CURRENT PROJECTS AND ACTIONS :: Association NOVA GENERACIJA Banjaluka

Current projects and actions:

"BiH Brothers, BiH Sisters"

Association “Nova generacija”, with the financial support of US Embassy, Sarajevo began with the implementation of the project "BiH Brothers, BiH Sisters" as a support of our long-term project "Big Brother, Big Sister". The project directly deals with one of the biggest obstacles to positive inter-ethnic relations, and concerning the segregation of those who are "different" in their local communities across the country. Volunteers from Sarajevo, Mostar, Zenica and Tuzla, who are part of the Network "Big Brother, Big Sister" will visit Banja Luka and with his collogues volunteers from Banja Luka take a part in education and creative workshops in order to improve their knowledge and skills to better understand the multi-ethnic coexistence in BiH. Also one of the aims of the project is to transfer its experiences to children who are involved in the project SBSS.

Regional research on prevalence of street children phenomenon

With the support of Save the Children, The Regional Network for Children Involved in the Life and/or Work on the Street and Children at Risk (Regional Network) will be held regional research on the prevention of the phenomenon of street children in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro. The research will be implemented by six member organizations of the Regional Network during the June and July 2016. During the research Association “Nova generacija” as a Secretariat of the Regional Network will be technical support to implementation of the research and will ensure that research goes as efficiently as possible. Aim of research is to identify the current situation of the children involved in the life and/or work on the street and children at risk in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro. Regional research should provide a comprehensive analysis of the characteristics, nature and consequences of the phenomenon of "Children at move", complemented by mapping services and programs available for street children and children at risk, and to define recommendations to governments at local and national level to improve the situation of these population.

Humanitarian campaign "When a Little Means a Lot"

Humanitarian campaign "When a little means a lot" aims to collect material and financial resources for supporting the Day-care Center for Child Victims of Domestic Violence, Day-care Center for Street Children as well as Safe House for Child Victims of Sexual Abuse which we plan to open this year. Children who come to the Day-care Centers are mostly from families with low or lower socioeconomic status, so they live in conditions that are barely sufficient to meet their basic needs. Consequently, their families (in most cases) cannot provide optimum sanitary conditions, school supplies, textbooks, clothes, shoes etc. Top floor of the house in which the Day-care Centers are located, is an unfurnished attic, which is intended to be children’s bedroom. All donations in the form of building materials to equip the attic are WELCOME AND NEEDED: roof insulation, floor insulation, laminate, tiles, toilet accessories etc., beds (planned 8-10 beds) and other.

"Older Brother – Older Sister"

In 2002, the Union of social work students launched a "Older brother, older sister," project, driven by the importance of issues of children without parental care and the fact that a large number of children in orphanages shows various psycho-social problems, which makes difficult their adaptation, success in education, vocational training, and the establishment of appropriate social relationships in preparation for independent life. Then we never dreamed how much importance and impact this project will have on the lives of children in Orphanage "Rada Vranjesevic" in Banja Luka, which is our partner in this project. This same group of young people later founded the Association "Nova generacija". The above program continues today.

The experience of one participant in the project:

My name is Biljana. I am a fourth year student of social work. I have been involved in the project "Older Brother – Older Sister" since 2003. Project rules are: participants (students) have "their child" and their obligations are to look after the children, spending time with them, teaching them new and better things… Simply, help the children to make their life easier and happier. Our attention means a lot for these children. When you look at them first and see their carefree and smiling faces, you think there is no difference between them and the "other" children. But, there is a difference. These children have a bitter destiny. They cannot grow up in their families, feel love and care family gives, and we know that the greatest treasure of all is exactly the family. They are not given a carefree childhood as I was, smile on their faces and love… They are abandoned children. They are aware of that, but they are still dreaming a happy family and trying to suppress feelings of abandonment with hope that they will be with their family when they "grow up".

What others say about the project?

ABOUT THE BEAUTY OF GROWING UP AND FRIENDSHIP – Ivan Vidanovic PhD

Every child desires to live in his own family, have a brother or a sister. However, due to various life circumstances, a number of children, for a short or long period, must live separately from their families.
Social Welfare Services protect vulnerable children, placing them in foster families, or in some of the orphanages. They have the opportunity to grow up in a healthy environment just like their peers, as well as health and social care. There are many fun and engaging activities in the Orphanage. However, children often want to socialize with other people, especially with boys and girls older than them, who would be their friends and role models in their life. Our experience has shown the possibility of improving the emotional life of children in orphanages through socializing with persons who voluntarily accept to spend time with tots.
It is worldwide known program "Big Brother – Big Sister".

This project is realized in our country for several years. Participants are children from various institutions and adult volunteers, mostly students: Social Work, Psychology, Medicine and Educational Work. A special professional preparation of volunteer is being organized before the program implementation. Then children choose their "own" big brother or sister, with whom they will spend at least one or two years.
Children and their big brothers or sisters go out together and spend spare time:
- go to the cinema, theaters, concerts
- organize picnics, visit the Zoo
- organize various sport activities
- homework help is an integral part of their friendship

This kind of creative work brings mutual satisfaction: children have someone, who gives them the hope that they are not abandoned, while the students gain knowledge and experience, which cannot be given at any college or school. As standards predict, this socializing, formally, will cease after some time. But, established emotional connections are never broken and last a lifetime. Therefore, the project "Older Brother – Older Sister" is being renewed every year and has the new kids and volunteers.

One cannot bring back or stop life!

Documentary movie "I have a brother on Saturday"
Documentary movie "I have a brother on Saturday" was produced by D&S Youth Theatre. The duration of the documentary is 10 minutes and describes Maša, social work student, and a boy nicknamed Donut through their socialization in this program. Click here to watch the documentary.

Development of "Older Brother – Older Sister" project network

In spring of 2005, Nun Magdalena Schildknecht, the chairwoman of the Association "Narko Ne" Sarajevo, informally met Bojan Arula, the chairman of NGO "Nova generacija". Then the idea about cooperation on the project "Big Brother – Big Sister" was born.
That same year, Nun Magdalena and a group of associates have launched the project in Sarajevo. Two years later, in 2007, the Association "Narko Ne" organized the First Regional Conference on "Older Brother – Older Sister" in Sarajevo. The Second Regional Conference was organized in Banja Luka by "Nova generacija", which was the celebration of five years of successful realization of this magnificent program.
These two associations, supported by NGO "Renovabis" Switzerland, were actively working on the mission, vision and standardization Program, with the aim of replicating these human activities to communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
During 2009, a series of meeting with potential partners of the Network "Older Brother – Older Sister" have been held. The Network functions at full capacity in six cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Network is open to new members, and is still working on its development. We are currently developing standards of the "Older Brother – Older Sister" network, and will soon start with creating an action plan.