TWI for the Childen's Bosnian Training Workshops Journal -2003

TRAINING WORKSHOPS
Bosnia - Herzegovina and Montenegro

"Report of Activities"

(10 - 13 November 2003)

The initial workshop/seminar was held in West Mostar. It was a great success! The workshop was held in a theatre auditorium so everyone could see. There were 135 people in attendance. The group consisted of teachers, staff members from the Pedagogical Institute, and teachers from schools for children with special needs. We also had a group from the "Learning Center for Disabled Children" in Sarajevo that TWI has been working with for the past two years.

Bonnie Miller, the workshop presenter, used different styles of teaching so that the participants could see different teaching methods - listening, verbal, and hands on activities.

These methods included listening to the presenter, watching a training video that reinforced what they were hearing, overhead slides listing ideas being discussed and dividing into small groups to share ideas. At the end of the workshop, each participant received a TWI Certificate, a Teacher's Manual and each organization received a training video to share with people who were unable to attend.

TWI for the Children was invited to come back with the hope that we could begin a recurring working relationship.

After the workshop the Team had dinner in Old Town Mostar with Fatima and Braco, dear friends of TWI for the Children. We walked to the "Old Bridge" destroyed during the war. It was exciting to see that the bridge was almost rebuilt. The opening of the repaired bridge will be held soon. The bridge is going to be beautiful! There is a lot of rebuilding going on in East Mostar so the city is taking on a totally different look.

Our team spent the night at the Mostar Orphanage and we had a chance to see the children. What a wonderful opportunity.

The following morning we had a brief visit with the Orphanage Director and Sabahita, the Social Worker. They brought us up to date on the children, as well as some of their needs. These included:

After leaving Mostar, the team drove to Mlini where we stayed on the 11th and 12th at the Bed and Breakfast where our teams stay during the summer camp period. We spent the day in beautiful Dubrovnik. It is a much different city than the one we see in the summertime. By the time we got settled into our rooms at the B&B, it was late afternoon. We knew that the sun would soon be setting and dark would come quickly so we only had a short time of daylight for this sightseeing. Our plans are to return to Mlini after the workshop on the 12th and then go into Dubrovnik for dinner.

This workshop was held in a school near the orphanage where we had our Summer Camp2Kids in 2003. We had 51 participants --13 from the orphanage. The school was immediately next-door to the "Home". Azra and Vjeko told the director about our camps and they were ready for us!

After a wonderful breakfast as only Katica can prepare it, we left at 7am. The drive was about 2 hours over bleak terrain that make you think this must be what the world looked like before "in the beginning...". There were huge boulders, very few trees, large rock mountains, no vegetation and a two lane road. We arrived in Stolac and found the school at 9:50am.

This workshop was held in a school in Stolac attended by teachers from several schools in the area. Kids were everywhere as school was just getting started. The Director had a meeting in Mostar in the morning and was not able to attend the workshop. We were led to the gym where the workshop was held. As soon as we got to the gym, teenage boys suddenly appeared carrying chairs into the gym. Then men arrived with the equipment and before we knew it we were starting the workshop. There were about 45 people there - kindergarten, elementary and high school teachers; pedagogy; and parents.

This was the first time we had a workshop here so the people had no idea what to expect. Bonnie did a terrific job, as always. We finished up around 3:30 and headed back to Mlini.

After spending the night in Mlini, we drove to Dubrovnik so that Bonnie and Vjeko could walk the wall around the city. Azra and I walked the streets of the city while they were gone. As soon as the walkers returned we drove to Mali Ston for lunch and then on to Sarajevo.

Bobby and Vjeko attended the OSCE Education Forum in Sarajevo for people who work with children with special needs. We were with the mothers from the "Learning Center for Disabled Children". These mothers attended the forum activities and had a display table at the Education Fair during the lunch break. In the afternoon we went to the Fair that is held every year. The tables were filled with handmade items made by non-profit organizations as a fund raising event. The mothers from the Center had a table this year and sold quilts made by the teenage orphans who took part in the TWI Sewing Project. The "Learning Center for Kids with disabilities" had a table to show others how they are teaching the children to sew; improve their speaking and social skills; and learn vocational skills like computers and sewing. The Fair allowed organizations to display materials that show what they are doing with/for the children. The table was manned by Hasena, the President, and Azra, the Secretary - both are mothers of children with disabilities who attend the Center.