was for the first time that, this type organization, came to our school. It was a great experience for all of us especially for the kids. All the best in your activities for this summer! All the best to all of you-Lisbeth, Michele, Britt, Emily, Azra, Vjeko, Aldin, Zuti… and especially Zlata. 

Sincerely yours-
Darko, 
Professor. for physical education in primary school Stevan
Jakovljevic,  PARACIN,SERBIA. 

PS. Hope to see you again"

4 July:   Tuesday  

 Camp at school in Jogodina, Serbia
 

Overnight Jogodina  

4 July 2006

• The camp is held in a large public school  
  
  

    In Jagodina 37 children and 7 teachers attended the camp, 11 of whom were brought to the camp by TWI from a small village outside the city. Both teachers and local volunteers contributed to make the camp a fun and memorable experience. Both camps were such a success that the events were covered by the local news and the directors of both schools have asked TWI for the Children to return and continue to host camps for kids.

These camps mark the beginning of a long and exciting relationship for TWI and the people of Serbia.

Camp at the Orphanage in Kiselac  

• We had lunch with the children

• At the Closing Ceremony gifts were given to each child and the caretakers  

• Drive to Srebrenica

• Visited the Memorial in honor of those killed at the Srebrenica Massacre in 1995

Overnight in Srebrenica  

5 July 2006

• 10 children, 4 caretakers and 5 adults attended the camp. The camp was shortened to 3-hours in duration. Most of the children were at the sea-side in Montenegro.

• This is a small orphanage with approximately 33 children. 
   
• We left donations of clothes and items such as toothpaste and toothbrushes for the children, as well as adult gifts that were donated by individuals and local department stores in the States and brought over by team members

• Srebrenica is the scene of the 1995 massacre of thousands of people

6 July:  Thursday  

Camp in Srebrenica

Camp for Children and young adults with Special Needs at Leptir Center

• We planed for about 75 children  
  
• Camp activities were the same as those in all camps, except that the schedule runs at a slower pace  
  
• Group lunch in the Center

• Closing Ceremony and presentation of gifts to the children and teachers, with an educational gift donated to the Center for the Children

• Travel to Sarajevo

Overnight in Sarajevo   

6 July 2006

• 25 Children and 10 helpers attended the camp.

• The camp was held at the site where the children meet regularly which is located in the Cultural Center in Srebrenica  
  
• Parents often come with their child, which gives them an opportunity to see that their child can do many of the same things that a typical child can do - dance, run a race, sing. They learn some of the things they can do at home with their child, as well as, have a day of fun with the children  
  
• The gifts for the children, teachers and  parents were donated by individuals and local department stores in the States and brought over by team members  

7 July:  Friday  

Camp at Ilidja School

• Attended Eros Concert in Sarajevo.
  

Overnight Sarajevo

7 July 2006

• We had 120 Children and 20 Teachers join us for our camp at Ilidja School near Sarajevo. 

• This is a traditional Camp2Kids that TWI has conducted for the past nine years.

8 July:  Saturday

• Early morning departed for the drive to Rama, a small village in Central Bosnia where the team and ‘campers’ stay at The  Peace Center in the monastery in the village

• When teams arrive they register and are given room assignments

• Free time to settle in

• Lunch in the dining room

• Camp began in the Conference Room

• Camp activities were designed to teach the children self-esteem, self confidence, good manners and to give the parents an opportunity to learn creative ways to work with their children at home

• After dinner the group gathered at the Café for ice cream and beverages

Overnight Rama  

8 July 2006

• There were 18 Children and 13 Parents taking part in the Camp for Disabled Kids.

• Transportation for “campers” and their families travel in the large TWI bus

• The team stays in the "House of Peace" at the Franciscan monastery Rama-Scit. It is located on Sit Island on Ramsko Lake , the northern-most point in Herzegovina . The view of the mountains and the sounds of nature offer families an opportunity to spend valuable time with their children in an atmosphere of peace and quiet

• The local villagers are very kind and many of the women still dress in traditional attire

• Much of the food is grown on site and the meals are prepared by the sisters who live at the monastery  
  
• This is like camping in a nice hotel in Europe or America

• The Café, located at the entrance gate to the monastery, serves ice cream, coffee, soft drinks and is a gathering place for the “campers”. It has a small gift shop and an internet café in the rear of the building that TWI team members can use for a small fee

• A Parent Meeting was led by the Directors of the Learning Center that the children attend. This is a time for parents to discuss family life, questions, needs and to share common areas of concern they have for their children

                   Disabled Camp at Rama  


Drama in Rama - Fra Moto invited us to his room to watch the world cup. A wager then took place - whomever supported the losing team would have to jump in lake (around 11 pm and cold!). Thank goodness I went with Italy! 

9 July:  Sunday

• Camp

• Lunch in the dining room

• Camp

• Free time for a swim, a walk, prepare for the trip back home

• Children and their families departed for Sarajevo in the early evening. A light travel dinner is prepared by the sisters at the Monastery for each “camper” for the ride back to Sarajevo

• TWI Team remains at Rama

Overnight Rama

9 July 2006

• The Camp allows children with disabilities to be ‘typical’ kids in an atmosphere of fun, laughter and love

• It provides an atmosphere where being a special needs child is “really special” to a group of volunteers from America and Bosnia

• It teaches self-esteem, good manners and self confidence

• It gives parents an opportunity to learn creative ways to work with the children at home and to have pride in their children, to be with other parents who share the challenge of raising a child with special needs

• TWI team remained at the House of Peace for the camp at the Rama school in the village the next day

10 July:  Monday  

• Traveled to Sarajevo
     

Overnight Sarajevo

10 July 2006

• 100 Children and 7 Teachers attended the Camp at the Rama School near the House of Peace.

• Rama School -
  
  Director is still there and was happy to see us. He was asking for Bobby and sent back a bottle of Brandy and a picture that his daughter made. 
  
   We made individual pictures for each child with frame and they love them. The pictures are a huge hit!!!

• Gifts are given to the children and teachers and a gift for the school is given to the Director

• Team members return to the same home in Sarajevo that  they were in prior to our travel.
  

11 July:  Tuesday  

• There are approximately 150 children in the home

• The orphanage is divided by age groups into “family homes” with approximately 16 children in each home

• Camp begins with mini camps in the “family homes” of the small children where we play games, sing and dance and give each child and caretaker a gift

• Camp for the older children camp begins at the end of these visits and all activities take  place inside the orphanage

• Camp ended with Closing Ceremony and giving the gifts to the children and the caretakers  
  

Overnight Sarajevo

11 July 2006

• 36 Children and 24 Caretakers/Staff attended our camp day in Zenica Orphanage.

• Zenica is the largest and most industrial town in central Bosnia . The drive from Sarajevo is approximately 1 hour

• TWI for the Children started at this orphanage in 1996 when the Director asked TWI to help bring happiness to children traumatized by the war in Bosnia & Herzegovina . Many children lost parents in the war and had been brought to the orphanage to live

• The Director realized that, not only were the children traumatized, but the caretakers were suffering from events in their lives caused by the horror of the war. Her first request was to develop a program that would put sunshine back into the darkness of their lives.

• Seeing the success in the Camps4Kids program, we worked together to develop a TWI Training Program for caretakers and teachers in the orphanages. The focus was on teaching them how to address their personal trauma and then move forward to help the children in the home to cope with their trauma.

• Today, TWI camps and Training Workshops are held throughout Bosnia & Herzegovina , Montenegro and now in Serbia.

12 July:  Wednesday

Camp at Orphanage in Mostar  

• TWI team departs Sarajevo for the 2 hour drive to Mostar

• There are approximately 45 children in the orphanage. We began our work here almost 10 years ago at the end of the war

• Team arrives at the Orphanage and settle in the Guest House

• Free time to visit with the children

• Lunch with the children in the Dining Room

• Camp begins and continues until dinner.

• Dinner in the Dining Room. The team eats with the children

• The children live in “family homes” with the children divided into different age groups, which is different from all the other orphanages. This system teaches older children to care for the younger children, much the way a big sister or brother would do in a typical home

Overnight Mostar

12 July 2006

• Mostar is definitely a place not to be missed. This region has been settled for over 12,000 years and each civilization has left its mark. We will visit the oriental old town, the old bridge, mosques and churches, and the turquoise blue  Neretva River

• Mostar as a town is first mentioned in 1474 and the oriental part of the city still preserves its old tradition of highly skilled craftsmen in metal carving, painting and rug-making. A visit here is truly a walk through Mostar’s ancient past

• The recent war divided the city into the east side and the west side. The east side of the city was destroyed, all of the bridges connecting the two sides were destroyed and the people were divided by the raging Neretva River . The west banks was, by and large, untouched during the 11-month battle

• A major event in the war was the day the bridge that had united Mostar for over 400 years was destroyed by tanks.

• Today the wounds of the war still divide the city, but the Old Bridge has been reconstructed, paving the way for a new chapter for Mostar 

13 July:  Thursday  

• Camp begins after breakfast

• Lunch with the children in the Dining Room

• Dinner in Mostar where we will eat dinner at the restaurant by the Old Bridge

Overnight Mostar

Optional free time for team members to divide into groups and visit:

Group #1 - Blagaj

     Group #2 - Medugorje

14 July:  Friday  

• Team travels to  Trebijne from Mostar early in the morning

• Approximately 150 children may come to camp

• Camp

• The Closing Ceremony included giving gifts to the children and the teachers. A gift for the school was given to the Director

• TWI team departed for the orphanage in Bijela, Montenegro.

Overnight Montenegro  

14 July 2006

197 Children and 16 Teachers attended the Camp at the Trebinje School.

• Trebinje is the southernmost city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and is approximately a 45 minute drive from Dubrovnik , Croatia  
   
• This area fortunately escaped the fate of Mostar and was not heavily damaged during the war, leaving its old town intact

• Accommodations for team at the Montenegro Orphanage will be in the orphanage.

• 15 July

  Saturday  

  Camp at Orphanage in Montenegro

• Camp begins at 9:30AM  
• Lunch  
  
• Camp - afternoon  
  
• Free time  
  
• Dinner in Herceg Novi

Overnight Montenegro

15 July 2006

66 Children attended our camp at the Orphanage in Montenegro.

• Herceg Novi is a walled town with many small restaurants and shops around the citadel. Stairs built out of the same stones as the fortress lead down to the water where restaurants line the walkway

16 July:  Sunday  

Camp hours are 9:30 AM with the Closing Ceremony before lunch. Gifts given to the children and caretakers

• Travel to Mlini, Croatia

   Overnight Mlini 

16 July 2006

Check out more pictures from our time in Montenegro on the Shutterfly site.  

17 July:  Monday  

• Day Free for sightseeing in the area or by boat to nearby islands

Overnight Mlini

 17 July 2006

• Accommodations for TWI team in Mlini are in a pension on the Adriatic south of Dubrovnik

• Cultural time: This is a time when we can learn more about Croatia , a country where many of the children we have worked with are from, have parents from this area, or came to for a brief time as refugees during the war  

18 July:  Tuesday  

Day free for team members to select what they want to do as a group – or own their own

•  Visit Dubrovnik for sightseeing , shopping, and/or to walk the walls l around the city, or take a boat trip to the islands nearby  
  

Overnight Mlini

18 July 2006

• Accommodations: the team stays in a family-owned Bed and Breakfast with the rooms usually set up for 2 people per room, or a single room by request

19 July:  Wednesday  

Team members departure for USA from Dubrovnik  

• Team plus Interpreters return to Sarajevo

Overnight Sarajevo

19 July 2006

• Transportation: by TWI van to the Dubrovnik airport