The purpose of this page is to provide a report on the success of the TWI for Children's projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2000.  Reports on the completed projects are linked to our Completed Projects page. Projects to be continued are contained on this site and linked to our continued success.

      The TWI for the Children Board of Directors in November 2000, approved  continuation in 2001 of: 

(1) The Camps to Kids project

(2) The Disabled Children's Camp 

(3) Training Workshop Project

(4) The Media Center and Library Humanitarian Support Projects 

Additionally, the Board approved obligating funds for a "needs assessment" for an Education Center in Sarajevo; a pilot project to bring Bosnian youth to the United States for short term educational visits; determination of the desire on the part of the Ministry to continue working with the VA; limiting the Musical Exchange project to musical programs connected to the Camps to Kids project; and restricting further storage of the supplies collected for shipment by the Denton program to the end of January 2001. 

   

Our sincere thanks go out to the volunteers who join us in making our trips to work with the children of Bosnia so successful. Our projects could not be successful without them and their dedication.

Ministerial Visit: During 2000, TWI for the Children, Inc. completed a most successful  year of projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  The visit of the Assistant Minister for Disabled Veterans and the Assistant Minister of Health to the US Department of Veterans Affairs was in response to a long standing request by the Minister to visit Washington and learn about how America cares for its war veterans.  

Click Here to return to the "Completed Projects" Web Page.

 Spinal Cord Injuries: TWI continued in April, 2000 to complete its project to assist persons with spinal cord injuries and provided the final follow-up visit of Dr. Steven Seager to Bosnia.  At this time, TWI was able to continue coordination of the TWI summer program with emphasis on conducting a pilot project for a camp for severely disabled children.  It was unfortunate that the government did not desire to continue our projects with the VA or with spinal cord victims at this time.  

 

CLICK HERE to return to Completed Projects

CLICK HERE to read the complete report of the TWI for the Children International Studies Project for Bosnian students in the United States in 2000.

Training Workshops: During the summer TWI conducted a  Training Workshop in Zenica on the subject of "How to help Children Cope with War-related Trauma"; a  "Camp to Kids" period in towns in southern Bosnia; a pilot camp for severely disabled children in Sarajevo and a "Camps to Kids" period in towns in northern and western Bosnia and for the first time in the Republic of Srpska. There were several firsts accomplished this summer and our teams look forward expectantly to next summer's activities.  It was evident that our focus should be on the small towns where aid and resources have not reached.   The needs of the disabled children also are a new and important priority.  

TWI for the Children sponsored a series of workshops to help children in orphanages in Bosnia and Herzegovina to cope with their situations after the war in that country. These workshops consisted of Art Therapy, Dance and Game Therapy and Activities for teens.  

PICNIC AT THE RIVER: 

On the last day of the Training Workshop, TWI for the Children transported all of the children and caregivers of the orphanage to a picnic beside the river near Zenica.  The opportunity to enjoy being away from the orphanage and able to swim and relax beside the wonderful river was a therapy in itself.  The food was wonderful and everyone stated that this was the way to end every camp.

JClick Here for: Journal of the Coping with Trauma Activity in 1999.

 

CLICK HERE to return to the 2001 Success Stories Page.

Summary:  

Our team of 10 Americans and four Bosnians were able to bring our "Camps to Kids 2000" to more than 400 children in schools in four villages in Bosnia and a camp for 13 disabled children in Sarajevo.  Each camp was considered a success and taught the children the values of being a good neighbor, to compete fairly and in a spirit of good sportsmanship.  They learned about other countries and accomplished advanced craft activities.  In all, the Olympic theme camps were highly successful.

CLICK HERE to review our Camps to the Kids   summer work in Bosnia in 1999

CLICK HERE to return to the Success Stories 2001 Page.

  PILOT PROJECT FOR  CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN SARAJEVO

On 7 and 8 July, we held our Pilot project to provide a camp for  children with special needs in Sarajevo.  Nicole Wilkes Roche was the lead instructor and had prepared the pilot program. The team began with seven disabled children working with our team at the Sarajevo Catholic Orphanage.  The project needed an assessment of the physical and mental capabilities of each child and an opportunity to pair each child with a member of our team.  To make our assessment the group worked on finger-painting, they sang songs and did simple obstacle course relay games. The pilot project established that the  children with special needs adapted well to instruction and were quite able to learn motor skills that their parents formerly thought to be beyond their capability. 

Next, normal children from the Sarajevo orphanage adjacent to the Catholic orphanage played with the  children with special needs on a one on one basis. Neither the normal nor the  children with special needs found anything distressing with continuing the craft activities, run relays or sing songs.  In fact, the normal children quickly became friends with the disabled child.  The smiles on the faces of all the children demonstrated the success of the project. All the children enjoyed a lunch of pizza and cola as they ate together.

On the second day, the camp began with all the children present from the beginning.  There was a 100% increase in the number of  children with special needs, probably from word of mouth information from the parents who attended the earlier camp.  Activities continued to be enjoyed by all of the children and the normal children assisted their  partners with special needs to master the relay races and crafts. A sing-along and snacks completed the program. The parents spoke with Bobby Houser concerning their needs and the value of this type project.

From the initial observations it is thought that the program should be expanded, but the project must ensure that the build-up phase for the disabled child is appropriate to ensure that an assessment is made on how fast our camp activities can proceed without leaving a child behind.

Click Here to return to the Children with Special Needs page.

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.

 

 

 Return to the Training Workshop site.

 

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

 

  CLICK HERE To read the complete report on the Mostar Library and Media Center Projects.

 

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Updated: 5/11/2007