College education for 10 talented students in BiH

BOSANA FOUNDATION

Scholarship and Personal Development Program

Quarterly Report

July - September 2022

Executive Summary:

Welcome to our October issue! Third quarter of the year is the time of summer vacations as well as the beginning of a new academic year. Bosana students continued volunteering throughout the summer, some travelled, while some completed their internships. Bosana Team Building happened in August, which helped to energize our students and prepare them for the fall exam season. We are happy to share news about our new graduates and a group of new scholarship recipients.

Remember to check out our website and social media for any new developments.

Students and Program Update:

This is the beginning of a new academic year after summer vacation. Students are rested and ready for a new academic year and new successes. We have graduates, students who are starting their exchange programs, new interns and a group of new scholarship recipients.

This year Bosana welcomed eleven (11) new scholarship recipients from different parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We will share more details about the new group students in our next report.

Highlights of the quarter:

We are thrilled to share all these inspiring news about our students:

Suncica - Best Student of the Year Award! In an effort to promote student excellence, every year, the Bosana Foundation honors one student with our Best Student of the Year award. Students are awarded based on their academic performance, participation in workshops or events and any other volunteering activities. And this year, a big congratulations goes out to Suncica! Suncica obtained a degree at the School of Political Sciences, Department of Security and Peace Studies, University of Sarajevo. She is also a peer educator focused on sustainable peacebuilding within transitional and fragile states. Suncica has been working on projects focused on youth engagement in human rights and peace education processes.

"Based on a competitive selection process, I was chosen as one of six students to represent the University of Sarajevo on behalf of the Faculty of Political Science during the InPeace Intensive Course 'People, Communities, and Cities in Peacebuilding' at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik. Höfði Reykjavík Peace Center has organized this one-week intensive academic course in peace and conflict studies in cooperation with partner universities, Tampere University, UiT- The Arctic University of Norway, the University of Basque Country (UPV / EHU), and the University of Sarajevo, from the 30th of May until the 5th of July.” Said Suncica, about her exchange in Island. Suncica also attended the BOLD Fellowship Academic Program, Nebraska, Omaha, Civic Engagement Center in August.

•  Bosana's student Sava graduated from the Medical School at the University of East Sarajevo. But being Sava that could not have been all! With a grade point average of 9.70, Sava is one of the best students of his generation, and he also became the youngest Doctor of Medicine in RS, B&H. "The Bosana Foundation left a big role in my education. From the very beginning, I had every kind of material and moral support, understanding and friendly cooperation. After finishing my studies, I got a job interview and will start working soon. I also had an opportunity to meet with the mayor, which was a great honor and pleasure for me," said Sava.

• Aleksandra also completed her Bachelor studies at the University of Banja Luka, School of Mathematics and Informatics. "Another chapter of my life has ended and I am very proud and happy about that. My wish came true and after graduating I got a job at a software company, where I was welcomed by the wonderful team I work with. This is a job where I can improve and progress, and that was my goal. My Bosana family played a big role in this, who were there when needed, not only financially but also as moral support, someone who was always by my side. Thank you Bosana!" said Aleksandra.

• The "Summer School of Resuscitation" was held in Tuzla under the auspices of the European Resuscitation Council. Our student Ilma was one of the participants and became a certified Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider.

• In July, our scholarship recipient Sumeja went to Slovenia to participate in The International Pharmaceutical Summer Camp. IPSC is a six-day event organized by the Slovenian Pharmacy Students' Association. The camp took place in Libeliška Gora.

• The Red Cross of the Federation of BiH organized a traditional "Guardians of Humanity" youth camp at Boracko Lake. The camp lasted six days, and this year, special attention was paid to crises and climate change, as a result of frequent natural disasters and the impact on the health of individuals and communities. As a volunteer of Red Cross New Sarajevo, our student Belma participated in this camp.

• Mustafa graduated from the University of Sarajevo with a grade point average of 9.13. As one of the most successful students, Mustafa will receive a special award: the Silver Badge from the University of Sarajevo. Now as a Bachelor of Psychology, his next step will be Master's education.

• Bosana Foundation proudly reports that our student and monthly donor Matea has completed her M.A. degree from the University Dzemal Bijedic in Mostar. She pursued a Master of Communication studies in 2017/2018, and since then has been employed in her vocation, as well as developed her business at the same time. You also had an opportunity to meet her at our Annual Benefit in Los Angeles back in 2020.

• Fatima was part of the group of young people who spent their school break organizing a summer camp. This project brought together 50 young people ages 13-17 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Project "M.R.E.Z.A. '22," where our student Fatima volunteers, created some amazing memories for the youth interested in history, survival, self-confidence and empowerment.

• At the end of July, the XII International Scientific and Research Camp "NP Una 2022" was held by the Association of Biology Students in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The aim of the camp was to explore the biodiversity of the Una National Park. The camp brought together 60 participants, current and future young researchers with different social backgrounds. Participants of the seven-day camp carried out field research in the fields of botany, herpetology, chiropterology, ornithology, mycology and large carnivores. Through such research, students have had the opportunity, with the support of mentors, to use various biological tools, keys for the determination of species, manuals and to apply biological methods that will be used in a future scientific research career. Our student Jovana was a participant in the camp.

• Dia graduated from the School of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo, and obtained her B.A. in Psychology. Dia was also accepte into ERASMUS exchange program for fall semester 2022/23.

• Enesa has completed her Bachelor's studies at the University of Sarajevo, School of Electrical Engineering in September. She plans to continue her education and start her Master’s program.

• Lejla was selected for a 2022/23 Chevening scholarship of the "British Foreign and Commonwealth Office" in Great Britain. Lejla will spend the next year in Great Britain on a one-year master's course and study at the prestigious Nottingham University at the Department of Youth Work and Leadership. Chevening offers fully funded scholarships and fellowships to individuals with ideas to create positive change, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and partner organizations.

• Sreten, a second-year student at the School of Agriculture in East Sarajevo - Forestry study program, participated in the International Student Summit of Food, Agriculture and Environment. On the first day of the summit, he presented a paper on the topic: "Activity of Young People in Afforestation in Bosnia and Herzegovina," under the leadership of mentor Stefan Stejpanovic, Ph.D. The international summit was under the auspices of the University of Agriculture in Tokyo, and 59 students from 29 universities and 27 countries took part in it. The summit took place online and lasted for two days.

And last but not least, Bosana Team Building Konjic

Every year Bosana students cannot wait for the summer to meet their friends from different towns and cities. This year, we had a fantastic team building in the beautiful town of Konjic. We enjoyed a day of rafting on the Neretva River, hiking on a nearby mountain, boat ride on the Jablanicko lake and a fun evening in Konjic. The highlight of the trip was Tito's Nuclear Bunker. Most of the students never had a chance to visit this historic attraction. The bunker, named Ark, is located underground and it is one of the most preserved monuments from former Yugoslavia. One section of the bunker is reserved for an art gallery. It was exciting to find out that one of the art installations belongs to Bosana’s former student Selma. Naturally, we all had to take a photo to remember this moment. It was amazing to see more than 20 of students and Bosana staff from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was a successful team building event and we are very happy to share a few photos with you.

Exciting news about Bosana’s former students:

Anela is a former scholarship recipient of the Bosana Foundation, who is known to the public as the person who opened the first center for genetic counseling in Bosnia and Herzegovina - Genetika.

This summer, at the organization, Genetic Counseling Center Genetika, as part of the "Days of BHAAAS in BiH" (Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Academy of Arts and Sciences), a symposium titled "Genetic testing" was held. During those days, precisely thanks to Anela, Sarajevo was a center of science, personalized medicine, and targeted therapy. They talked about the latest approaches and use of genetics and genetic testing.

For the past year, working together with colleagues, Anela has also participated in writing the first general guidelines for breast cancer management in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Those guidelines were published in BJBMS (The Bosnian Journal Of Basic Medical Sciences).

At the beginning of September, Anela was a lecturer for the "Genetics of Breast Cancer in Young Women".

Students for HUmanity project update: 

"Students for Humanity" project has been active for six years now. Bosana students each month put aside 2KM that Bosana also matches. Current students and alumni students alike continue to contribute to this project so the impact is very significant.

 In this quarter, students carried out three different humanitarian projects.

• In August, students were helping one of their own to pay for firewood, since the apartment where she lives requires tenants to buy firewood. Heating costs have gone up in general, but it is even harder when you have to pay for the firewood for the entire winter.
• The Request to cover the cost of the educational certificate and exam came from a young girl, who could not go to school but had to work to help her family. She realized that in her community there was no option for madeira therapy and
• Students also used 500KM to cover food, hygiene products and school supplies for a young girl who was placed in a safe house with her mother and a sibling.

BOSANA FOUNDATION

Scholarship and Personal Development Program

Quarterly Report

April - June 2022

Executive Summary:

Welcome to our July issue! We are busy getting geared up for the summer and all the opportunities it will bring. Bosana students completed their classes and now are in the midst of final exam season. BAPA & Bosana scholarship recipients have been announced. In May, Bosana sponsored BH Diasporic Conference 2022, an annual event that connects attendees from 81 cities, 25 state, and 6 countries. This year’s theme was reUNITED: Revitalizing Solidarity within the BiH Diaspora.

Remember to check out our website and social media for any new developments.

Students and Program Update:

The academic year is slowly coming to an end and our students are finishing up assignments. The exam season is in full swing, since the majority of exams take place in June and July. Students are reporting good results thus far; however, many are still waiting to either get the results or take the exams.

Highlights of the quarter:

We are thrilled to share all these inspiring news about our students: 

• Matea attended the Bosana Annual event in 2020, just before the pandemic started. At that point she was finishing her final project and we are very excited to report that she graduated and received her MA in April this year.
• Pelka had a great opportunity to learn, travel and meet new people on a study visit to Budapest in March. Pelka studies special education and rehabilitation at the University of Tuzla and through this visit she was able to learn more about European practices in this field. During this visit she toured educational institutions in Budapest, attended various workshops for the early adaptations of children to kindergarten, met experts and learned about methods which will be beneficial for her future calling.
• In May, our student and part-time coordinator at Bosana, Lejla Mušanovic, participated in a training on behalf of Humanity in Action Bosnia and Herzegovina and financed by International Visegrad Fund entitled, "Improving the skills of NGOs/CSOs in the Western Balkans and Moldova." This training was held at the Hollywood Hotel in Sarajevo, and participants listened to material pertaining to these topics: Project Management, Event Management, Financial Management, Advocacy and Stakeholders. This training helped Lejla professionally, empowering her to implement even greater changes in her community.
• This year, for Bosana students who are in their final year of study, we organized our annual workshop called, "Kickstart Your Career," led by our Aida. Four students practiced how to prepare their CVs and cover letters for potential jobs. They had the opportunity to practice presentation skills and learn the basics of project management. With these workshops, we prepare our students so that they can apply for jobs more easily after studies. The workshops have proven successful every year as most students manage to find a job right after college. We would also like to thank the Youth for Peace organization for their cooperation and giving us the space for our workshops. Everything is possible when working together!
• Nejra was selected to be a member of a group of young people involved in the "Reader's Badge" project. The project is created in such a way that members in the book club read notable domestic and world titles, thus spreading the culture of reading. Through this project Nejra met the famous writer Abdullah Sidran.
• Sumeja, a third-year student at the School of Pharmacy in Sarajevo and our scholarship recipient, participated in the XIV Symposium of Masters of Pharmacy in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The symposium is one of the largest events for masters of pharmacy in B&H. Over 900 masters of pharmacy were present  and Sumeja’s team task was to present the 'My Pharma Space' application to all participants.
• In June, our student Sedin visited a former Nuclear Power Plant in Greifswald, Germany. Greifswald Nuclear Power Plant had almost been completed in 1990 but the decision was made to decommission it. It offers a unique opportunity to view a Russian-designed nuclear power plant. The tour gives additional information on topics such as nuclear energy, dismantling, final storage, and radiation protection.
• The Center for Karst and Speleology is an NGO that is currently divided into three sections: one dealing with physical speleology, the other with biospeleology, and the third with heritage research on karst. One of the activities carried out regularly is bat biomonitoring. Our student Jovana had the opportunity to participate in one of these biomonitoring activities in Capljina, B&H.

Exciting news about Bosana’s former students:

Our alumni Amar decided to pursue a master's degree in Youth Welfare Services at the Münster University of Applied Sciences. The Konrad Adenauer Foundation awarded him with a full scholarship! Amar also works for the Y.M.C.A. as a youth worker in the suburbs of Münster. He leads the activities in a youth center.Y.M.C.A. is one of the world's biggest youth organizations and also one of the leading youth service providers in Germany.

"Students for Humanity" project has been active for six years now. Bosana students each month put aside 2KM that Bosana also matches. Current students and alumni students alike continue to contribute to this project so the impact is very significant.

In May this year, Bosana students covered housing expenses for a student from Zenica. Anes could not cover the cost of his dorm room in Sarajevo, so our students stepped in to help in the final stretch of the semester.

In June, another student fell on hard times and she needed help paying for her bus ticket to Tuzla in order to attend her exams. Emina received her funds and was able to pay for her ticket.

BOSANA FOUNDATION

Scholarship and Personal Development Program

Quarterly Report

January - March 2022

Executive Summary:

This is a new year and new beginnings for Bosana. We have started this year with a new partnership between BAPA Bosnian-American Professionals Association. In the seventh year of awarding scholarships to high achieving Bosnian-American students who are actively involved in their respective communities, besides three BAPA scholarships, they will also offer one sponsored by Bosana Foundation.  We have started After School workshops in Sarajevo this year, after successfully implementing the same programs in Zenica and Tuzla. Academic life is slowly going back to normal and our students are using this opportunity to work on their education as well as professional development.

Remember to check out our website and social media for any new developments.

Students and Program Update:

January and February are generally busy for our students, due to midterms and final exams for the fall semester. The results were very good for the most part and they have started their spring semester in good spirits.  Students have embraced coming back to in-person examination and they are much happier with this option.

At the beginning of the year, I visited Bihac to grab some coffee with our students. Since we have not had any students' gatherings in the past two years, these small group coffee sessions are always super exciting for our students. We don’t have many students in Bihac but I was able to see some recent graduates as well. Denis graduated two years ago, and Aida graduated last year. I have also met Sandra, who is currently studying law, and Sedin who is finishing up with his exams and getting ready to start his final project.  I have missed meeting our students in person and hope to have more opportunities this year.

Highlights of the quarter:

We are thrilled to share all these inspiring news about our students: 

- Nadja attend our Annual Benefit in Los Angeles back in 2013. Now, we are very proud to report that after some hiatus, getting married and having a baby, Nadja has also completed her M.A. degree.Nadja was also part of our Vocational Program where she worked closely with our "Kick Start Your Career" instructor Aida to help her with job applications and Nadja has found a job back in the spring of last year.

- On behalf of the Association of Biology Students from Sarajevo, our student Jovana participated as a panelist at a conference "Quo Vadis Academia?" organized by the Homework Hub on the occasion of the International Education Day. Panel discussed important topics of education in BIH, particularly looking at whether poor educational systems are the cause of the massive brain drain in BIH and what are the potential solutions. The panel lasted three-hours where students exchanged experiences and ideas while all participants took an active part in also sharing their own experiences and thoughts on this topic.

- Sreten, one of our students, won the award for success he achieved in the last academic year. Sreten is, on average, the best student in the first year of the Forestry Study Program at the School of Agriculture in East Sarajevo. His grade point average was 9.20 after his first year. In addition to success in teaching activities, he also participated in various projects that were helpful to his local community, as well as in projects within the student council of his school.

- The leader and organizer of After School workshops in Sarajevo, is Bosana scholarship recipient Bilal, who also grew up in the orphanage in Sarajevo, and now provides help and support through nonprofit organization that he started with a group of students. In the previous couple of months, we received information from Bilal that there were several workshops they worked on, including educational workshops for volunteers, instructional classes in mathematics and English, cooking workshops, and creative workshops. What we are most proud of is that through these workshops, BOSANA students are networking, and they have the opportunity to volunteer and secure a volunteer place through this project.

 - Every year we have students who are part of the Erasmus Exchange. Sanel was in Lleida, Spain during the fall semester and this is what he had to say: “ Easily the best thing that has come out of this exchange is the Master's degree subjects. The subjects are self-directed and stress-free, no exams, just a project that we work on the whole semester. . .I have visited Andorra and Barcelona and I plan to visit more cities in the future. I love the change, and this was a very welcoming one. Despite that, there are also things that I miss in Bosnia, and I look forward to coming back in February.”

 - A full-time student at the Faculty of Political Science University of Sarajevo Suncica started her Erasmus + Exchange at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland at the Faculty of International and Political Studies, Center for International Studies and Development / ISDUU. The exchange lasts from 28.02. to 29.06.2022. and she is doing her Master's thesis as well as attending three courses related to her MA thesis.

Exciting news about Bosana’s former students:

- On February 11, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, BOSANA students celebrate in the most beautiful way possible, by donating, just as you donate and invest in their education.Our former scholarship recipients, MA of genetics from Bihac and Gorazde, Anela and Denis decided to pay 50 KM each for two students who contributed to science and their communities last year with their hard work, commitment and activities. 4 students were elected based on their hard work and their activities. The students are Suncica, Sumeja, Sandra and Jovana. These are the most active students and students with the highest grades. They have expressed their immense gratitude to Denis and Anela, and we are also proud providing such a wonderful example to other students and remembering BOSANA.

- We are happy to share that our student Adnan has started a new position as System Engineer at BS Telecom Solutions! He finished Electrical Engineering at the University of Sarajevo Department for Automatic Control and Electronics. Last month, Adnan took the opportunity to express his ideas and talent and he will manage our social networks from now on.

Additional activities

 The Bosana Foundation, in cooperation with the Psychology Student Association from Sarajevo 'Sinapsa,' organized a workshop on "How to Love Yourself" at the HUB Homework in Sarajevo on March 13th.

This two-hour workshop was a refreshment for Bosana students who are in Sarajevo, because after a period when they did not have any live activities because of COVID-19, they had the chance to socialize and get to know each other. Students had the opportunity to hear an interesting lecture by an MA student and member of the 'Sinapsa' Dzenana. The topics she covered were our relationship with ourselves and other people, and the gratitude that we often forget to have. They also got to share some experiences dealing with human relationships, and discussed how to navigate certain situations in life. We also had two online workshops in March, which tackled the topics of depression and toxic relationships. We are confident that these were very useful topics and workshops for our students, since in all three, 30 of our students all around BiH participated. We are looking forward to more educational workshops we will organize in the future.

"Students for Humanity" project has been active for six years now. Bosana students each month put aside 2KM that Bosana also matches. Current students and alumni students alike continue to contribute to this project so the impact is very significant.

During the month of March, our students had four separate humanitarian actions all across Bosnia and Herzegovina to help those in need.

 The first donation was paid out to a student from Zenica who personally sent a request for support during his studies for the first semester that the student fund financed and now we continue our support for the second. Travel expenses and food for March and books for the entire semester were covered by the donor in the amount of 163 KM. Travel expenses from April to June were covered by funds paid from the Students for Humanity Student Project Fund in the amount of 250 KM.          

The second donation was to provide support to our former scholarship recipient who wanted to attend an online Fitness Academy with one of the most famous fitness trainers in the region. With this course, our former student will learn not only how to create personalized fitness classes but also meals and to create business packages that would be profitable. This full course is a great advancement for our student who finished Physical Education at the University of Mostar, Faculty of Science and Education. He managed to raise some of the money himself but needed additional funds so we supported him with money from the Fund in the amount of 200 BAM.

For the third donation, one of our current students wrote to us with a request to cover the costs of transportation of students with disabilities who attend the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of East Sarajevo. 200 BAM was allocated from the Fund for this action.

Former Bosana scholarship recipient is currently living at home without any income. She sent a personal request for support in covering basic expenses, groceries, and utilities to our current students. 300 KM was paid out from the Fund as the fourth donation in this quarter.

BOSANA FOUNDATION

Scholarship and Personal Development Program

Quarterly Report

October-December 2021

Executive Summary:

Happy New Year and welcome 2022! We are enormously grateful to our supporters who stood by us through this difficult year and enabled us to continue implementation of our projects. Your support allowed us to accept new students into our Scholarship Program. We have also raised enough funds to cover the costs of our After-school program in Tuzla for 2022, and in January we will extend our After-school program to also provide support at the Bjelave orphanage in Sarajevo.Thank you to everyone who has supported our projects over the years. Help us make 2022 an amazing year. Follow us on social media and keep an eye on our website for all the inspiring mini endeavors coming this year.

Students and Program Update:

The last quarter of the year is always a bit slower than the rest of the year. Students have started their classes in October and they are learning new materials while preparing for their midterms. Universities are still deciding on how to proceed with the school year, should the classes be in the classrooms, online or hybrids. The fall semester started mostly in classrooms, only a few programs opted for remote version. Bosana students were happy to be in the classrooms since they missed in-person lectures, however, it doesn’t mean that the classes will continue this way due to changing rules and regulations.

Despite the slow few months on the academic front, we still have a few noteworthy news about our students. In this newsletter we are highlighting the impact of the Scholarship Program and the deserving students that you support.

Highlights of the quarter:

We are thrilled to share all these inspiring news about our students: 

- Adnan graduated from the University of Electrical Engineering in Sarajevo, Department of Automatic Control and Electronics. Adnan first joined us as our Professional Development student for a year and soon after he joined the rest of our students as our scholarship recipient. While in his last college semester, Adnan took part in a work-study program in Germany from which he just returned and he has promised to share his experience in our students' blog.

- In November we organized an informational session for our new Bosana students to convey our expectations and how we can work together so that they can achieve the best results possible. The goal of the online meeting was to introduce them all to the Foundation, as well as the scholarship program and the Students for Humanity project so that they can also see how they can impact other students' lives. Students also had the opportunity to get to know each other and tell us also more about the organizations where they volunteer.

- In December a couple of our students received laptops to help them work on their academic tasks. Suncica is finishing her M.A. degree in political science and she is also the project coordinator for Bosana's "Students for Humanity" project so that laptop will be most handy.

- Irma is our third year student at the University of Political Science in Sarajevo. Her laptop "retired" in the midst of her exam season so we were happy to have been able to come to the rescue with a new laptop so she can complete her exams and assignments to finish her semester.

- To commemorate the day that marks the anniversary of the University of Pharmacy in Sarajevo, a special ceremony was organized by the head of faculty. At the event, many acknowledgments were celebrated and awarded to individuals and organizations that have significantly helped to improve the work of this institution. In addition to this, students from the Dean's list were announced. Criteria for the best students in each academic year were based on their overall grade point average. Also, selected students had to have passed each year without any renewal or transfer of any subject/class. With a grade point average of 9.0, our student Sumeja  was selected as the best student of her generation and received Dean's recognition for these remarkable results. We would love to remind you again that Sumeja was part of the team that had a brilliant pitch idea and won several awards and first places in various regional competitions. She also runs a blog and social media accounts that focus on healthy lifestyle.

Exciting news about Bosana’s former students:

- This year, our former students Benjamin and Mirzet participated in the Big Bang Challenge in their hometown of Tuzla. They both won recognition in the category of Science and Education. The Big Bang challenge project is a platform that recognizes new leaders among young people. This type of recognition of the successful young leaders has also created new role-models in the public sphere in the city of Tuzla, which also emphasizes their important roles for a better and stronger BiH. The BigBang Generation is a new generation of young leaders who achieve results or inspire others to embark on the path of self development.

- "Students for Humanity" project has been active for six years now. Bosana students each month put aside 2KM that Bosana also matches. Current students and alumni students alike continue to contribute to this project so the impact is very significant.

- This quarter our students had six separate humanitarian actions all across Bosnia and Herzegovina to help those in need.

- The first project helped a family in Ahmetovic village close to Mostar. Both parents are unemployed and they have a two-year-old daughter. They live in a 22-square-meter apartment given to them by the local municipality. Their electricity was on the brink of being shut down and they barely had food to feed their daughter. The funds given to the family paid all the electricity debt, supplied them with food for the next three months and it covered basic necessities for the little girl. Our former student Matea was in charge of this project where students allocated 960KM to this family.

- The second project provided support to our current student and her sisters with heating for this winter season. Our student will remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of her current situation but we are so happy that our students can help one another. For this project, we allocated 485 KM.

- Our third project helped Mirad, a student from Zenica, studying at the Law School in Zenica. Bosana students allocated 300KM to help Mirad cover books for the semester, pay for his monthly transport to the University, and cover his meal vouchers.

- For our fourth project, our former student Armin proposed to help a single mom with an 8-year old daughter from Brcko. Mother Biljana needed help to pay for basic necessities such as winter clothes for her and her daughter. Her daughter also needed school supplies. For this project, students allocated 200KM.

- The fifth project, our students Bilal and Edina proposed to allocate 360 KM to help Anis from Mostar. Anis is a student at the University of Medicine in Sarajevo and struggles to cover his housing, including pay for his meals. Bosana students decided to help him by paying for his dorm for two months. In addition to that, our former students anonymously supported him and paid for his food for a month.

For the final, sixth project, students used the remaining 70 KM from their fund to buy New Years candy/presents for the pediatric patients who are spending holidays in the hospital. Sava, Medical student, organized this event for the second year in a row.

BOSANA FOUNDATION

Scholarship and Personal Development Program

Quarterly Report

April - September 2021

Executive Summary:

October is here and just like that, the end of the year is already in site. In this quarterly report we bring you updates from the past six months of Bosana’s activities.

We are honored to have supported the 6^th Annual BiH Diasporic Conference (BiHDC) which was held online and the theme of the conference was Vivid Visions: A Decade of Diaspora Development and looking toward the future. Bosana President was one of the workshop leaders on the topic of philanthropy discussing the case of Bosana as one of the most successful BH diaspora organizations working in BIH.

Our Scholarship program is also growing, we have new graduates, new applications for graduate school as well as a new group of scholarship recipents. Due to limitted spaces in our Scholarship program, we have decided to offer something to other aplicants who were not selected, so we organized two professional development workshops for all interested aplicants. Remember to check our website and social media for all of the news and up-to-date information.

Students and Program Update:

The second quarter of the calendar year, although still affected by the pandemic, was little less demanding for our students. Universities started slowly going back to inperson meetings, many classes were still online but some of the exams were offered in person. After almost an entire year of online learning our students were happy to be able to take exams in the classroom.

In the third quarter, students finilized their exams and went home to enjoy deserved summer break. The exam season was stressful yet successful. Bosana scholarship application process for 2021 was opened in August, and we received 125 new applications. The Selection Committee had a hard task of deciding who the most deserving aplicants are, since there were so many great applications. Mid September we have announced twelve (12) new students who were selected into our Scholarship program and two (2) students who were accepted into our Professional Development program.

It is very difficult for the Committee to pick only a handful of students when it is obvious that there are so many amazing students who could benefit from our programs. In order to give something to other aplicants, this year we offered two workshops for all interested aplicants. The first workshop addressed professional communication and aplication process, and the second workshop addressed goal setting and good habits that lead to success.

Highlights of the quarter:

We are thrilled to share all these inspiring news about our students: 

- In April, we have started the third cycle of “Kick-start Your Career” program for Bosana students who are graduating this year. This career orientation program was developed in 2019 and it provides a practical, step-by-step approach for each of our students. In this session our students will learn how to create resumes and cover letters that stand out and how to master their interview skills. By developing effective job search strategies, now while isolated, Bosana students will be ahead of their peers when the situation finally normalizes and they start searching for their first job as graduates.

- Our student Suncica was selected to participate in the BOLD program at the Institute on Civic Engagement at the University of Nebraska, Omaha. The program is scheduled from August 15 through September 19^th. Due to pandemic, this program will be postponed until next year. BOLD Fellows Institute is designed to strengthen civic engagement leadership development across Bosnia and Herzegovina, provide hands-on leadership experience in developing your action project ideas to improve your community, and strengthen people-to- people ties between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina.The BOLD Institute on Civic Engagement is an intensive five-week- long academic program that will take place at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the U.S. Embassy’s implementing partner for this program. The program will include an academic residency for four weeks at UNO which will include classes on leadership development, local community activities, cultural visits, opportunities to engage with a diverse group of Americans, followed by a one-week educational study tour of Washington, D.C., and New York City.

- Our student Selena who is one of our medical students, studying at the Faculty of Medicine in Foca, spends her free time sharing via social networks her knowledge in the field of medicine. Her first discussion was focused on the most pressing current topic about Covid-19 vaccine and all the concerns that individuals have about its effectiveness and risks. Also, she joined in with other doctors and students of medicine all around the world through an Instagram account where they all share positive developments and advice in their field of study.

- Pharmacology student Sumeja, has already tested her waters in start up world with Calvaria, an online tool for professional support, created to conect students from medical fields with professional mentors who will be able to share their skills and scientific research. They have submitted their project to compete for Social Impact Award and they have made it to the finals. Social Impact Award is promoting the knowledge and practice of social enterpreneurship among youth, and they believe in the potential of students to make a difference. In June, a two-day International Student Startup Competition was held in Split, Croatia. Out of the 33 startups that entered the competition from all over the world, Sumeja’s team won fantastic fourth place. Finally, in the beginning of October, CALVARIA platform was officialy anounced as one of the winners of 2021 Social Impact Award.

- As part of the Mitigating Online Radicalization and Hate-Speech project, supported by the Anna Lindh Foundation and the European Union, the participants of the program had a task to design and implement mini online campaigns through which they creatively addressed problems at hand. One of the campaigns "STOP hate speech and sexism towards women in the ONLINE space" was made by our student and Humanity in Action Alumna, Lejla. Lejla designed the campaign intending to draw attention to the negative comments sent to women in media articles and social networks. In her video, Lejla gives some concrete steps on how to reduce hate speech if we just simple start from ourselves.

- The first few days of August, our student Jovana participated in a scientific research camp during her summer break. The camp was located in Matinski Vis near Zepce. The goal of this scientific research camp was to research species that are present in this locality, with focus being also on endemic and endangered species. The final goal of the project is for the camp to make Matinski Vis a protected nature park in the near future. " I’m proud that I’ve participated in such a big project with an even bigger and more important goal and that our research data is going to make the final goal more achievable."- says Jovana.

- Our student Nejra volunteered for the previous few months in the project “HEMDEM”. The final activity of this project was a Summer Camp in Turkey on the island of Heybeliada. The camp was organized by the Turkish Red Crescent in co-operation with the Emmaus International Solidarity Forum and it lasted for a week. The project brought together 25 girls and boys from Bosnia and Herzegovina who were left without one or both parents. Our student Nejra was given the responsibility to supervise the children and take care of them during their travels and the duration of the camp. The project was extremely well received by the participants. We are so proud of Nejra's activities because she is always involved in many activities that benefit her community.

- Almost every year, we have students who chose to partake in the Erasmus + study program in the countries of the European Union. This year, Sanel went to Spain, to the University of Lleida to study software engineering for one semester. We believe that this will give Sanel a new perspective and lot of new stuff to learn, from culture to language.

- In August, our student Šerifa received her bachelor’s in Geology from the University in Tuzla and plans to continue her Master's studies in the same field. Bosana supported Šerifa throughout her university studies and she was always an exemplary student.

- Jelena was born in Trebinje and she completed her primary and high school in Nevesinje. Jelena attended Medical school at the University of East Sarajevo, in Foca. This September, the dream of becoming a medical doctor has become a reality for Jelena.

- Dzelila was born and raised in Zenica. Since high school, she was an active volunteer donating her time to organizations that focused on children and youth. Dzelila graduated from the University of Zenica, the Department of Enterprise Management. After graduation, she was accepted into Master's program and she started internship in her field of study.

- In September, Nejra graduated from the Faculty of Economic in Sarajevo with a degree in Accounting and Auditing. Nejra is an active volunteer, she has been volunteering since high school in many different organizations. She volunteered in Emmaus, orphanage “Bjelave”, Old Town National Kitchen, AKOS “Let’s Do It” project, and many more. The next step for Nejra is graduate school and she has already been accepted into the program.

- Danijela was born in Livno and, as she likes to say, her most beautiful childhood memories are from Bilo Polje, where she completed her primary school. She completed high school education in Mostar, and enroled at the University of Mostar. Danijela obtained her bachelor’s in Nursing. Currently she is looking for internship.

- Faruk was born in Tesanj where he finished his primary education. He graduated from economic high school in Maglaj and applied to the University of Sarajevo. This September Faruk obtained his bachelor degree at the Faculty of Economic, Department of Management.

- Bosana’s Best Student of the Year 2021 is Ahmedina. This award is long overdue. Ahmedina has been a shining star through all her years of bachelor and graduate studies. Ahmedina was born is Srebrenica and she completed her elementary and high school education in Tuzla. She chose program of Social work at the University of Tuzla for her higher education, and she obtained her bachelor of Social Work as well as Master’s in the same field. Ahmedina’s academic record is impecable, she has been chosen as the President of the Student Council in 2019, she was a member of the Scientific-Teaching Council of the Faculty of Phylosophy for two terms. As part of the same council, she was elected as a student-demonstrator for the Research Methodology course. Bosana is especially proud to point out all the volunteer work Ahmedina was part of during the past six year. She independently launched a home help project for the elderly population within her community, as well as another project to support children affected by cancer. With the help from Bosana Foundation, she organized several workshops for students from her faculty and she also marked the Day of Pink T-shirts. Ahmedina is currently working on her intership and she aquired her teaching licence in the filed of social work and social policy, given by the Senate of the University of Zenica.

At the end of September, she obtained master’s degree in Social Work and applied for PhD program in the same filed. Eventually, Ahmedina would like to teach at the same university where she gained her higher education.

Exciting news about Bosana’s former students:

- Our former studetn Anela opened the first center for Generic Counseling in Bosnia and Herzegovina. With more than 100 people attending the online event, the first center for Genetic Counseling in BiH was officially opened on April 28th. 'GENETIKA' is genetic counseling center in BiH created to enable each individual to get to know themselves better and act preventively. A team of great experts gathered around a common idea - a personalized approach to diagnosis. The mission of 'GENETIKA' is to enable each individual to get to know their body, their genetic basis, through counseling and personalized analyzes, so that they can more easily influence the quality of life, fitness and health. The entire process, from counseling to therapy, will be made possible in one place. In May Anela won the Young Scientist of the Year award, best known as the Vecernjakov Seal. This award was given to Anela for her hard work and contribution to the field of genetics in BIH.

- This year, our former student Iman was admitted to a fellowship program in Copenhagen. The Humanity in Action journey began for Iman as a year-long Fellowship - an intense period in the summer, (virtual and in-person) and an ongoing virtual training program throughout fall and winter semester. This year, Iman will also participate in three more fellowships abroad that will help her further develop her professional career. Iman graduated from the Law School at the University of Sarajevo three years ago. She was an exemplary Bosana student and continues to provide her assistance as legal council to Bosana Foundation. We are always happy to know of our students engagements past their college days.

- On June 6th, Bosnia and Herzegovina Futures Foundation organized a webinar where we could learn more about design in the automotive industry. Guest speaker was one of our former scholarship recipients Sajdin. The webinar was organized to introduce participants to the process of designing a modern vehicle. Sajdin was born in Zenica and graduated with a bachelor of product design at the Academy of Fine Arts at the University of Sarajevo. For years, he attended the Auto (r) conference and participated in the Auto (r) Design Challenge, which he won in 2013. From 2016 to 2019, he was employed by the Volkswagen Group, Škoda, as an exterior designer, and in 2019 he presented the first car he designed independently - the Škoda Vision IV Concept. Currently, Sajdin is the Lead Senior Designer for a car company in China.

- Foundation 787 together with the support of the US Embassy in BiH, implemented for the first time in BiH, the global AWE Academy for Women Entrepreneurs. The program is intended for 30 women aged 20 to 50 from all parts of BiH who are business owners/founders and are at the very beginning of their business or have only a business idea they want to turn into a sustainable business. Among the 30 selected, is also our former student Amila, who is at the very beginning of developing her business idea. Her goal is to create a business where anyone can "Rent an Engineer", with a focus on providing engineering services by women engineers (mechanical engineering). Amila wants to activate women engineers and break down stereotypes that women are "not as good engineers". In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are many small companies, as well as individuals, who require some engineering services or engineering solutions but do not need the permanent employment of engineers. The goal is to establish a network that will provide such services within BiH like developing prototype models, 3D printing, etc. Amila obtained Mechanical engineering degree at the University of Sarajevo and is our student alumna.

- Former Bosana student and current volunteer Esma, recently launched a business with her husband. The first price comparison website for Bosnia and Herzegovina called the Cjenolov. The mission is to offer an online platform to consumers to encourage them to make more informed decisions and save money while navigating different retail and online stores. Currently the site offeres options for mobile phones, and the goal is to cover all product cathegories from every webshop in BiH.

New Bosana Project: My Career From Zero to Hero

Back in April, we submitted a project proposal to CEM (Youth Center in Travnik) who is implementing a regional project together with Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo that is finaniced by the European Union. Goal of the project is to provide support to young people, 18-30 years of age who need to further develop their professional skills in IT, soft skills and job search. The Center had an open call for proposals and Bosana submitted our project plan that is based on our program "Kick-start Your Career" that we created together with a life coach Aida Sulojdzic and we implement each year for our graduating students.

The project will begin in September and last for 6 months. We are very excited that our program was recognized and that we can implement it to include more youth in BIH and help them in their career path.

Other Notewordy news:

In the name of Bosana Foundation and all the Bosana students, we want to thank IMBiH - Inclusive Movement for Bosnia and Herzegovina for their kind gesture and support for our programs!

On August 21st, IMBiH organized a virtual concert “La Convivencia” by accordionist Merima Kljuco and contralto Jelena Milušic. The concert also featured guest pianist, Mirna Lekic and was followed by a question and answer session. The concert was free to attend and open to the public but the attendees were encouraged to donate to Bosana Foundation. Thanks to this great initiative, close to $1000 was raised and donated to Bosana Foundation. We applaud IMBiH for organizing such an event and for directing donations to Bosana.