Donations to the students returnnees in RS

Among the most important projects of Fund "Bošnjaci" are those that relate to assisting to returnees’ pupils in the smaller BH entity. In these activities, often the material help remained obscured by the emotions of the enthusiasm and joy of returnees’ children, because of the fact that someone in Sarajevo was thinking of them. We did not manage to solve all of their problems, but at least we have lit up a grim every day’s life that follows them from the end of armed aggression to our country to date.

Departure to the first grade of primary school has always been a reason for the joy of both children and parents. It is the beginning of a new chapter in the life of children in which they assume first obligations to themselves and begin with the process of active learning and getting to know the world. For parents, there is no greater joy than a pleased and happy child who is getting wiser and /pavely going through life every day. For these reasons, their new start should be successful in order to ensure continuation of higher education through a secondary school and university. But this is just a theory that, unfortunately, is not applicable to every area and every child. Happiness of returnees’ parents because of the beginning of schooling their children is in most cases affected by the harsh reality and problems of everyday’s life. In addition to unemployment and difficult socio-economic situations, they are taking care of walking their children to their schools, in some cases for five or more kilometers often through dangerous forest roads.

And there are no better situations in schools. They do not satisfy even the minimum of pedagogical standards, and therefore, regardless of the involvement of teachers and professors, these children do not have good quality in schooling, and hence the quality in results is also missing. This situation gives the impression that someone has done everything to prevent the normal life of these people and thus stop their return and survival in pre-war homes. However, these heroes children do not look at the difficulties and like all other children of the world dream their dreams and imagining a beautiful future.

It all started in 2008 when we were on the ground and then convinced in extremely harsh conditions in schools that these children are attending. Many of these schools worked with minimum or no teaching resources, and many lacked basic accessories such as chalkboard, sponge pads, hammer paper, wall geographic maps, geometric devices, and so on.

By 2018, through various forms of assistance, such as equipping primary schools with teaching materials and equipment, and providing teaching aids for the personal needs of pupils in municipalities of Nevesinje, Bileća, Čajniče, Foča, Višegrad, Žepa, Rogatica, Vlasenica, Sre/penica, Zvornik, /patunac, Milići, Ugljevik, Kupres, Prijedor, Teslić, Doboj, Kotor Varoš and others, was invested over 390,000,00 BAM.

With a lot of emotions we left these schools but we were thinking of how to improve the quality of education of these children, because such a difficult situation requires the action of the wider community. Therefore, Fund "Bošnjaci" sent a letter to state, federal, cantonal and other competent authorities and institutions regarding the difficulties, needs and possibilities of providing assistance to returnees’ pupils and schools with majority Bosniak children, making our selves available for every type of assistance to this most vulnerable population of the population in our country.

In accordance with the personnel, material and other possibilities, Fund "Bošnjaci" will continue to provide the most basic teaching aids and equipment for the needs of these pupils, by organizing instructional classes, where possible, from the Bosnian language, mathematics, informatics and other.

HELP TO RETURNEES PUPILS AND SCHOOLS IN ACADEMIC 2008/09 YEAR

Assignment of teaching materials and equipment to returnees’ pupils in Tjentište, Foča With the help of Tuzla, Mostar and Gorazde Mufti office Fund "Bošnjaci" collected basic data on the number and structure of the returnees’ pupils in a certain number of municipalities in the 2008/09 school year.

We have looked for this information in order to provide relief in education through the acquisition of the most needed educational resources and equipment for the needs of pupils and their schools, and award one-off financial relief. In order to get better insight in the situation on the ground, we visited schools in the municipalities of Foča, Višegrad, Rogatica, Sre/penica, /patunac and Milići, and with their religion teacher and a certain number of teachers determined priorities and ways of help. At the beginning of the 2008/09 school year the Fund solved one of the problems of elementary school in Potočari. Namely, a quality education from a national group of subjects is impossible without adequate textbooks, which in these areas is impossible to obtain, and the parents are not able to purchase them in the Federation of BH. Fund "Bošnjaci" analyzed the situation and provided the textbooks from the Bosnian language, history and geography for 80 pupils of this school. In other schools the problem was a lack of basic resources for teaching. In the regional primary schools in Cerska, Tjentište, Potočari and Medjedja are donated teaching aids as follows: geometric wooden devices, wooden geometric bodies, wall maps of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Europe, alphabets, globes, etc. From the more valuable donations it has to be distinguished purchase of three computers, printers and computer desks for pupils in primary and high schools in Vlasenica.

Awarding of one-time financial assistance, teaching materials and equipment to returnees’ pupils in Vlasenica For most of these schools the Fund has provided the most important equipment for teaching of physical education. Noting the difficult situation in which some returnees's children are and the fact that most of them are scantily dressed and live in extremely inadequate rooms, it was decided that some pupils and parents should be awarded with one-off financial aid. Relief is given to pupils in Medjedja, Višegrad, Cerska, Vlasenica, Rogatica, Žepa, Tjentište, Čajnice, Berkovići, Bileća and Nevesinje.

The Fund did not stop with these activities, but they served as a guideline in following humanitarian projects. These children that we visited, attracted us with their generosity and sincerity, and so forever secured a place in our hearts, but also a place in future plans for education relief which Fund "Bošnjaci" will implement.

Review of donated teaching materials and equipment in school year 2008/09.

HELP TO RETURNEES PUPILS AND SCHOOLS IN ACADEMIC 2009/10 YEAR

In the academic 2009/10 the Fund has continued with projects to help pupils and schools in returnees’ settlements. Moral and human obligation to facilitate their lives and improve teaching process in schools which they attend is continued regardless of last year's activities. Sense of responsibility towards these children has risen even more because of the silence of the competent ministries on problems of returnees in the field of education. Apart from individual examples of noble people help, once again failed /poader action of ministries of education, science, culture and sports. We knew that the Fund is maybe only hope in this school year.

Assignment of teaching materials and equipment to returnees’ pupils in Skugrići, Milići We visited schools in Skugrići, Raševo, Konjević Polje, Pobudje, Glogova, Voljevica, Žutica, Sućeska and Osat. Traces of the past war events were visible everywhere. Even bigger scars are on the hearts that cannot be seen but felt. Modestly restored homes stand silently and dream about past times when people gathered in them, married, when echoed shouts of happy children and grandfather’s old song through them. They are remembering those Ramadans and Eid, when tables bent under the burden of meals prepared by blessed grandmother's hands. Others have yet been demolished to the ground in the last aggression, so now there are new walls on their foundations, with no memory, somehow cold and blunt. These new houses in many ways resemble their owners, whose lives have been destroyed, or completely extinguished, so now only acting this life after life. It is easier when the house has at least one child. Such houses are immediately noticed, but it is hard to watch your child how steps over the muddy path to the first school. A school is still a separate story. Is there anything sadder than schools with no children, and there is a very small number of them here. In the regional school in Skugrići in 2009/10 the school was attended by 9 pupils, in Raševo 6 pupils, in Pobudje 10 pupils, etc. We should not even talk about the equipment in schools, because there is nothing to mention since in all these schools almost everything is lacking. The Fund helped again by purchasing of basic equipment for teaching so we donated: geometric wooden devices, wooden geometric bodies, wall maps of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Europe, the alphabet, globes, and sports and other equipment.

Assignment of teaching materials and equipment to returnees’ pupils in Raševo, Milići Computer and IT equipment is a rarity in these schools, and it is closely associated with the teaching process in certain subjects. In order to ensure at least minimal conditions for classes of information technology there have been provided funds for procurement of equipment, and to some schools we have donated a copier-machine with toners. Often, in normal circumstances, the final year pupils in elementary schools attend instructive lessons from specific subjects in order to successfully do entrance exams and in that way ensure enrollment in desired school. For the returnees' schools in the region, this need is even more emphasized. Besides the poor equipment of schools, frequent personnel changes in the teaching structure make further damaging of the quality of teaching. It is a regular occurrence in these schools to change several teachers during the year in a particular subject or a teacher in lower grades.

Assignment of teaching materials and equipment to returnees’ pupils in Žutica, Srebrenica Every educator has his own approach to work and grading, and their constantly changing leads pupils in an unpleasant situation because they always have to adapt themselves to new teaching styles, which greatly affect their final success, but also the level of acquired knowledge. Most pupils continue their education in the Federation in which schools operate under different circumstances, and with different curricula, so in these difficult circumstances they adapt harder than other children.

These circumstances have motivated the Fund to initiate additional instructive classes for pupils of finishing grade of some of the returnee schools. Thus, in this academic year, we provided funds for organization of that kind of teaching in following subjects: mathematics, physics, Bosnian and English. Instructive lessons covered children in the regional primary schools in Konjević Polje, Potočari and Križevići.

Review of donated teaching materials and equipment in school year 2009/10

HELP TO RETURNEES PUPILS AND SCHOOLS IN ACADEMIC 2010/11 YEAR

We were also with returnees’ children during school 2010/11 year. Having learned from past experience we knew the needs of our little friends. Scenario was repeated visiting places of returnees and schools in them. Sometimes it seemed that only the names of places have been changed since we have seen the same picture and felt the same sadness as in previous years.

Assignment of textbooks from the national group of subjects to returnees’ pupils in Križevići, Zvornik With the new school year in schools with a majority of Bosniak children repeated old problems and it is primarily a lack of textbooks from the national group of subjects. This time we opted for the more serious action, so we have allocated funds for the 1753 textbooks from the national group of subjects and textbooks were assigned for 424 pupils from elementary schools in Zvornik, /patunac, Sre/penica and Milići municipalities.

This year we visited regional primary schools in Križevići, Kamenica, Snagovo, Liplje, Petkovci, Kula-Grad and Divič located in Zvornik municipality. We have equipped their schools with the most essential resources for teaching such as geometric wooden devices, wooden geometric bodies, wall maps of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Europe, the alphabet, globes, sports equipment, games, etc. Again restored hope and joy on the faces of children are just one of the pictures that fit into a mosaic of memories during the past years. What we noticed in these schools is the large number of "pupils’ pedestrians". These are kids who in the early decades of the XXI century walk five or six kilometers on the way to school in one direction. So it's no wonder that in the lists of necessary equipment submitted by schools we have found an application to provide a number of rubber boots for children who walk to school. This is the point where students and teachers of the First Bosniak Gymnasium in Sarajevo helped us and provided a certain number of boots for this group of students, and in addition they donated appropriate packages for 106 students of these schools. Twenty-five students of the First Bosniak Gymnasium in Sarajevo with their two professors have provided bus transportation and personally handed them their gifts.

Assignment of teaching materials and equipment to returnees’ pupils in Križevići, Zvornik All-day gathering of students of the First Bosniak Gymnasium and students returnees and their teachers and parents was a special experience. After summing results during three years of work in projects for help children in returnee villages, we decided to write and send a letter and inform the relevant ministries at the cantonal, federal and state level about the current situation in the schools which we visited, and also inform them in which way and in which directions their help needs to go. The letter was sent on Fe/puary 25th 2010 with the hope that it will have repercussions that will, at least for a moment, stimulate reflection, or an activity of those who are obliged to take care of our children. There was no response. The elections have gone and a new government has been constituted, so we will also report them about the situation in the returnee settlements and opportunities to help students.

Assignment of teaching materials and equipment to returnees’ pupils in Divič, Zvornik Whatever answer from the relevant institutions in the field of education is, the Fund will not withdraw from activities to help returnees’ pupils. The Fund helps because its mission is not based on ground-level desires and worldly ambitions but on the supreme principle of humanity which is essentially stored in every Waqf. That principle is reflected in servicing and helping the community to which we belong, and all to facilitate the life of the poor and powerless and thus justify the positive role of institutions of Waqf which is in our possession.

Review of donated teaching materials and equipment in school year 2010/11

APPLICATION FOR SUPPORT TO PUPIL RETURNEES

Number: 44/10
Sarajevo, Fe/puary 25, 2010
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees
for mr. Safet Halilovic, Minister
FEDERATION OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Federation Ministry of Displaced Persons and Refugees
for mr. Edin Mušić, Minister
Federal Ministry of Education
for Mrs. Meliha Alić, Minister

SUBJECT: Assistance to returnees’ pupils and schools in Republika Srpska

Fund “Bošnjaci” was founded in 2001 as a special waqf with the aim of assisting in the development and advancement of education, science, culture, financial and social security of Bosniaks. Since its founding, the Fund has so far implemented a number of activities. (see www.fondBošnjaci.co.ba)

Among other things, thanks to Mostar, Goražde and Tuzla Mufti, Fund “Bošnjaci” collected data on the number and structure of returnees’ pupils in a number of municipalities in Republika Srpska during the school year 2008/09 and 2009/10 in order to provide assistance for education through the procurement of the most necessary teaching materials and equipment for both the needs of pupils and their schools, and for granting one-time financial help.

After collecting data, representatives of Fund “Bošnjaci” , in cooperation with IC, religious teachers and a number of teachers, visited a number of schools in municipalities of Foča, Višegrad, Rogatica, Sre/penica, /patunac and Milići in order to verify on the spot the difficulties of mastering program goals and tasks of this population. By direct insight into the condition of schools and pupils as well as their equipment with teaching materials and equipment, and after conversation with teaching staff, pupils and their parents, we have established the following:

these schools are very scarce or not equipped with teaching materials and equipment;
it is not uncommon for a teacher to perform classes with mixed grades I through V, realizing five school programs at one time;
that pupils are in very poor material situation, scarce clothing and travel to school from 1 to 8 km in one direction;
pupils’ parents are not employed, and that they very sparingly live from agriculture and livestock;
that a small number of Bosniak nationality teachers are employed although the pupils of these schools are about 99% Bosniaks, excluding POŠ Tjentište, as we point out as a positive example;
the teaching staff is often changed (for example, in Osat POE, 4 teachers are changed during 4 years of schooling).

Bearing in mind the above, Fund “Bošnjaci”, in accordance with its financial, personnel and other possibilities in the school year 2008/09 and 2009/10 in the course of the year, allocated funds for purchase of the most necessary teaching materials and equipment, organized instructional classes, as well as granted one-time financial help to pupils in the total amount of 45,310.07 BAM excluding transport costs, (see table attached)

Fund “Bošnjaci” plans to continue these activities this year, thus allocating financial resources in the amount of up to 25,000 BAM for assistance to pupils and schools and other municipalities such as Zvornik, Bijeljina and others.

We believe that our experience in these activities can serve as an example to all bodies and organizations, both governmental and non-governmental, that deal with these and similar activities. On this occasion, we suggest you to help to this most endangered population in accordance with your personnel, material and other possibilities, and above all through:

procurement of teaching materials and equipment for the needs of pupils and schools;
procurement of books from the national group of subjects;
assistance in organizing instructional classes;
scholarships for the most vulnerable pupils;
granting of one-time financial help to pupils;
stimulating teaching staff to work in these schools through scholarships, additional fees, resolving housing issues, etc.;
visits of pupils from the Federation of BiH with the organization of suitable programs, etc.;
visits to pupils and schools in the Federation of BiH;
school twinning from the Federation of BiH with a number of schools from Republika Srpska;
calling a number of pupils from the final grades of elementary schools to go to excursions with pupils from the Federation of BiH;
invitation on pupils' participation in manifestations of primary schools in the Federation of BiH (at School Day, organization of school workshops, school open doors, etc.)
providing of assistance for enrollment in secondary schools and faculties in the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
financing of pupil transportation and more.

In accordance with the above, and in order to provide a larger and more comprehensive assistance to returnees’ pupils, in accordance with our capabilities, we are at your disposal.

With respect!

Attached:

Delivered:

Cantonal Ministry of Education of Goražde, for Minister
Cantonal Ministry of Education Tuzla, for Minister
Cantonal Ministry of Education Mostar, for Minister
Cantonal Ministry of Education Sarajevo, for Minister
Mufti Mostar, for mufti
Mufti Goražde, for mufti
Mufti Tuzla, for mufti.

Šahin Kerla, Director

HELP TO RETURNEES PUPILS AND SCHOOLS IN ACADEMIC 2011/12 YEAR

Assignment of teaching materials and equipment to returnees’ pupils in Glamoč The Fund has continued with projects of help to pupils and schools in returnees’ areas also in 2011/12.

On the proposal of Chief Imam Muhammad ef Dragolovčnina and Arif Kovačević, President of MIZ Glamoč, we made a visit to elementary school ''Glamoč'' in municipality Glamoč. The aim of visit was to examine requirements for the most necessary teaching aids and equipment of school and returnees’ pupils to facilitate implementation and mastering of the curriculum.

After tour to the school, consideration of requirements and discussions with representatives of the school's personnel, with a certain number of parents and teachers, it is proposed that the Fund ''Bošnjaci'' provides textbooks from the Bosnian language and Religious instruction for 101 pupils as well as purchase of a project for the school needs.

At the end of September 2012, in the presence of parents, teachers and representatives of the Islamic community Glamoč, was carried out presentation ceremony of textbooks for pupils and one projector for the school.

After presentation of teaching aids and equipment the audience, on behalf of the Fund ''Bošnjaci'', was addressed by the Fund Director emphasizing basic goals and tasks and the need for help to returnees’ pupils who are to one of the most vulnerable population in our country.

Review of donated teaching materials and equipment in school year 2011/12.

HELP TO RETURNEES PUPILS AND SCHOOLS IN ACADEMIC 2012/13 YEAR

As previous years this year also Fund ''Bošnjaci'' continued with projects to help returnees’ pupils in the smaller BH entity.

Assignment of teaching materials and equipment to returnees’ pupils in jamat Glinje and Srednja Trnova, Ugljevik Based on the planned activities of the Fund in 2013, the most basic teaching materials and equipment were donated to 30 pupils of Maqtab’s pupils, in the returnees’ jamats of Glinja and Srednja Trnovo, municipality of Ugljevik .

On April 22, 2013, in the presence of parents, muals and representatives of MIA Bijeljina, teaching materials and equipment were distributed for the needs of pupils attending Maktab teaching, who, on behalf of Fund ''Bošnjaci'', handed over Šahin Kerla, Director of the Fund.

Primary school pupils in Potočari during teaching instruction in mathematics In order to achieve better results and for easier enrollment in secondary schools for 32 pupils of the eighth and ninth grades, in the period April-June 2013, in Primary schools in Potočari (Sre/penica municipality) and Križevići (municipality of Zvornik), in cooperation with teachers of these school, Fund ''Bošnjaci'' successfully organized the teaching instruction for 64 hours in the mathematics, physics and English language.

The instructional teaching was carried out according to a special plan and program that had a significant impact on the pupils' final success at the end of the school year, thus enabling pupils to enroll in secondary school more easily.

Review of donated teaching materials and equipment in school year 2012/13.

HELP TO RETURNEES PUPILS AND SCHOOLS IN ACADEMIC 2013/14 YEAR

Fund ''Bošnjaci'' has launched the educational program for elementary school’s children in Nova Kasaba, municipality Milići, in January 2014.

Participants of the Educational Program in the Education Center in Nova Kasaba, Milići The educational program’s goal is providing the necessary knowledge to Bosniak returnees’ children in Konjević Polje, and nearby towns in the field of Bosnian language and literature, history, mathematics, geography, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, music and fine arts, English language, computer science, physical and health education, Islamic religious education and other social and natural sciences.

By its contents, the Educational Program, to a large extent, followed curricula and programs for primary schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On the occasion of the successful completion of the Educational Program for children of elementary school in the Educational Center in Nova Kasaba, at Vlasenica in the Cultural Center in Sre/penica, 96 participants of this program organized an unforgettable event. Participants demonstrated the knowledge and skills they acquired during the four-month program attendance.

At this ceremony Fund ''Bošnjaci'' released and presented a certificate of successful completion of a program for all participants.

HELP TO RETURNEES PUPILS AND SCHOOLS IN ACADEMIC 2014/15 YEAR

Participants of the Educational Program in the Education Center in Nova Kasaba, Milići In order to provide the necessary knowledge to the children of the Bosniaks’ returnees from Konjević Polje and the surrounding settlements, this year also Fund ''Bošnjaci'' continued with the Educational Program for Elementary School children in the Educational Center in Nova Kasaba , municipality Vlasenica.

After completing, Fund ''Bošnjaci'' issued the appropriate certificates for the successfully mastered program to all pupils, after which the participants verified the acquired knowledge by passing the final exams at the primary school "Vladislav Skarić" in Sarajevo.

The financial obligations for the implementation of this program were taken over by the Federal Ministry of Education and Science and the Federal Ministry of Displaced Persons and Refugees.

HELP TO RETURNEES PUPILS AND SCHOOLS IN ACADEMIC 2015/16 YEAR

In October 2016, we visited local primary schools in Hambarine, Rizvanovići, Čarakovo and Zecovi in municipality Prijedor, and on this occasion awarded teaching aids and equipment for necessities of 152 returnees’ pupils .

Assignment of teaching materials and equipment to returnees’ pupils in Hambarine, Prijedor On this occasion, it is donated the projector with screen to local school in Hambarine, four laptops to pupils of Hambarine, Rizvanovići, Čarakovo and Zecovi schools, and from other donated teaching equipment there are cork boards, wooden rulers, geometric shapes, compasses, football, basketball and volleyball balls, rotary and copier paper, chalk, markers, watercolors, felt pens and more.

School benches and chairs as well as a part of school supplies were provided for the needs of 11 pupils of the regional Primary School in Žepa.

Review of donated teaching materials and equipment in school year 2015/16. YEAR.

HELP TO RETURNEES PUPILS AND SCHOOLS IN ACADEMIC 2016/17 YEAR

Assignment of teaching materials and equipment to returnees’ pupils in Kamenica, Teslić The Fund continued with projects to help pupils and schools in returnees’ settlements in school/academic 2016/17 year. In cooperation with the representatives of the Majlis of IC Bugojno and a teacher on religious studies in the elementary school "Fra Miroslav Džaja", we visited pupils in municipality Kupres . On this occasion, for, we have awarded 14 returnees’ pupils with laptops provided by the Foundation for Media Support Lux veritatis /Light of Truth from Sarajevo, followed by one copy of the collection of the best literary works titled ''Vratit će se laste'' (Eng. “Swallows will return”) and other gifts.

At the end of November 2017, we visited regional primary schools in the returnees’ settlements of Kamenica and Makljenovac, in municipalities of Teslić and Doboj, and assigned the most needed teaching materials and equipment for the needs of 217 returnees’ pupils.

Review of donated teaching materials and equipment in school year 2016/17.

HELP TO RETURNEES PUPILS AND SCHOOLS IN ACADEMIC 2017/18 YEAR

Assignment of teaching materials and equipment to returnees’ pupils in Vrbanjce, Kotor Varoš At the beginning of October 2018 we visited primary school "1. mart" Jelah (instructive teaching in Vrbanjci ) and primary school "Petar Kočić", Šiprage in Kotor Varoš municipality. On this occasion, the most needed teaching materials and equipment for the needs of 140 returnees’ pupils were donated by the Waqf Directorate, such as school backpacks, geographic and other maps, wooden geometric devices, geometric sets, model - torso of human for biology cabinet, globes, school accessories, various types of notebooks and pens, block folders, diaries and more. In 2014, a part of the funds was donated for the teaching instruction in Vrbanjci.