In a time in which engagement is often measured by visibility and care for others reduced to a short post or symbolic comment, some choose a different path – a path of encounter, work and quiet responsibility. The activities of the scholarship recipients of the Hastor Foundation during February show that volunteering is not an isolated act, but a process of learning, maturing, and connecting with the people and the space in which we live. Behind every workshop, meeting, or action stand real stories: of children speaking publicly for the first time, of young people acquiring new skills, of communities gathering around shared values. The overview of February activities reveals a diversity of themes, but also one common thread: genuine involvement in the community.
In Zvornik, Rare Disease Day was marked on February 28th. Through conversation with students, the topic of the challenges faced by people living with rare diseases and their families was opened. Instead of dry data, students learned about empathy, understanding, and the importance of support. The creative part of the activity turned the classroom into a small studio of solidarity: educational leaflets filled with information, symbolic illustrations, and messages of support were created. By distributing the leaflets in the city centre, young people became carriers of awareness in their community. That walk through the city was more than the distribution of paper; it was a lesson in the courage to speak about those who often remain invisible.
In Konjic, volunteering took on a ceremonial and symbolic dimension. On the occasion of the Independence Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina, students, through joint effort, decorated the corridors of the elementary school so that on Monday, the children would be welcomed by an environment filled with messages of unity and peace. The central poster, created in the colours of the flag, was placed in a visible location as a reminder of values that transcend a single holiday date. However, equally important was the process itself: teamwork, agreement, drawing, arranging the space, and the feeling that with their own hands they had left a mark in the school they attend every day.
During February, Maglaj became a space of digital empowerment. Through practical workshops, high school students acquired knowledge in the use of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Learning text formatting, creating tables and presentations was not only technical mastery of programs, but empowerment for the modern world. Short public presentations had particular value, during which students learned how to clearly and confidently convey an idea. These workshops showed that digital literacy is not a luxury, but a necessity, and that knowledge becomes power only when it is shared.
In Vogošća, students left the classroom to become acquainted with the cultural and historical heritage of their area. The visit to monuments began with a lecture about their symbolism, but true learning emerged in the field – through reading inscriptions, observing details, and joint discussion. Photographs and short notes helped students reflect on what they had learned, and the final conversation opened the question of how we understand the past today and how much responsibility we have toward its preservation.
Through the workshop “Drawings as a Sign of Love,” Bugojno showed how simple messages are often the deepest. Children talked about what love means to them, and then, through drawings and short messages, expressed gratitude, care, and belonging. The presentation of the works was not only an artistic act but an exercise in courage and self-confidence. In that space of paper and colours, emotional intelligence was built, along with the awareness that small gestures can have great significance.
Sarajevo was also the place where young people, through the creation of an educational video, spoke about the prevention of harmful habits and healthy ways of coping with stress. Teamwork, scriptwriting, filming, and editing turned one idea into concrete material that will serve their peers. Instead of passively listening to advice, students became creators of the message, taking responsibility for influencing their generation. At the same time, in the office of the Hastor Foundation, that quieter but equally important part of volunteer engagement was taking place. Work desks were occupied with documentation of both our scholarship recipients and scholarship candidates, and volunteers carefully sorted the mail, aware that behind each name lie unique stories, dreams, and hopes. In parallel, they undertook the final steps for the successful completion of the regular scholarship competition for the 2026/2027 school year, thereby preparing solid foundations for the admission of future generations of scholarship recipients.
In Brčko, in the local community of Maoča, students learned basic skills of navigating in nature. Orientation without technology, working with a compass, learning knots, and a final team simulation connected knowledge and practice. However, equally important was the openness of the workshops to other young people from the community. By sharing knowledge, the idea spread that togetherness begins when we learn from one another.
Fojnica demonstrated how ecology and creativity can go hand in hand. Making toys from recycled materials was more than an art workshop; it was a message that waste can be transformed into joy. By giving the created toys to other students, volunteers combined care for the environment with care for people.
When all these activities are viewed together, it becomes clear that volunteering does not have one face. It is at the same time education, creativity, ecology, digital empowerment, culture of remembrance, and care for others. From Zvornik to Konjic, from Maglaj to Sarajevo, from Bugojno to Brčko, and then to Fojnica, each city brought a different theme, but the same message: a community is built through action.
For someone wondering what volunteering truly means, the answer lies precisely in these examples. It means stepping out of the comfort zone, taking responsibility, learning something new, and sharing it with others. It means understanding that change does not begin with grand gestures, but with small, consistent steps. Because a community is not built all at once, it arises from a series of individual decisions to be today a little more responsible, a little more attentive, and a little more humane than yesterday.
