Ongoing AfterSchool Tutoring for 70 orphans in BIH

BOSANA FOUNDATION 

After School Program Report

November 2024 Report

Dear Supporters,

We are excited to share our quarterly report for the period from July to November 2024. This report highlights the key activities and accomplishments of our After School programs in Tuzla, Sarajevo, Mostar, and Zenica. With your invaluable support, we continue to provide children and young people with opportunities for growth, learning, and personal development.

Our primary goal is to empower children through education, foster creativity, and support their overall well-being. Over the past few months, we have successfully organized a variety of educational workshops, creative activities, and expanded our volunteer network, all contributing to the academic, social, and emotional growth of the children involved.

Quarterly Report: July to November 2024

Tuzla – After School Program

After a short break due to exam season, we resumed our After School Program in October, now supported by new volunteers from the local Tuzla community. To kick off the new season, we organized an educational workshop on healthy eating habits, attended by over 30 middle school children from the Children’s Home, alongside 20 student volunteers from Tuzla’s Medical Faculty (Student Council MEDICUS and BoHeMSA Association).

• Activity Highlights: Participants made a fruit salad while learning about the health benefits of fruits and other aspects of healthy eating. This activity was one of the most engaging in the program’s history, with everyone having fun while gaining valuable knowledge.

Looking ahead, we have plans for various activities, including a sports tournament, art therapy sessions, a musical evening, and a Readers' Club, with a pilot project set to launch in November.

Another significant upgrade over the past few months has been the increased interest in volunteering for the program—both within and outside the Bosana Foundation. We did a great job promoting the program, so new interested volunteers keep reaching out to our coordinator all the time. We now have an online network consisting of over 60 volunteers, and the number keeps growing.

Sarajevo – After School Program

During the summer break, instead of instructional classes, volunteers organized creative workshops to entertain the children.

• Mathematics & Logic Workshop: Aimed at making math more engaging, the workshop involved six older children and included a quiz to change their perceptions of the subject.
• Ice Cream Craft Workshop: Seven children participated in creating ice cream models using decorative paper, showcasing creativity and teamwork.

Creative workshops continued in August, attracting more children.

• Jewelry Making Workshop: Five girls created necklaces and bracelets, enjoying the wide range of materials and customizing pieces for friends and family.
• Chemical Experiments Workshop: Six children engaged in experiments like "Dancing Popcorns" and "Volcano Eruption," sparking their interest in science.

As school resumed, we continued with creative activities before the start of tests.

• Various Workshops: Workshops included jewelry making (five children), English language learning through play (five children), and a creative drawing session based on incomplete information, fostering teamwork and creative thinking.
• Sweet Paper Flowers: Eight children participated in making flowers from paper and candies, demonstrating creativity and initiative.

Three new Bosana scholars joined as volunteers, working alongside our returning volunteers.

• Instructional Classes: Six volunteers now provide tutoring in subjects like mathematics, physics, languages, biology, and chemistry across multiple locations, including the Bjelave Children’s Home and Mali Porodicni Dom Titova.
• Piano Lessons: One volunteer also leads piano lessons, contributing to the children's creative development.

Each month brought new opportunities for creativity, learning, and team collaboration, with continued enthusiasm and engagement from the children and volunteers.

Mostar – After School Program

The program continues to focus on instructional classes, with plans to expand this year through project funding in partnership with the Iuventus Association in Sarajevo, the driving force behind the After School Program in Mostar. In October, we welcomed a new volunteer, a Bosana scholar who grew up in the sameChildren’s Home. Her journey is inspiring, as she now hopes to motivate other children there to pursue education and follow her path to university. Her success is particularly meaningful given the challenges faced by children from foster homes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where education continuation rates are low. Her story proves that change is possible.

We’re also proud of our volunteer Elvir, who earned a full scholarship through his hard work in the professional development program. Elvir continues to volunteer at the Children’s Home, finding motivation in the positive changes he sees in the children’s lives. His experience demonstrates the powerful impact of our efforts at the Bosana Foundation.

Zenica - After School Program

As part of the After School program during the summer and 2024/2025 school year, 52 children from the Public Institution "Dom porodica" in Zenica participated. The program focuses on instructional lessons and activities designed to help the children advance academically, develop skills, and build self-confidence.

Key Activities:

• Instructional Lessons: Subjects included math, English, German, physics, and computer science, with the highest attendance from students in grades 5-8.
• STEM Workshops: Children engaged in hands-on activities, learning math, English, and other subjects in an interactive way, sparking curiosity and creativity.

Impact:

• Academic Improvement: Around 15 sixth- and seventh-graders showed significant progress in math and English, which reflected positively in their grades.
• Positive Feedback: Seventh-grade students expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate, noting not only academic improvements but also valuable lessons about unity and support.
• Community Building: The program fosters a sense of community, where children can express their interests, tackle challenges, and share success with peers and volunteers.

From July to November 2024, the After School Program continued to support children in Tuzla, Sarajevo, Mostar, and Zenica, helping them overcome challenges through education and creativity. We focused on engaging new student volunteers and expanding our support network, reflecting growing community interest. Based on these results, we are confident our efforts will havea lasting positive impact on both the children and the community.