Over 1,700 hours of volunteering, new friendships, and lifelong experiences
The mentorship program Older Brother, Older Sister (SBSS)) celebrated the conclusion of another cycle with joint activities for volunteers and children. The closing event took place on June 29, 2025, during which children and volunteers evaluated the past cycle, shared experiences from their time together, and discussed future plans.
The event was enriched by the presence of Boombar project volunteers, high school students who prepared interesting healthy non-alcoholic cocktails and fruit salads for everyone. All participants had a great time socializing, playing board games, and laughing together, ending this SBSS cycle in a positive and cheerful atmosphere.
In the 2024/2025 cycle, around 40 pairs participated – volunteers from various parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina who study and live in Sarajevo, and children from different socially vulnerable environments.
From October 2024 to June 2025, volunteers attended regular group counseling sessions and self-development workshops. Some of the workshop topics included mentorship, public speaking, human rights, addiction prevention, and health promotion.
During the winter period, the pairs went on a trip to Ajdinovići, where they developed important skills through games and joint activities. At the end of the cycle, all participants went on a summer trip to the protected area of Bijambare. Additional visits were organized as part of regular group activities, allowing children and volunteers to visit the Sarajevo Youth Theatre, the Museum of War Childhood, and Pionirska Dolina. In May 2025, in cooperation with the Association Heart for Others and the Older Brother, Older Sister Foundation, a special event called Games for All Generations was organized, where children, volunteers, and senior citizens played various board games that had been forgotten with the advent of technology.
All volunteers had the opportunity for individual counseling sessions to discuss challenges or questions related to their one-on-one mentoring. These sessions helped further improve the quality and effectiveness of mentoring meetings.
Volunteer Džana Džinović, a psychology student, mentored a nine-year-old girl through the Older Brother, Older Sister program. Through this experience, she aimed to broaden her perspective in her field, better understand children’s needs, and at the same time feel that her engagement contributed to the community and made a meaningful impact.
I leave with a much better understanding of how children function and what is important to them, and I have learned a lot myself on how to approach everything. One situation involved explaining why everyone sometimes crosses the street on a red light, why that’s not okay, and why she must be careful. Even though many people cross on red, she doesn’t, to stay safe. It was quite challenging to prepare myself and learn everything I needed to function with the girl. I would love to continue volunteering and remain her ‘big sister’ because I think we still have so much to learn together. It was truly a wonderful experience.
One girl from the program, the “little sister” Dž., shared her impressions with great enthusiasm:
Today was great. I’m very happy to be here. I tried different cocktails. I’m glad I spent time with my ‘big sister.’ We always have fun, go everywhere, play, and she helps me a lot. I will remember yesterday when she bought me a doll as a keepsake. We swung the doll and slid it down the slide. I’ll remember that for a long time.
Overall, during this cycle, volunteers contributed more than 1,700 hours of service, making childhoods happier, more joyful, and carefree.
Azra Halilović
