When you step into the magical world of volunteerism, you will find that something will keep you coming back to it again and again. Some desires will lead you to make new friendships, new memories and many new activities. However, when we combine volunteering with what we truly love, it turns into our small and special world. This month, we bring you the story of a volunteer who changes not only himself but the world around him, Uzeir Tihak.
Uzeir comes from Gornji Vakuf, a small place with a big heart. He is a third-year student at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Health at the University of Travnik. In addition to his academic duties, Uzeir is an active member of the Bugojno Youth Centre, where he enthusiastically participates in various activities and projects as part of volunteering in the local community. He is known for his inexhaustible positive energy, persistence and self-confidence.
Our interviewee this month is a true example that volunteering is not just unpaid work – it is an act of love and compassion for the community. Uzeir actively works on the implementation of various projects intending to improve the situation in the local community, and with his volunteer engagement as a scholarship holder of the Hastor Foundation, he becomes an exemplary example for younger generations.
One of the significant projects in which he participated is “Viječko” – an educational game organized by the Youth Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The game educates participants about youth laws in a fun way. Its goal is to establish the council of the municipality, then the canton and, finally, the Federation itself.
Uzeir was also a participant in the “Computer Future” project. The project aimed to equip the IT cabinet in the district school “Vesela” (Bugojno). This project provided students with access to digital education, allowing them to develop their skills in using computer equipment.
Furthermore, Uzeir participated in the project “Renovation of the basketball court” in Lamela (Bugojno). With his team, he decided to paint the lines on the field, install a new basket and net, add a sponge around the structure of the basket to protect the players and arrange and paint the stands.
Even though he goes to university and in addition volunteers very dedicatedly, Uzeir manages to find free time in which he engages in recreational sports activities. This love for sports inspired him to sign up for the “Bugojno City Race 2024” project.
In addition to family and friends, the Hastor Foundation plays a key role in his life:
When it comes to the Hastor Foundation, it is enough to say that I have been a scholarship holder since elementary school and that I proudly present it to everyone, Uzeir points out.
Through volunteering at the Foundation, he develops as a person and improves his skills, especially communication skills, which are extremely important in today’s time. When he became a mentor and got his group, he realized the seriousness of his role:
I wanted to help all students to relax, not to live in fear, to get rid of the burden they are facing and to come to the meetings cheerful and in a good mood. I am really glad that I had the opportunity to be at least a small guide to the children I volunteered with. I hope I helped them at least a little in the areas where they had difficulties, he explains. He tried to establish a friendly relationship with them, and only then be their authority.
This support and experience with the Hastor Foundation further motivated Uzeir to contribute to his community. By volunteering in the local community, he develops his skills and, through numerous projects, works every day to develop first his immediate environment, and then the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina, because small steps lead to big successes.
