In addition to many successful projects, the Hastor Foundation can also boast of the “Summer Vacation in the Netherlands” project, which it implements with particular pleasure every year in cooperation with the Dutch organization “Stichting Kinderhulp Bosnië”. The idea of the project is to give children from rural areas and with poor socioeconomic status the opportunity to visit the Netherlands, make lifelong friendships and gain memorable experiences. This year, the project was implemented in June and 28 children from Kaćuni, Novi Travnik and Opara were given the opportunity to visit the wonderful land of tulips.
Considering that a large number of applications arrived, the administration of the Hastor Foundation had a difficult task to choose those students who would travel to the Netherlands. After careful selection, she decided to entrust her scholarship students, Amila Glamočak and Edna Porča, who enthusiastically took on the role of accompanying our little travelers. Amila says that she eagerly sent the motivational letter and eagerly awaited the email with the answer:
I was overjoyed when they chose me and I was impatiently waiting to meet the colleague I was going with. Due to lack of time, we met via video call. Edna and I had many questions and doubts about how we would overcome the various challenges on this trip because there were more children involved, but with the advice of the students who went on this trip last year, we prepared very well. The 9th of June came, the day of departure, when Edna and I saw each other live for the first time, we got along great and at the same time took on the role of leaders. I knew right away that this would be an unforgettable experience because I had a great colleague.
Amila points out that the moment of departure was very emotional both for the children who are leaving their home for the first time for such a long period and for the parents. However, as soon as everyone settled in the bus, she and Edna did their best to entertain the children and awaken in them the adventurous spirit necessary for the trip. Edna says that she enjoyed watching the children’s curiosity and need for socializing grow day by day:
The trip started with a lot of excitement and curiosity among the children as well as myself and my colleague Amila. We knew that this experience brought great responsibility, but with the support of the administration of the Hastor Foundation, we felt ready for this special challenge. Every moment spent with the children was priceless. From activity to activity, every day they became more and more relaxed, open and curious. I was delighted to see how quickly they made connections with each other and how readily they shared their stories with me and the other participants. It was especially emotional to see how the children were impressed by their arrival in the Netherlands. Their enthusiasm and curiosity towards the new culture was simply incredible. The guide’s role was not only to provide information and guide them through the activities, but also to be there as a support and guiding hand during their journey.
Although they had a lot of time to get to know and socialize with the families they stayed with in the Netherlands, the children had workshops and activities planned every day that will make their stay unforgettable and which, among other things, were an opportunity to develop empathy and other positive trait. Amila briefly presented all these activities to us:
On Sunday, June 11, we had our first workshop where the children painted animal figurines, after which we were all given special gifts. All our activities lasted quite a long time and I enjoyed spending time with the children. The next day we went to visit the families where the children are spending their summer vacation. I admired their caring and generous attitude towards children. I saw how hard they try to provide the children with an incredible summer vacation that they will remember for a lifetime, and through it they learn the best human qualities. On Tuesday, June 11, we went to the Hulie playground, where we spent seven hours. Children had fun on various trampolines, slides, and also in the pool. On Thursday, June 15, followed the Corn Maze, Maisdoolhof. The children had a lot to experience, play and learn.Some of the activities were: a maze, a go-kart with a speedometer, a cornhole, a bocce court, 3 types of stacking blocks that were particularly interesting to some, so they competed to build the biggest structure. They also saw various animals here. Already on June 18, we had a picnic, we enjoyed a variety of food and games with the children. The next day we played Bingo, where all the children got prizes, it was interesting to watch them waiting for each next number that might bring them one of the prizes. After Bingo we went horse riding. The days passed, and it was getting more and more interesting for us, in the second week the children got used to being separated from their parents very well.
On Wednesday, June 21, we spent the whole day at Efteling, a fantasy theme park in Kaatsheuvel. In this park, attractions reflect elements of ancient myths and legends, fairy tales, fables and folklore. We went to numerous attractions, alternated with some of the scariest ones such as the Dive coaster free fall with a height of 30 m and a speed of 90 km/h, and then relaxing attractions would follow. Park Efteling was definitely the children’s favorite, as we found out from the survey at the end of the trip.
When it comes to the families that hosted the children, Edna says that they delighted her with their treatment of the children and that many of the children wanted to stay in contact with their chosen families for a long time and even visit them sometime in the future:
The host families also deserve praise. Their warmth, openness and desire to provide the children with the best possible vacation through various activities, delicious food and introduction to Dutch culture was incredible. Ending the trip brought a mix of emotions – joy at the new friendships we made and sadness at having to say goodbye. But I know that the memories of this trip will remain deeply embedded in my heart forever.
Although she and her colleague Amila assumed a great responsibility and obligation by going on this trip, they pointed out that this was a great opportunity for them to visit a wonderful country and gain new unforgettable experiences. During the second week of their stay in the Netherlands, they had more time for themselves and decided to use it in the best possible way. They toured the cities, went for a walk, went shopping, rode bicycles, met new people, and in the meantime they moved to another family, where they were also supposed to stay. Staying in Amsterdam for the whole day is a special experience that they decided to treat themselves to, they were delighted by the long ride on the canals of Amsterdam as well as learning about the history of the city and a guided tour of the State Museum. They say that there is still a lot left for them to visit in Amsterdam and that they definitely decided to return to that beautiful city at the first opportunity in the future.
Amila shared with us her impressions from her last evening in the Netherlands, as well as some of her emotions from her return to Bosnia and Herzegovina:
The last, and at the same time, farewell night was on June 23, it was something special that I will remember for a long time, each of us had to prepare choreographies, the children did very well and we enjoyed ourselves, sang and danced the whole night. It was especially emotional at the end of the evening when the children thanked the families who hosted them and gave them flowers. All the activities for the 16 days spent in the Netherlands were very well organized and interesting for the children, they looked forward to every next activity. The morning before returning to Bosnia was very emotional, tears were visible on our faces, greeting everyone in front of the bus took a long time. After 16 wonderful days we had to leave. The trip went without a hitch. The parents in Bosnia welcomed them with hugs, and the children were impatiently waiting to show them all the gifts from the Netherlands. At the end of this trip, the children said that it was much better than they expected, they said that they would like to stay in touch with the families they stayed with, and some even wanted to live in the Netherlands.
They especially thanked the Hastor Foundation for this opportunity, but also the wonderful members of the “Stichting Kinderhulp Bosnië” organization who worked diligently with the aim of helping the children and therefore showed them the strength and importance of the community and enabled them to be part of an unforgettable experience for children from Bosnia and Herzegovina. They point out that on this trip they gained many skills and got to know a new culture, and in addition, they had the opportunity to look at the happy faces of the younger scholars and admire the children’s joy because of the trip and the new experience, which, they say, particularly fulfilled them. They pointed out that through this trip they saw for the umpteenth time that the Hastor Foundation contributed to the children’s happiness, which they will undoubtedly remember forever.
Through the example of Edna and Amila, the Hastor Foundation once again confirmed the importance of its mission in our country and how young are the bearers of the future.
Prepared by: Jasmina Ejubović
