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TWI for the Children
Summer Camps Journal
Serbia - Kosovo -
Bosnia - Montenegro
July 2007
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The
purpose of this page is to provide a day-to-day memory of the TWI team
activities in the Balkans during July 2007.
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| 28 - 29 June 2007
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- Bobby and Lisbeth departed late from Washington, Dulles
Airport. Their new route was to Frankfurt then Berlin and finally to
Belgrade. They arrived at 1030 PM (Belgrade Time) at the hotel
missing only 2 bags.
- Kristen's airplane left New York about two hours late so she had to
dash through the airport in London to catch her flight to Belgrade.
She arrived on time but less her bags.
- Emily and Maida completed their English Language project in Gradacac.
Dzenan picked up Emily and they arrived at the
hotel in Belgrade before Bobby and Lisbeth.
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| 30 June 2007
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- We spent Saturday, 30 June, touring
Belgrade and getting the team together. Will joined us today and
we have all of our bags except the 3 that came through London.
Hopefully these bags will join us in Paracin.
- On Sunday, 1 July, we drove to
Paracin, Serbia and met with our coordinator Sanja and the rest of our
Serbian team. They were so helpful and took us for a picnic in the
woods near the town. What a delightful time. We left some
of our bags in Paracin until we return on the 5th of July from Kosovo.
- On Monday, 2 July, we left early for
the drive to Pristina, Kosovo. Upon arrival we met with our Kosovo
team and the volunteer interpreters. Faton had done a wonderful
job of setting up everything in anticipation of our arrival. Tomorrow
we begin our camps in Kosovo.
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| 3 July 2007
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The camp today was wonderful. We think
at this first count that there were about 75 children ranging in age
from 7 the youngest (grandson) to 18 years olds. The volunteers were
wonderful. We had the 3 interpreters and then 6 more volunteers to help
with the groups. We held the camp outside for the games and inside for
Arts & Crafts and Music. AND we had 3 KFOR American soldiers from
the Virginia Nat'l Guard Unit with us for the entire day. One of the
QPEA interpreters worked as a volunteer on base and he invited them.
There was Bobby from Lynchburg, Laura from Norfolk and Bekim, their
Kosovo soldier interpreter. They were so cute and played right
along with us. See more pictures of our time in Kosovo
The interpreters...Arber,
Valdrin and Jeton - were excellent and we are already talking about them
working with us again next year.
Our hotel is fabulous. You won't believe
it until you see the photos. All of the room have a balcony on the very
large swimming pool. Emily and Kristen and Dzenan went swimming last
night and all of us are going swimming when we get home.
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| 4 July 2007
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Kosovo Disabled Camp:
The
camp today went really well despite one team member being ill. There
were 20 kids with disabilities, their 30 siblings and also parents.
Good participation despite the heat and the camp site being in the middle
of a field . Everyone was happy and
satisfied.
Happy
July 4. There is a big "Thank You
America
" concert here in Prisitina tonight, so the TWI team will meet for
dinner and we will go to the concert together.
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| 5 July 2007
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Today
we left Kosovo and the wonderful welcome we received there. What a great
time! We hope that we can return again next year.
We are now
back in Paracin, Serbia and ready for our camp for children in Paracin
tomorrow.
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| 6 July 2007
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Wonderful camp in
Paracin. More than 150 children attended and we also had volunteers
to help us with our games. So many children that Dzenan (our driver)
was in charge of the puzzle game.
The Minister for Children's Rights from
Belgrade visited our camp and has asked Bobby to see if TWI can hold
similar camps in Belgrade and also Training Workshops in Belgrade for
school teachers.
The team is having a great time and
enjoying their time in Serbia and Paracin. They will be on their way
to Sarajevo tomorrow after coffee with the Director.
Still missing our 3 bags of camp
supplies lost by British Air.
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7 July 2007
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Today was our "Travel Day" to Sarajevo and
the beginning of the Bosnian Phase of our camp. The team arrived
safely in Sarajevo and united with Ed and Drew. Our team is
now complete and we are so glad to see our interpreters, Zuti, Alden and
Amena. Now with Vjeko and Azra we are ready for the next three weeks
with the children in Northern Bosnia and with our orphanages in Zenica,
Mostar and in Montenegro.
In talking with Vjeko, Jason's camps
the past two weeks had a total participation of more than 2,400 children
at 17 schools in towns and villages throughout Bosnia and
Herzegovina. Thank you Lutheran Synod of New Jersey for a wonderful
Summer helping the children of Bosnia. I know that everyone
benefited from this awesome experience.
Tomorrow is a free day for our team and
a time to prepare for our next two weeks of camps in Bosnia and next
weekend's camp for children with special needs at the monastery at
Rama.
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| 8 July 2007
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We stayed home and
chilled-out. Vjeko and Azra recovered from a most intense two weeks
with our Lutheran partners who had two teams of 23 volunteers, led by
Jason Reed. These two teams worked in 17 different villages
throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina and hosted more than 2,400 children to
their one-day Camps for Kids. They covered all of Bosnia from Mostar in
the South to Gradacac in the North, Bihac in the north west to Grazade in
the east. What a wonderful time they had and how they have
influenced the lives of all of these children.
Tomorrow, we will go to Zenica to have
a picnic camp for the children of the Zenica Orphanage.
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| 9 July 2007
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Today, we traveled to Zenica
and took 35 of the orphans from the Zenica Orphanage to a picnic at the
city park. What fun and games with great food. We then
returned to the orphanage and gave our TWI Backpacks with the parrot on
the back to the kids. It was great to see our old-timers who have
left the orphanage but who never fail to return and see us each
year.
We are in Sarajevo for the night and
will leave about noon tomorrow for northern Bosnia and the village of
Kozarac. |
| 10 July 2007
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Wonderful
travel day to Kozarac where the team stayed in preparation for the new
camps at Prijedor and Sanski Most. Our teams have stayed here for
several years and appreciate the wonderful hospitality provided in this
town.
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| 11 July 2007
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Today was a
camp for children in the northern city of Prijedor in Srpska, Bosnia and
Herzegovina. TWI for the Children had not previously held a
"Camp for Kids" in this area of the country and this was a true
first for our organization. Tomorrow will be in Sanski Most, also in
this northern part of the country, and we are looking forward to working
with these schools in the future.
PRIJEDOR CAMP
We had met one of the teachers of the
school in Prijedor during the TWI workshop. She was interested in the
camp program and asked Azra to send her some information and the
teacher passed it on to her principal who said he wanted to participate
in the 2007 camp. The school was very nice and the principal had
everything organized. We began the camp with the TWI team meeting with
the principal and all of the teachers who had volunteered to come for
the day. We explained the TWI programs in the Balkans and discussed the
camp, the Pirate theme, the goal of the camp...which was to teach
leadership skills and promote friendship. We explained that the
camp would be traveling around America and that each group would
take place in a state...
The kids love the face painting and the
theme and did a great job making the Dream Catcher and playing the
games. Camp group ... 95
children, 14 teachers, the principal and 5 who helped serve lunch.
The closing went as planned. The
principal invited us to return next year.
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| 12 July 2007
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SANSKI MOST CAMP
It was fun to be met by the Principal
of the school...I had met her at the TWI workshop in Kozarac in
November last year, along with some of the teachers who came with her.
We were met by about 10 children, but the numbers grew as the morning
went by with a nice group that was good since this was our first
time to do a camp at this school. Everyone was new...
Camp numbers...70 kids, 6 female
teachers and the lady principal.
The camp schedule - name tags, sign
the registration banner, get their face painted (pirate style by Vjeko
and Dzenan), then on to have their picture taken by Drew ... and then
on to the gym for free time. Because the group was growing slowly, we
extended free time until the principal said that most of the children
had arrived - but even after we official opened the camp...children
continued to come. We started with the Welcome to Camp, Emily gave the
rules, Bobby introduced the team and each team member introduced
himself-herself by saying "My name is...and I am from the state
of FL or Maine or CA, etc.". Bobby talked about the camp theme
and told the story. Emily divided the kids into groups and sent them
on their way. Groups
included...games, musical activities, arts and crafts (the Dream
Catcher).
The teachers were wonderful and stayed
with their groups so that they were able to help us with our group
activity. Lunch was
delicious - individual pizzas that were made in a new shop owned by
refugees who had just returned to their hometown. The principal told
us that the owners of the shop thanked us for using their restaurant
and asked us to please remember them next year.
The closing was our time to thank the
principal and teachers for coming and for working with us, gifts were
presented and then we thanked the children for coming and gave them
their gifts ... a TWI backpack. The
principal invited us to return next year and we said "yes".
It was an amazing day here at Sanski
Most. Camp started slowly with only a few kids arriving on time, but by
story-time we had seventy kids. The director and teachers were
enthusiastic. We had seven teachers and five parents actively
participating with their children. The director was lovely and the
school was poorer than Prijedor but the students were equally as smart.
They have enjoyed the camp format. Starting with registration then
signing the banner then face-painting by Vjeko and Dzenan. They love
this activity and the stamping the treasure map.
Bobby's story is great. The kids
responded so well to her pirate adventure. Emily quizzes them and they
all got it correctly. Kristen and Aldin teach a really cute and silly
dance to the group. We separate into three groups quickly since craft
takes more time. Games are led by Will, Ed and Juti. Craft is by Kristen,
Aldin and Dzenan. Due to smaller size groups we decided to do music as a
larger group which worked well.
They love the gifts of bags. In fact
Bobby met a Florida couple with Serb background. They saw the kids
yesterday with the bags at last camp. Drew's pictures are wonderful. The
kids and teachers all got pictures to take home. He has a beach
background with props of parrots and pirates.
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| 13 July 2007
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Today was dedicated to travel to Rama and
preparation for the weekend camp for children with special needs and their
families. We have invited a group of special needs children from
Srebrenica to join our families coming to Rama on 14 July. Everyone
is excited about the opportunity to get back to our special place at the Monastery
at Rama. It is such a beautiful place and we have such wonderful
memories of past years with the nuns at Rama. |
| 14 July 2007
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RAMA CAMP4KIDS WITH DISABILITIES
This is written on the Rama computer in
the coffee shop on Saturday, 14 July. The children arrived by bus around
11:00 AM this morning on the bus with Vildin as their driver. It is
almost 3:00 PM in the afternoon and we have had our free time with
swimming and laying in the sun...lunch, which was absolutely wonderful.
Now we have "after lunch free time" until 4 when we will have
registration and begin the organized program. During this free time, we
have been playing badminton, croquet and other outdoor games that
people in the Philly area donated to Lisbeth. Tonight dinner is at 7.
After dinner we have our program once again in the large room when we
will do our musical activities.
Camp numbers...39 kids and their family
members - 13 TWI team members with a total of 52. Fra Mata has given the
children in wheel chairs permission to use the door to the area beside
the chapel because they prepared the lift. This is a wonderful change.
We have 3 children in wheel chairs. There are quite a few children I
have never met - some are the teenage boys.
While we were waiting for the bus to
arrive, a family came to the chapel for the Christening of the baby and
this was so special. The grandmother, aunt and members of the bridal
party were dressed in traditional dress - as was the baby! We got some
great photos - they even gave the baby to Lisbeth so that we could take
a photo of the 2 of them.
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| 15 July 2007
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This is Sunday, 15th July and the
children have just returned from the "traditional walk to the top of
the hill over looking the lake" that Vjeko takes them on each year.
This year, as the theme is "Pirates of
America", they each given a small bag to carry with them
and they were to find "treasures from nature" along the way that
they were to put in the bag .. that will go in their treasure chest that
they will make after lunch (this is what Kim and her kids at her school
made for us ... along with the pirate hats). Before they left for their
walk, I told them to remember that they were pirates and that they should
look for the treasure that I had been told by the people in Rama was
hidden somewhere in the hills around the lake. And sure enough they found
it on their return walk .... it was hidden in the place where Jim built
the fire that year he was with us ... near the cherry tree. Pirate Will
had buried the gold in the wood pile so it was quite difficult to find.
When it was finally found, Vjeko threw it in the air so that everyone had
to scramble for their pieces of gold. Lucky for everyone...the all came
back with treasures from nature and gold pieces.
Everyone came to the Cafe for coffee, drinks and ice cream and now they
are getting ready to walk to the lake for a swim before lunch.
After lunch everyone met in the Big Room where they found a black treasure
chest sitting at their place at the table. They made their chest and
filled it with the treasure they found today. Before the closing,
Capt. Bob visited the room and hid something special in their chests for
them to find when we all are saying goodbye.
Fra Mata has arranged for the TV press corps to visit us after lunch so
all of us have decided that we must look good for this......The TWI team
has on their TWI shirts and hats, so we are ready for the TV when they
arrive.
It is a beautiful day, although it is a bit of a haze in the air...perhaps
the heat or a fire down the way where someone is burning their trash. Any
way, it is a lovely day for camp and everyone is happy.
After Camp, we returned to
Sarajevo for the night.
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| 16 July 2007
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Today has been a much needed rest day and
time to wash our clothes and prepare the bags for the next two weeks
activities in Mostar, Trebijne and Montenegro. It has been real hot
so the team pretty well stayed at the apartments and rested. They
were scheduled to depart for Mostar at 3:00 PM, but with the heat and need
for clothes to dry, the departure time was rescheduled for 5:00
PM.
The swing-set donated by Laura
Newkirk and her husband to be, Chris, was purchased and delivered to our
orphanage in Mostar.
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| 17 July2007
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The Team is in Mostar today working with
the children at the Mostar Orphanage. They will be there tonight and
Wednesday, 18 July. Unfortunately, there is no contact with the team
while in Mostar so I will have to catch up with them later in the trip.
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| 18 July 2007
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The team is still working with the
children at the Mostar Orphanage. The team lives with the children
and this allows us to spend more time with the children at the
orphanage.
Today they dedicated a
swing-set for the children that was donated by Laura Newkirk and her
husband to be, Chris Bowles. Laura worked with the children at the
orphanage the last two years as part of the TWI Educational Project that
taught English to the children and helped them with their school
work.
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| 19 July 2007
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Today the team traveled to Trebijne for a
full-day camp for the children at a local school. We anticipated more than 150 children to attend this camp as TWI has been hosting camps
in Trebijne for the past several years.
At Trebijne there were 70 children, 14
teachers and the Principal. Fewer children this year as the weather was so
very hot.
We all love this school because the teachers are always so happy to see us
and they are so desperate for school materials not only sports equipment
but educational materials as well. They asked that we try to bring them
some books they could use for teaching the elementary classes. As always
they have very little in the way of teaching guides so that is what I will
try to collect from teacher friends. The children were wonderful and the
camp went without any problems. The craft group got their time down to 25
minutes so the group movements worked as we had them on our schedule. The
lunch for the children and the team-teachers was delicious and we had a
good time eating and talking with the teachers.
After the camp is finished
the team continued their travel to the Montenegro Orphanage near
Herceg Novi. This was a taxing day with lots of travel, early
departure from Mostar, large and camp at Trebijne and late
arrival at the orphanage in Montenegro.
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| 20 July 2007
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The team began hosting a two-day camp at the
Montenegro Orphanage near Herceg Novi. This is the same orphanage
where Emily and Amina worked in May and June this year. (Click
here to read about their work.) This is the last camp of the summer
and the team is certain to be a bit sad that this wonderful experience is
rapidly coming to a close.
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| 21 July 2007
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Second day at the Montenegro
Orphanage. More games and stories for the kids. I know they
are having a great time swimming and just being with the kids.
Really cannot wait to get the pictures and hear all about the day. I
will change the blogs when I get info from the team. Tomorrow is the last
day of camp and then we go to Mlini (Near Dubrovnik) for our annual
"time at the sea-side".
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| 22 July 2007
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The team had a sad but joyous final day at
the Bijela Montenegro Orphanage. There were 60 children and 6
volunteers who were at the orphanage as student teachers doing their
internship. Slavica and Milinka (who we work with during the year to set
up the program) were in and out during the camps.
After lunch the team traveled to Croatia and had an
expensive soft drink at Cavtat before arriving at our Bed and Breakfast at
Mlini.
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| 23 July 2007
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The team had the day free in Mlini (town
near Dubrovnik) to do as they wished. This is a bit of rest and
relaxation after a month of intense work and travel. Most went into
Dubrovnik to shop and some traveled by boat to the islands to swim.
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| 24 July 2007
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Drew invited us
to dinner at the fabulous hotel restaurant in the square where we always
eat and so we had gone into town early as the group was joining us for the
9:00 PM dinner date. This way we had time to visit the museums that were
having special showings. One place was at the Ronald Brown House just
behind the large clock in the square. It was dedicated to him after his
death in the plane crash. They have a room set up as a small formal
meeting room...closed to the public but placed just as you enter the
building. It has a glass door so that you see the room with the small
round table with chairs as though you would sit for coffee and a
talk...with his photo over the table. The art exhibit was up the narrow
steps and it was wonderful.
After visiting
several small museums, it had reached the magic hour when the sun had gone
down behind the buildings and the sky was a beautiful peach color. When we
finished the one museum there was an opening to the wall so we decided to
take a quick walk around before they closed the gates. It was beautiful.
The people in the flats along the wall were sitting on their balconies,
music in the background .... giving a real show for the passer bys.
The city turns to magic at the sunset hour and so we are hoping that our
photos turn out so that we can share the magic hour with you.
By this time it was almost 9 so we walked through the crowded streets to
look for Drew, Azra and Vjeko. The narrow streets were chocka block with
people speaking every language on the planet..... We loved it.
This was our Last Day
of camp. It has been a superior camp
for children in Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and in Montenegro. We also have
enjoyed the brief stay on the sea-side at Dubrovnik (Mlini). It will be
hard saying good-by to Emily and Will , and then driving to
Sarajevo. However, we carry with us wonderful memories of the time we
have had with the children in July, 2007.
Drew, Ed, Will, Kristen,
Bobby and Lisbeth departed on 28 and 29 July from Sarajevo.
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