VOLONTERISM

During the two decades of our work and activities, we owe the greatest thanks, in addition to our employees, to our active volunteers who gave their maximum through any humanitarian activity that we implemented.
Volunteers are our security and strength that we strive to preserve, because in IFS-EMMAUS everything somehow started and ended with volunteer engagement.
Everything was done with heart and soul towards the achievement of goals that we are proud of.

18th EMMAUS- International
Youth Work Camp

Youth Work Camp “International Youth Work Camp” every year, traditionally in the middle of July in Srebrenica gathers a large number of young people from all over the world who contribute with their socially useful work in development and improvement of living conditions of the population of this region. It is a unique opportunity for young people from all over the world get to know and connect, and with joint forces provide help to the local population of Srebrenica in building a better future.

This year’s camp lasted from the 16th to 26 of July 2023, and about 80 volunteers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, France, Belgium, Turkey, Spain, Romania and Netherlands participated.

The camp was mostly marked by work activities on construction of the Meeting House, actually on the “Sports and Recreational Center on Pale”. Within the project “Love for the mothers of Srebrenica”, volunteers during the camp visited mothers and with project employees helped with daily chores and activities in and around the house. In addition to the above, volunteers were engaged in providing support for working group on the construction of the Center for the Elderly “Hatidža Mehmedović”, during the decoration of the external part of the complex. Volunteers traditionally participated in the distribution of food for the socially vulnerable population in the area of Srebrenica and Bratunac within the project “One meal per day” and other occasional work activities in accordance with needs.

Historically, educational activities are also indispensable classes and tourist visits to significant locations near Srebrenica. A lot of sports and fun content is certainly one of the characteristics of youth  work camp that contribute to the satisfaction of the volunteers and camp participants, which brings them back to Potočare next year and leaves nice experiences from these areas.

OTHER VOLUNTEER ACTIVITES

Thousands of volunteers have passed through our organization, a large number of them grew up without stopping to be part of our engagements, and day after day left an indelible mark which will be a guide for thousands of other volunteers. With pride, we will all experience success together as always at the same intervals so that everything that was done is common medal of all of us without exception.

Today we count over 50 active volunteers and they are our security and strength that we must not lose, because in IFS-EMMAUS, everything started and ended somehow with volunteer engagement. Everything was done with heart and soul towards achieving the goals we are proud of for 23 years of existence.

We are proud of the fact that our volunteers and employees attended the gathering of support in Sarajevo for the people of Gaza, and with that we once again showed that we stand on the side of peace and friendship.
-The year that is behind us will be remembered for the great involvement of volunteers who were maximally involved in receiving and sorting humanitarian aid for people who suffered in the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, as well as when organizing humanitarian bazaars for Palestine.
-Volunteers regularly take part in planting new tree seedlings, cleaning and decorating the local community, such as the cleaning of the Učin-Gaj Gračanica picnic area and the cleaning and installation of benches at the Haskića-kamen location in Stanić Rijeka.
-This year, the seventh regular assembly of Emmaus Europe was held in the city of Lași Romania, where our three representatives participated, and not long after, our volunteer was participant and at DOHA FORUM YOUTH EDITION in the capital of Qatar.

It was very interesting the engagement of the younger volunteers from secondary and primary schools who regularly visited the Reception Center “Duje” and together with our employees and beneficiaries of the Centers made different items on work-occupational therapies. Their commendable engagement and at several fairs and promotion of the Association in which they actively participated. We would like to express our special thanks to students and teaching staff from Primary School “Hasan Kikić”, to the students of PI “Second Primary School” and Public Institition “Combined Secondary School” Gračanica from Gračanica.

Volunteer engagement in 2022 activated again the recognizable Memorial futsal tournament in honor of a great humanitarian and IFS-EMMAUS friend Franco Bettoli. After several years of break caused by the epidemiological situation in the country, the tournament was held at the small sports field of Boarding accommodation in Potočari, and participation took numerous teams made up of our volunteers, employees and children/beneficiaries of boarding accommodation.

If you want to volunteer you don’t need time, all you need is a heart!

If you want to be a volunteer and part of the large MFS-EMMAUS family, you can fill in the application form here: