Humanitarian

Aid to the needy

Project Duration: 
Throughout 2007

Approximate Man-Hours Spent on this Project: 
2264

We delivered at least 300 kg of humanitarian aid to the refugees in Kamp “Gaza” in Karlovac (the camp has approximately 400 resident members). We also visited and helped needy families in the area of Karlovac (Vojnic and Krnjak, near the Bosnian border in Croatia), and others in the area of Rijeka. At the same time of visiting these needy families, we spent time counseling and comforting them during these trying times in their lives.

The main thrusts of this project were as follows: on the first day of the year, at the refugee camp visit; in March, when our volunteers brought a vanload of humanitarian aid from Milan, Italy; in April, where we traveled to Vojnic and the surroundings in cooperation with volunteers from C.R.I.E.D., Canada; and during the summer months – in cooperation with young volunteers who came for a summer camp.

We have been visiting Karlovac and its surroundings (a needy refugee area affected by the war in former Yugoslavia), since 1998. During this year we continued to visit and offer comfort and counseling, as well as humanitarian aid whenever possible to families we’re in contact with, as well as other newer acquaintances. We regularly visit 2 schools in particular (one of them with approximately 170 students, and the other 300, mostly refugee children), and 1 refugee camp (of approximately all-year-round 400 inhabitants). During our visits to the camp, especially in summer time, when the children don’t have school obligations, we also organize fun and educational activities for them.
Two of our volunteers took a trip to Milan, Italy in March where they picked up a vanload of humanitarian aid. The items were later distributed to the needy in our area and even reached our other volunteer centers in Zagreb, Zadar and Ljubljana.

Volunteers from C.R.I.E.D – a Canadian association – came for a visit in mid-April. We have been cooperating with the association since 1998 in their mission to improve the lives of those affected by the war in the area of Vojnic and Karlovac. Believe it or not, there are still many displaced families in that region as a consequence from the war, and those who have difficulty finding jobs and rebuilding their lives. The volunteers from C.R.I.E.D. stayed for 3 weeks, and together we were able to visit and offer help to the elementary schools in Vojnic and Krnjak, and to many needy families.

During the summer months, instead, we lost count of the number of people who stayed with us, the number of trips made, the number of packages, boxes of food, toys, and other items loaded in the vans and distributed to the needy. Everyone who came to visit gave their all this summer, in spite of their various backgrounds, differences of opinions or ideas, or personal habits and preferences, and the summer was unforgettable!

Building a bridge

Project Duration: 
Throughout 2007, main trip 25-27th June

Approximate Man-Hours Spent on this Project: 
168

For over 10 years we have been the mediators of a friendship between Udruga “Koraci” in Rijeka (an association geared to organizing creative workshops for children and older adults) and the Home for senior citizens in Rovereto, Italy. After we introduced the two institutions one to another in 1996, a friendship ensued, of exchanging correspondence, gifts and occasional visits, all through us, their common friends, who often travel to Italy and speak both languages. This year in June we took a trip to Rovereto with 4 members of “Koraci” and the animator of Dom Turnic, upon an invitation for a solidarity meeting from the Home in Rovereto. This trip was three days long, and was the third encounter of solidarity in Rovereto. The wealthier friends from Italy not only hosted the meeting and took care of the expenses of the trip, but also sponsored material for the projects of the Croatian association. The residents of the old folks’ Home in turn were encouraged and motivated by the meeting. Said Ferruccio Andreatta, animator of the Home in Rovereto, after we thanked him for all of his work and organization: “You have been a great help to those people. This friendship and feeling of usefulness helps them to go on with life.”

THIRD ENCOUNTER OF SOLIDARITY IN ROVERETO: for more than ten years now we have been the mediators of a friendship between association “Koraci” in Rijeka and the Home for senior citizens in Rovereto, Italy. On the last weekend of June we took a three-day trip to Rovereto (Northern Italy) with a group from “Koraci”, to consolidate the friendship created between the two institutions. It was their third meeting in Italy. On a few occasions, friends from Italy as well came to visit “Koraci” in Rijeka. This time four members of “Koraci” and Lola, the animator of the Home for mentally impaired senior citizens, Dom Turnic, traveled to Rovereto for the meeting. It was an emotional time for many to meet and express solidarity with their far away friends: it was a time of exchanging gifts, and encouraging words. This bridge means a lot to the people in “Koraci”, as well as the older folks – besides the sense of friendship created between the two, the citizens of the old folks’ home are happy to feel like they matter to somebody, and they can still make a difference, in spite of their old age, illness, or invalidity. They are happy to meet those of another part of the world, and learn about their reality, problems and struggles. Our hosts in Rovereto welcomed us with warm hospitality and precise organization of the logistics, and generously donated materials for the work of the association from Rijeka. We hope to have many more happy encounters, and continue a long-lasting and fulfilling friendship together!

“Coloring the World”
Project Duration: March 3-10th, June 1-4th , July 23-27th

Approximate Man-Hours Spent on this Project: 585

During this last year, together with part-time volunteers from Croatia and Italy, we worked and completed wall murals in 3 institutions – the children’s hospital “Kantrida”, Rijeka, in March; the School for disabled children in Rijeka in June; and the Home for mentally impaired senior citizens, Dom Turnic in Rijeka, at the end of July. The murals transformed the living and working space of these institutions to such an extent, that it was a great improvement on the condition of the buildings. 

Our project was featured in a documentary aired on RI TV (Rijeka television station) on July 25th , 2007, reaching an estimated audience of 100 000.

The children’s hospital in Rijeka – now more friendly to its patients
Only a few months ago the rehab building in the children’s hospital was cold, monotonous and scary-looking, like any hospital for that matter. Only our clowns brought color and cheer to the hospitalized children with their bi-monthly “clown therapy” visits. But now the rehab has been transformed – by retouching its walls. On the weekend of March 3rd and 4th, and with a couple of extra touches later, over 10 volunteers (members and friends of “Za bolji svijet”) worked hard to outline, color and shade the inside walls of the unfriendly building. They brought the cheer of a children’s world to the hospital walls by painting mermaids and fish, grass and flowers, butterflies, bees and ladybugs, and a lovely picture of two children playing together, with the inscription “Love is the most important thing”. Slavica, one of the part-time volunteers who participated in the project, commented: “Painting in the hospital gave me a wonderful feeling of inspiration and peace inside – because we were doing something good for the children. This is the first time in my life that I’ve done something like this – and I can only say all the best about the experience. We invested our faith and our soul in this painting, and the pictures came out beautiful – not something meaningless, they have life and love in them.”

Our Italian clown friends sponsored the paint, and some of us met and made arrangements with the head nurses of the hospital. Sestra Ivanka and Sestra Vera were positive about the idea but unsure whether the rest of the hospital staff would approve! They gave green light, and the rehab building was the testing ground. While we were still painting, doctors and nurses passed by, looked at the not-yet-finished pictures, and cheered us on with comments like: “This is marvelous! Come to our ward as well!”
This is only the first of a series of improvements. Since we passed the test, and there are many more buildings in the children’s hospital complex, we plan to keep working to transform the rest of the hospital as well!

New entrance in the Center for education

Our cooperation with the Center for education (elementary school for the disabled in Rijeka) began many years ago. They call us their family because they feel that we are a part of them, and together we make one big family. Towards the end of this school year, Mirjana Žorž, who had seen other art works of ours, asked us to paint a mural on the metal gate at the entrance of the school. Thus on June 1st a few of us missionaries, and a couple of part-time volunteers from Rijeka (Vlasta, Jadranka and Petra) joined hands to transform the dark blue entrance gate.
Teachers, house keepers, parents and even the director of the school, Ankica Matijević, exclaimed, how wonderful the painting was coming out, and that they didn’t expect it to be so beautiful! Children from the school milling around were asking when we would come back to perform another show for them. We felt the love and acceptance of our hosts, and the completed art reflected that atmosphere of love we felt in our surroundings. And so, we hope, will passers-by and visitors of the school, be warmed as they behold the bright colors and images, and feel the love that was invested in the lively art work.

Renovated terrace in Dom Turnic

Eight young volunteers from Italy and a few of us missionaries worked with zeal during the hottest days of the summer (end of July) to transform the terrace on the roof of Dom Turnic (the Home for mentally ill senior citizens in Rijeka). We painted “What everybody needs is love”, our well-known symbol, on one of the side walls, and gave life to the retaining walls of the balcony by illustrating the four seasons in cheerful multicolored images. The run down, gray and rarely-visited premise became a colorful and lively living space for the residents of the Home. The old people, while generally closed and reserved in their behavior, began to communicate better with their visiting relatives – they proudly took their visitors for a tour up to the renovated terrace (even though the terrace is a bit far and out of the way).

A TV crew filmed the teenagers and young adults as they worked, and aired a documentary on RI TV on July 25th. During the interview the director of the Home Zeljko Nujic expressed his thankfulness for the help of the volunteers, stating: “Volunteer work is a wonderful way to help fill the needs of the Home’s residents, when the government budget we operate on falls short”. When asked by the interviewer, “Why aren’t you, like other young people your age, on the beach and out having fun, but are here instead working for others?”, Fabrizio (19) boldly answered: “I came here last year, and I loved it. I have decided to come every summer, and dedicate some of my time to volunteer work.”

Smile Therapy

Clown therapy

Project Duration: weekly, throughout 2007

Approximate Man-Hours Spent on this Project: 414

This is a weekly project we have committed ourselves to: every Wednesday or Thursday of the week we visit an institution (hospital, handicapped center, old folks’ home, orphanage etc.) dressed up as clowns, and we sing and cheer people up. This project also helps us motivate young people who would like to experience volunteering, to come with us and taste what it feels like to make someone else happy. Our volunteers were the ones who introduced the concept of “clown therapy” here in Rijeka and the area 4 years ago, and since then many more than just us have gotten involved with it: countless volunteers from Italy, around 40 from Croatia, 3 from Brazil and 3 from Scandinavia.
This year we continued with this project weekly, and gained new volunteers, by organizing a seminar on “clown therapy” on March 10th and 11th for 20 attendees.
Our project was featured in local newspaper “Novi List”, March 31st, 2007, reaching an estimated audience of 80 000. A documentary on our volunteer work and clown therapy in Dom Turnic (home for mentally impaired senior citizens in Rijeka) was aired on RI TV (Rijeka television station) on July 25th , 2007, reaching an estimated audience of 100 000.

The project consists of visiting patients in a hospital, or children in an institution, or old people in a senior citizens’ home, and spending time cheering them up as clowns, as well as talking and counseling them. We’ve had amazing reactions from the patients, as well as doctors, who are all of the opinion that this simple project improves the general state of physical and psychological health of the patients.

This year, in order to inspire and instruct more volunteers in the art of “clown therapy”, we organized a two-day weekend seminar on March 10th and 11th. The seminar was held from 9 am till 8 pm on those days in Udruga “Koraci”, Rijeka, and was a joint venture between us as organizers, the clown volunteers from Italy who sponsored and taught the course, and udruga “Koraci” who donated the hall. The goal of Savoiardo, Sventola, Guantone, and Pallula (professional clowns from Italy) who led the seminar was to bring each of the clowns-to-be to the point of caring only about making someone else happy. And at the end, all those who participated received a certificate. After the seminar a club of sorts was formed where as many clowns as possible meet weekly to share ideas, encourage one another and learn new things. Many of the new clowns also participate in weekly clown therapy! There is now a growing group of dedicated, red-nosed volunteers who use their skill at every occasion to make someone else truly happy! Here are some reactions from those who attended:

“I didn’t expect something like this when I heard about your seminar. But when I decided to attend and came to check it out, I was so pleasantly surprised.”

“I’m shy by nature, and the exercises that taught me to act out and improvise, and forget about myself completely, were like therapy for me.”

“I came all the way from Sarajevo, and was thankful to have had my trip sponsored, because that was the only way I was able to come. I received wonderful input and material, which I will do my best to use in my clown therapy in Sarajevo.”
“The last night of the seminar, the dinner together at your house, the singing and laughing was what I needed the most.”

A comment from another clown therapy volunteer: “Clown therapy gave me beautiful inner strength, a special feeling of warmth I’d never felt before – a fulfillment, by giving of yourself. It was the unique feeling of bringing happiness to someone sad and needy.”

Entertainment with a meaning!

Project Duration: throughout 2007

Approximate Man-Hours Spent on this Project: 371

We performed meaningful Easter programs for 3 kinder gardens, one orphanage, one center for rehab of the handicapped, and a home for disabled children. Those were actual performances, by a show troupe, and do not include regular clown therapy and animation.
During the summer school vacation we regularly visited the refugee camp in Karlovac and performed and entertained the children there. Our clowns were also present at two events for the handicapped: the opening of the beach for the disabled in Rijeka, and the festival for the integration of the disabled in Bardolino, Italy.

There were over 1000 attendees of our programs.

Our project was featured in local newspaper “Novi List” (our clowns are on the photo), June 24th, 2007, estimated audience 80 000.

Throughout the year we perform for various occasions, and without any particular occasion, upon request of a particular institution. Since we’re well-known in the area, directors and animators often call us to request our presence. All of our shows, adapted to the occasion, have a meaning, and give the message of helping others in need instead of concentrating on one’s only misfortunes in life. We don’t just “put up a show” and leave, but remain with the attendees (whether they be patients, students or old people) for a good while after the show, in order to meet them personally and spend time talking, comforting and encouraging them. After that we often stay in contact with the institution or individuals and try to find ways to help them further.
This year we prepared and practiced a new children’s show – “King Freddy” with a message of unselfishness and consideration for others, and many happy songs and skits. Our performances for various institutions cheered up many children and grown-ups!
On May 6th our clowns performed and entertained the few hundred participants in an area gathering for the disabled in Bardolino, Italy, called “The great challenge”. The gathering was organized by the CSI (Italian sports association) on a national level as an attempt to throw down the walls between the healthy and the disabled.
We also participated in the annual opening of the beach for the disabled, here in Rijeka, and were among the performers, as well as among the crowd later on, as clowns, cheering up and talking with the attendees of the event.

The hours spent animating the children in the refugee camp in Karlovac are also a news-worthy detail of our summer. Those underprivileged children have little to do once school closes, and are thankful for anyone who comes to break their routine and spend some time with them. They wait impatiently for our visits, and greet us with joy and open arms, as you can see on their smiling faces in the pics below.

Project Name: Jail house rock!

Project Duration: December 2006, April 2007

Approximate Man-Hours Spent on this Project: 55

Two times this year we performed meaningful programs for the prisoners in Rijeka – one shortly before Christmas, on a Christmas theme, and one in April, at Easter time. The prison holds roughly 180 inmates, and they cannot all come to watch the show because most of them are still waiting for their court trial. Twenty inmates, carefully selected by the staff, were the audience to watch our show, and the rest heard our performance through their cell doors. It was our first time performing in prison – but we plan to make it an ongoing venture, and have already planned to paint a mural on the inside of the prison and agreed with its directors that it will be a positive influence on the inmates.

Our project was featured in local newspaper “Novi List”, December 16th, 2006, estimated audience 80 000.

On April 5th, 2007, only a few days before Easter, the jail in Rijeka once more opened its doors to welcome our show troupe. This was our second visit behind prison doors, not as impressive as the first one – yet it still filled our minds with vivid pictures and faces in need of comfort and help. The inmates responded with loud shouts of approval to our two drama-skits: “Dr. Chainbuster” and a modernized version of “The Good Samaritan”. But what drew out the most laughs and interaction was Stephen’s rendition of rock & roll from “the King” – Elvis Presley. The prison staff is looking forward to further cooperation, and so are we!

Project Name: Sharing the joy of Christmas

Project Duration: November and December 2007

Approximate Man-Hours Spent on this Project: 2940

During the month of December we performed 53 shows for a combined audience of thousands in schools, hospitals, centers for the handicapped, kinder gardens, senior citizens’ homes, homes for mothers and children, orphanages. The month of November was spent in preparation, practicing, translating scripts, recording plays and music, making costumes and all that goes into setting up a performance. We had two show troupes, each setting up a play on a Christmas theme – “The Christmas Sand Clock”, a meaningful story with a message of helping others in need, and the rewards one will reap if they live unselfishly for others. The show troupes went for a tour of Croatia and Italy.

Our project was featured in local newspaper “La Voce del Popolo”, December 5th 2007, reaching an estimated audience of 3 000.

Christmas 2007 – photos and memories!

The Christmas Sandclock (Puppet show, 2007)

The main characters in “The Christmas Sandclock” play were the good count and countess who, although rich, were also caring and generous towards those in need. The count and countess kept giving to the poor in spite of obstacles, all until one day, during the Napoleon wars in Germany, they lost all their precious vineyards. All their livelihood burned when the soldiers started a fire, driven by rage at the count’s family for giving refuge to a fugitive. But the people whom the count and countess had helped in all the past years didn’t betray them – all the good they had done returned to them in the end. And the fugitive they tried to help turned out to be a princess in disguise, who in turn rewarded them richly. The count’s dream of the sandclock, interspersed within the play, was a symbol of life and the consequences of our actions: whatever we give in good will, returns to us some day when we most need it.

Statistics

• 53 shows
• 7 visits to schools
• 6 visits to hospitals
• 5 visits to senior citizens’ homes
• 5 visits to handicapped centers
• 5 visits to kinder gardens
• 3 visits to jails
• 3 visits to the poor
• 2 visits to orphanages

Countless Christmas magazines, children’s magazines, humanitarian aid packages and gifts for children distributed!

Youth Counselling

Reaching out to the youth

Project Duration: throughout 2007

Approximate Man-Hours Spent on this Project: 600

We spent many hours counseling young people in need of help. We visited the local association “Terra”, where youth affected by drug use gather, bi-weekly during the spring months, all together over 10 times. Two of our volunteers participated in youth counseling at the EXIT youth festival in Novi Sad, Serbia.

This project consists of not only performing for young people, but also going out among those who are lost and need help and counseling, and offering them a listening ear, a helping hand, a friendly advice, or just letting them know that somebody cares for them. This year we went out regularly, a couple of times every week, to meet with young people. We visited “Terra”, performed, listened to and counseled the young people gathered there. The social workers running the center repeatedly asked us to return, and not to stop coming. And here is an excerpt of an email from a young person we met on the street: “ I support you with all my strength, and will put a link to your web site on my newly created one. And I hope that the whole world will see, and we can fight together for a better world!”

Summer camps & visits of young volunteers

Project Duration: June, July, August and the first week of September 2007

Approximate Man-Hours Spent on this Project: 2352

We held 4 volunteer training camps for 34 attendees during the summer months. Each of the camps lasted one week, and during this time together with the young volunteers in training we visited various institutions: the Senior Citizens’ Home in Volosko, the Center for the Handicapped in Brascine, Rijeka, the Home for mentally unstable older folks – Dom Turnic, “Sv. Ana” – the Caritas Home for mothers and children, the refugee camp in Karlovac. Among those visits we also met and helped many underprivileged families in the area of Karlovac and Rijeka. The young people in one of the camps helped us transform the rarely visited, run-down top floor balcony of Dom Turnic into a colorful living space for the old people, by painting murals on the walls. Many of our visitors admitted that they were inspired to devote some of their time to volunteer work in the future.

This summer we received all together over 100 visits to our community.

Our project was featured in a documentary aired on RI TV (Rijeka television station) on July 25th , 2007, reaching an estimated audience of 100 000.

Every summer during the last 7 years the doors of our center have been open to anyone who wants to learn more about volunteer work or living in a Christian community. We’ve had visits from many young and older people, about 100 or more throughout each summer. They come to have an “alternative vacation” – willing to combine their yearly holiday with donating their energies to a worthy cause.
Many who came said their eyes were open to a reality they didn’t know existed. The first group, from Cremona, Italy, came during the first week of June, and returned again in August for a second camp!

Eight young people from Molina (VR, Italy) enjoyed an alternative summer camp with us at the end of July. Among visitations and other activities, these young volunteers, together with ours, worked with zeal during the hottest days of the summer to transform the terrace on the roof of Dom Turnic (the Home for mentally ill senior citizens in Rijeka). – for more on this, see project “What everybody needs is love”.

A group of clowns from Varese (northern Italy) came in August to spend 10 days with us. The clowns came from a first world country of riches and abundance, to give, to visit the poor and underprivileged here in poorer Croatia. But, “We received more than what we could give”, they said, “as our hearts were filled to overflowing by the kindness and hospitality of the people we were helping.”

Together with those camp attendees, as well as other individual visitors during the summer months, we distributed aid, sang and performed, brought joy, laughter and encouragement to children, older folks and those who often think nobody cares for them. Besides the missions we endeavored to fulfill together, the experience created a love bond between us all. And, as we keep in touch in the near future, we hope to enjoy many more missions together!