Ongoing AfterSchool Tutoring for 70 orphans in BIH

BOSANA FOUNDATION

After School Program Quarterly Report

July – September 2014

Average number of volunteer instructors: 10

Average number of students: 25-30

Number of workshops held: 3 times a week for two hours  

Type of classes held: jewlery making, art classes, English language, computer class, Turkish language, piano and guitar lessons.

Program Activities and Goals:

During this summer reporting period, some of our afterschool program participants were in Italy as they are invited every summer by their hosts/donors, or some went and they visited their families. Like every quarter over the summer, this one is always focused less on structure related to school work and more towards fun summer activities, especially for those kids that are staying in the orphanage the whole summer and not able to go anywhere.  Those that stayed at the orphanage, many educational and recreational activities were planned to keep them entertained over the summer. Some children had to retake some classes so the instructors organized workshops helping individual students prepare for the exams. These "summer" classes were focused on being fun utilizing games, drawings, songs and stories to teach this youngest generation. 

Over the summer we also made a lot of jewlery that the instructors wanted to try to sell at the local market to raise additional funds for children to buy supply for the following school year. 

In September, the instructors purchased basic school supplies for all the afterschool program participants to have something new to start their school year. This incited them to find ways to be creative and make creative projects that they can try to sell at local stores and fairs. This was successful once during the most famous Fair in Zenica held annually and we are hoping to participate this year again with what the children have made over the past few months. 

Noticable Improvements:

Our workshops have proven to develop certain skills and interests in the children that they did not have before. This is most evident when they show up earlier than the classes start, do not want to finish the class and they show improvement and pay close attention.

In September, as soon as the classes started, we noticed that many students started coming right a way to ask for instructions in math, physics and other courses. This was very much welcomed by the instructors because their work is much easier when they do not have to go over a lot of materials right before the exams. The fact that the children started coming at the beginning of the school year, already wanting to do well in school, right from the start, showed that we have achieved one of our main goals of this program: showing the children in orphanage that if they start showing interest, working hard and developing habits of continuosly being better, that they can achieve any goals that they envision.

CHALLENGES:

In this quarter, the instructors as during all summer months have minor problems with childrens' behavior during the instructions beause its the summer and they rather play, partake in fun activities than study. Some also rebel for the fact that they did not go to Italy as the rest of the children. Another reason is that most of the children are taken home to their families over the summer, and those that stay behind rebel often by not being invited by their families to visit them. This is a revolving problem during the summer quarter.  

Also, over the summer break, as there are also many orphanage workers on the break, the children with special needs are sent to take part in our afterschool program. This would not be a problem if we had the proper instructors who know how to provide the adequate support to include these children the best way possible into the workshop. Otherwise, as it often happens, there tends to be a lot of distracted children and not much is done.