April, which is recognized worldwide as a month of humanity, solidarity, and mutual assistance, and which is also the month of the establishment of the Hastor Foundation, was this year as well marked by a series of inspiring volunteer activities aimed at encouraging young people to actively engage in their local communities. Through a large number of volunteer hours, students and mentors in different cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina showed that even small initiatives can have a strong and long-lasting impact on society.
In Srebrenik, mentors together with students actively observed passersby during a walk through the city and spontaneously offered help to those who needed it, whether it was carrying things or small gestures of attention, thereby directly applying the learned values of empathy. The activities continued in the park, where students participated in planting and watering flowers, cleaning the area, as well as caring for animals through feeding and play, developing a sense of responsibility towards nature and living beings. A special segment consisted of workshops such as “Box of Problems and Solutions” and “Empathy and Helping Others,” through which students openly discussed everyday challenges and learned how to solve them constructively.
In Sarajevo, multiple activities were carried out covering the humanitarian, educational, and sports aspects of volunteering. One group of students visited the organization Pomozi.ba, where through the process of sorting donations they learned about the importance of organization, responsibility, and a careful approach to work, as they had to assess the quality of donated items, properly sort them, and prepare them for further distribution to those most in need. Parallel to this, activities of writing support letters to children from SOS villages were carried out, as well as preparing packages with sweets for children without parental care, during which the students showed a high level of empathy and desire to make others happy. Also, one of the activities was an ecological-humanitarian action of collecting plastic bottles and caps, through whose recycling funds were collected and donated for humanitarian purposes, whereby students connected care for the environment with care for people. A special contribution was also made by a volunteer who, through work in a sports collective, worked with girls by organizing training sessions, providing them support in developing sports skills, but also strengthening self-confidence, discipline, and team spirit.
In Mostar, the activities were focused on developing environmental awareness and creative expression, where students made toys from recycled materials through workshops, learning about the importance of reuse and waste reduction, while through drawing and coloring they additionally expressed their views on nature protection. A particularly interesting activity was the “Eco-mosaic,” where students in groups created parts of a joint picture using collected materials, symbolically showing how collective work contributes to a greater goal. After that, students participated in arranging green areas through planting flowers in a local park, where through practical work they learned about the importance of environmental preservation and joint action.
In Kalesija, students visited an association of women suffering from breast cancer, where through joint work and socializing they provided support to the members of the association, participating in the making of tote bags and other handicrafts used for humanitarian purposes. During this activity, students had the opportunity to hear inspiring stories of women who had gone through difficult life challenges, which additionally influenced the development of their empathy and awareness of the importance of health and mutual support, while through their engagement they contributed to the work of the association and its humanitarian goals.
Volunteer activities in Derventa were carried out in the Center for Children and Youth with Developmental Disabilities, where students spent time with the center’s users through games, drawing, assembling puzzles, and other creative activities, creating a safe and supportive environment. Particularly significant was the activity of creating a joint picture from puzzles, which symbolized unity in diversity, while through an individual approach to each child the student’s developed patience, understanding, and social skills.
In Zvornik, the activities were focused on getting to know and preserving cultural-historical heritage through a visit to Kula Grad, where students through educational and field work learned about the importance of monuments and their role in the identity of the community. Through cleaning the site, photographing, and creating creative messages about heritage preservation, students developed a sense of responsibility towards cultural heritage and actively participated in its promotion.
In Prnjavor, students carried out the action “Box of Kindness,” through which citizens had the opportunity to donate or take needed items, thereby encouraging a culture of sharing and mutual support, while additionally spreading positive energy in public spaces through the creation of motivational messages, leaving a strong impression on the community.
These are only some of the numerous activities carried out during the month of April, clearly showing that volunteering represents a powerful tool for building a more humane society, and that young people through concrete actions can develop values that will follow them throughout their entire lives. Through different forms of help, education, and joint work, students showed that doing good deeds is not only an occasional activity, but a way of life that contributes to building a better and more supportive community.
