College education for 10 talented students in BiH

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.

BOSANA FOUNDATION

Scholarship and Personal Development Program

Quarterly Report

January - March 2021

Executive Summary:

It has been a year since World Health Organization officially declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. Looking back at this time, we will remember the isolation, the wide-ranging change of our lives, but also the outpouring of compassion for the challenges faced by our students. We have learned how to come together and make a collective impact. Support from our donors and volunteers never wavered and that is something that we are immensely grateful for.

On the other end, our students responded to calls for help from their communities all the while balancing academic demands and the stress of remote learning.

Students and Program Update:

The first quarter of each calendar year is marked with our students finishing the fall semester, taking their exams and starting their spring semester. It is a busy time for them and we are proud to report that this year, despite all the obstacles, it was a successful time as well. The exam schedules changed and were different for every university, and some students were able to take their exams in person and others virtually. All in all, the results are impressive - many have passed all their exams, but we have a few students that have been struggling with some of their courses. Bosana also covers tutoring if students think they can benefit from it. These students have already started taking tutoring classes and are hopeful that the results will improve in the next semester.

Overall, our students have had very good results, and they were able to rest a little over the break before they started the spring semester. New classes and new challenges are starting now and we cannot wait to report on their success again.

Highlights of the quarter:

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

    Armin, Bosana’s former student, now a medical doctor, and one of our most loyal supporters - Authority Partners - partnered together at the beginning of the year. Armin, who works at the Health Center in Brcko reached out to a few organizations looking for a donation. Authority Partners responded immediately and secured funds with which the Health Center in Brcko was able to purchase 37 specialized masks for Covid-19 patients suffering with pneumonia. Because of their severe infection, these patients require pressurized oxygen masks in order to breathe and recover. This is just one of the examples of collaboration between our students and our supporters.

    Jovana is in the first year of the Faculty of Science at the University of Sarajevo. During high school, she was an active participant in the Student Council and many school projects. Through her engagement as a volunteer and Board Member in the High School Students Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jovana has worked on many projects that are oriented to improve the status of the high school students in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Her schedule was always filled with youth engagement activities and that hasn’t changed at the university. She is dedicated to her academic responsibilities, but she also finds time for additional professional development trainings and online seminars. Jovana is currently preparing training on leadership and mechanisms for high school students' participation on issues that concern them. She is volunteering at Schuler Helfen Leben BiH organization and will be part of the group of young people who will lead a seminar.

    Our student Adi started a new position as Physical Therapist Intern at Hospital "Stari Grad" Mostar. In December, he received a Golden Plaque as a student of his generation, and we are so proud to announce that Adi has started an internship in his field of study in January. This is a great accomplishment, since finding an internship in BiH right after graduation is very difficult. Adi was able to get this internship a few months after getting his bachelor’s, and while in his graduate program. Right now, he is trying to complete his program and internship at the same time. Once he obtains his Masters degree he will be ready for the job market.

    In February, our current M.A. student and part-time employee Lejla took part in two Humanity in Action projects. Humanity in Action supports young leaders and encourages them to be active leaders in their communities through its projects. The projects in which Lejla participated are "Mitigating Online Radicalization and Hate Speech", which aims to suppress extremism in our region, as well as hate speech in the online world. The second project is "The new Wo/man of the Western Balkans", which aims to help participants develop skills to lead the country and what changes are necessary for our communities through state simulation and state-building. Through creative methods, and teamwork with other participants from BiH, Slovakia, Macedonia, and Lebanon, young leaders are given a chance to develop their ideas and thus contribute towards a greater participation of young people in the field of politics and social domain.

    Bosana’s former student Denis has found employment in his profession, after searching and applying for jobs all over BiH for almost 2 years. In July 2019, Denis completed his Masters in Biology and Genetics at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Sarajevo. He has worked diligently to find employment in his profession and has not given up despite the rejections and no positive outlook for many months .

During this time, Denis worked as a photographer managing to secure some income for himself. In March 2020, following the pandemic outbreak, Denis offered to volunteer and contribute as much as he is capable within his profession, at the regional hospital in Bihac. At that time Denis did not receive any response. But today, almost two years later, Denis’s dream came true. Denis has been employed as the Molecular Diagnostic in the Microbiology Department of Cantonal Hospital “Dr. Irfan Ljubijankic” in Bihac.

Additional noteworthy updates:

Afterschool Program: Bosana Foundation has an active Afterschool Progam in Zenica orphanage, implemented through the Input organization. After 10 years of a very successful project implementation of this program, we are excited to announce that we have started implementing the same project in the Tuzla orphanage in January of this year. Project Coordinator is Edin, a former Bosana student who also grew up in the same orphanage. Edin included four other Bosana students from Tuzla to help him with implementation of this project. Due to COVID-19 measures, they are able to hold classes only once a week during the weekend, however we hope that these classes will soon be offered more often. Children in the orphanage only have 3 computers which is why many have not been attending school and they need all the help they can get.

Academic Writing Class: Bosana Foundation has incredible community support and we have always been able to rely on volunteers to help us raise funds and reach our goals. We are run by volunteers and 85% of your donations are directly allocated towards providing educational and professional opportunities for the youth in BIH. In February, we were approached by Judith Rasson, who is a retired anthropology professor. Judith wanted to volunteer her time to Bosana and its students and one of the proposals was to hold Zoom classes for Bosana students. The class is titled English Academic Writing. The first class started in March, and the students have been working on their writing as well as  their resumes. This course was offered to students who already have basic knowledge of the English language and are interested in writing and publishing their academic papers. This is a great opportunity for our students, and we are thrilled that right now seven Bosana students are working on perfecting their academic writing.

We are proud that our students are not only dedicated to their studies, but are also making a difference through their volunteer work.

“Students for Humanity” project is still going strong. Bosana students are all setting aside a part of their monthly scholarship funds for their own humanitarian projects. Bosana’s former students are also part of this project. The project is funded with their personal donations which Bosana also matches each month. Students vote each month on what projects they want to support based on the funds available.

This quarter, Bosana students decided to support two students who needed help paying for their basic life provisions.

Donation of 300 KM was made to student Amina from Sarajevo to cover the cost of food and hygiene products.

Marija, medical  student studying in Foca, needed funds to pay for her dorm room, school supplies and other necessities. She received 500KM to help her cover those expenses.

Executive Summary:

As we celebrate the holiday season, I hope you and your family are able to take some time to recharge. At the beginning of the new year, I want to take a moment to share silver linings from the last quarter of 2020. We've all had to change our way of life, how we work and learn. This hasn't been easy, and we would like to recognize the genuine strength and resilience our community has shown throughout this year.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the ongoing support of Bosana donors and volunteers. We look forward to continuing to develop our relationships with our supporters in 2021.

Students and Program Update:

These last months of the year are generally not very eventful when it comes university obligations. Our students were attending classes and preparing for the exam season. This semester was still mostly online, although some of the classes were offered in the classroom, generally for smaller groups. Overall, universities have found a way to cover all classes and support online learning. Due to remote learning, our students were able to find time for additional community engagement. We are also happy to share with you the news about several students who graduated this year and were recognized for their exceptional academic achievements.

Highlights of the quarter:

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

• The Special Olympics "Parallel" is a project in which many of our students have participated over the years. Special Olympics offers children and adults with disabilities year-round training and participation in (29) different winter and summer sports. Previous years, our student Saima organized these events and was heavily involved in this project. Our student Pelka participated in this year's program.  This year, Pelka met Ilma, another Bosana student through this program. Ilma joined Bosana this September.

• The month of October is considered the Month of Oral Health. Our former student Mediha organized two lectures on her own initiative in her town of Gracanica to teach local population on the topic of "Proper dental and gum care". The lecture was held in the Social Center in Gracanica where many children attended the lecture. Mediha graduated from Dental School in Sarajevo last year and then she moved back to her hometown of Gracanica where she works as a Dentist at a local hospital.

• Bosana’s former student Edin who grew up at the Tuzla orphanage did not forget his childhood spent there. Edin contacted Bosana at the beginning of the month asking if we would join him and help organize an outing for children from the Tuzla orphanage who have not been able to leave the orphanage since March. Edin, together with the support from the Director of the orphanage organized buses that took the kids to the Zoo, then to a Fair and then out for lunch. They even ordered a cake to celebrate a 12 year old girl's birthday who never before had a cake or celebration for her birthday. The next day, Edin also ordered pizzas and visited the children at the orphanage because some of the children told him that they never had pizzas.

• Milica, our medical student from Srebrenica, entered an essay competition in November. The organizer was Museum of Alija Izetbegovic, as an extension of the Museum of Sarajevo, and all students were eligible to participate in this essay competition. One of the themes was: “It is not enough to say: We want a better world, we need to build it ourselves!”. Milica chose this theme and we are proud to report that Milica won second place in this competition.

• Bosana students are very active in their communities and not only because they are required to complete their voluntary hours every month. Our new student Sandra is the president of the anti-fascist association "UABNOR" in Bihac. In October, UABNOR organized a round table discussion on the topic of human rights and freedoms of individuals with disabilities and national minorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our student Sandra directly participated as an organizer and speaker. Sandra begins her studies at the University of Bihac pursuing her Law degree. Prior to joining the Bosana family, Sandra received a scholarship from our former student Selma Selman who started her own NGO four years ago helping Roma girls stay in school.

• Nejra combined her hobby and love for nature with her social activism. An association "Ruke", where Nejra has volunteered for over 7 years, organized planting of over 10,000 trees throughout BiH as a part of the global environmental project "Let's do it". Nejra was selected as a Coordinator of all the activities. The action was financed by the European Union in BiH. Nejra was also chosen to work on the project financed by the American Embassy in BiH, the eco-challenge "Let's make the country even more beautiful", where she will lead workshops with organizations and companies through BiH on how to eliminate our current environmental problems.

• Bosana received amazing news from several students during the month of December.  At the end of the year universities reward best students of the generation. Four Bosana students were selected for these prestigious awards. Three students received the 'Gold Plaque' as the best students of Generation - Benjamin from Tuzla, Sanel from Travnik, and Adi from Mostar.

• Bosana's student Stipan graduated from the Medical School, University of Mostar in July. In December Stipan was awarded the Dean’s Award for Best Student of the Generation! Aside from this most recent recognition, Stipan has already received two Dean's Awards for his academic excellence and he was also named Bosana’s Best Student of the Year four time during his six years as our scholarship recipient.

• Anela, Bosana’s former student and a graduate of a master’s degree in genetics, became a student at the prestigious Harvard University. Anela was accepted to attend a professional development program at Harvard and she will start in January 2021.

• Sava, our medical student from Foca, collaborated with his faculty and academic hospital where he is studying, in order to surprise children at the pediatric unit for the holidays. Sava’s idea was to bring the kids in the hospital a little joy for the holidays, as well as to help them overcome their fear of doctors through this little celebration.

Additional noteworthy updates:

In December, we have fully funded our new Women Empowermnt project in less than 24hrs on GivingTuesday. This project will enable 5 young women to have access to professional development, additional certification and mentoring in order to find employment.

The project will provide holistic approach to helping adolescent orphaned and/or impoverished young women find first career opportunities or have access to small business grants to conquer their own business ideas. The program will provide beneficiaries tailored and close monitored support to find suitable vocational course/trainings, help cover training fees; support in securing industry placements; access to an in-industry mentors and support with CV writing and job applications.

We are proud that our students are not only dedicated to their studies, but are also making a difference through their volunteer work.

“Students for Humanity” project is still going strong.  Bosana students are all setting aside a part of their monthly scholarship funds for their own humanitarian projects.  Bosana’s former students are also part of this project.  The project is funded with their personal donations which Bosana also matches each month. Students vote each month on what projects they want to support based on the funds available.

In December, one of Bosana students from Tuzla suggested that part of the funds be used for the purchase of pajamas for children residing in orphanages.

Bosana students decided to support this initiative with their „Bosana Students for Humanity“ project. Salih worked with his friends and a few other companies to make sure children in the orphanage all get new pajamas, holiday gifts – sweets, and a cake to celebrate together.

Scholarship and Personal Development Program

Quarterly Report

July - September 2020

Over the last few months, it has been inspiring to see the Bosana community respond to challenges with astounding compassion. Your investment in our shared vision of a better future continues to transform our students’ lives. On behalf of our students and staff, thank you!

Historically, this quarter is the busiest time of the year for our staff. It is the end of the academic year and time to select new students for our Scholarship and Professional Development Program. It is also the time for graduations and graduate school enrollment.  Please read more about all our graduates, new students, and remarkable voluntary work our students have been doing during this past quarter.

Students and Program Update:

This has been an incredible quarter for Bosana students. We are richer for having 3 new Doctor of Medicine. Ivana, Saima and Stipan passed all their requirements and officially became doctors. All three of them also passed their state exams in this same quarter.  Our doctors, however, are not the only new Bosana graduates.  Additional students who received their bachelor’s degrees during the past few months are: Senita, Ahmedina, Benjamin, Salih, Suncica and Zenajda. Josip and Sanela received their master’s degree.

In September, we also welcomed 13 new students into our Scholarship Program and additional 5 students into our Professional Development Program.

With record number of scholarship applications received this year – 219! - selection process was not an easy task. We were impressed with so many wonderful, talented and driven applicants who want to secure a better future for themselves. In the end, however, scholarship committee narrowed down their choices to a final list of new Bosana scholarship applicants.

Highlights of the quarter:

We are excited to report all these inspiring news about our students:

• Each year, we recognize Bosana's Best Student of the Year with a monetary award according to his/her grades, involvement with the Foundation, and their volunteer hours. Once again, our staff had the difficult task of choosing only one student. All Bosana students are amazing individuals who are dedicated to their studies as well as their voluntary work. After much consideration, what put Salih ahead of his peers was his significant academic and professional improvement over the past two years that we simply had to recognize and reward. Salih was born in Kladanj and he studied in the field of Food Technology at the University in Tuzla. At his university, he is also recognized as one of the best students among his peers and he graduated in September finishing his last year with a 4.0 GPA. Salih will start his master's program in November this year. Aside from his academic achievements, Salih always finds time for extracurricular activities and his hobbies, like basketball. He also volunteers at the Red Cross Kladanj and at his basketball club "Kladanj 72" as an assistant coach.

• Aleksandra from Doboj, who is studying Mathematics at the University in Banja Luka, participated in a project "Move". The project is implemented within the project "Creating a more favorable environment for civil society - EMBRACE" funded by the Norwegian Government and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

• Ivana has been part of the BOSANA Foundation family since 2016. She was born and raised in Capljina. Ivana received her medical degree from University of Mostar, passed her state exam and started working as a doctor at a hospital in Capljina, all during this quarter.

• Saima received her medical degree from University of Tuzla and passed her state exam in August. During the pandemic she dedicated her time to volunteering and helping her community. She is now actively looking for employment.

• Stipan received his medical degree from the University of Mostar and passed his state exam. He was volunteering during the pandemic as well.  Currently, he is looking for a job and is waiting to hear some positive news.  

• Ahmedina graduated from the University of Tuzla and she will continue her education in the field of social work. In November, she will start her master’s program.

• Senita, from Kladanj, she received her bachelor’s in Economics from University of Tuzla and she was also one of the students with the perfect GPA.  Senita will start her master’s program in November.

• This year, during Bosana’s Annual Benefit we presented Benjamin’s book called "Heroes without Capes". We are so proud of Benjamin because he graduated college in June and started his first job in September at the elementary school "Safet-beg Bašagic" in Sarajevo as an educator-rehabilitator. Benjamin has always worked closely with children with disabilities as a volunteer in many organizations. It's no surprise that as soon as Benjamin graduated, one of the schools called him to come and work for them.

• Our student Suncica, took part in the Fridensgrund BiH, a summer peace camp as a peer educator within the Let's Walk Together Alone project. About thirty young people from Sarajevo, East Sarajevo, Mostar, Orašje, Odzak, Gornja Dubica, Tuzla, Domaljevac, Vareš, Vitez, and Zenica participated and spent seven days socializing, learning about the customs and traditions of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Suncica is one of the most active Bosana students when it comes to her participation in various projects and we are really proud to help her further develop her interests and skills.

• Suncica received her bachelor’s from the University of Political Sciences in Sarajevo and plans to enroll in Peace and Security Studies Master's program.

• In August, our student Pelka, participated in “Peace Caravan 2020”. She shares with us her impressions: “The Peace Caravan was realized in five cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo, Tuzla, Bijeljina, Brcko, and Doboj). I met 20 young and ambitious individuals who are ready to make a change in their local community. I wrote a project with my colleague Abdija Beganovic called "Inclusive Dialogue". 3 out of 17 best projects were selected and our project was among the first 3 projects, which will be financed by the U.S Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina" Peace Caravan is really a wonderful project and I recommend it to every young person who wants to make a positive change."

• Adi, our medical student at the University in Mostar, was hired to help at the United World College in the isolation ward during the month of August. Adi's task was to be the supervisor in residence and to monitor patients’ vital signs. He also took additional care of the patients by providing them with meals and making sure that the patients did not leave their rooms. Bravo Adi, Bosana is so proud of you and your volunteer activities.

We are proud that our students are not only dedicated to their studies, but are also making a difference through their volunteer work.

“Students for Humanity” project is still thriving.  Bosana students are all setting aside a part of their monthly scholarship funds for their own humanitarian projects.  Bosana’s former students are also part of this project.  The project is funded with their personal donations which Bosana also matches each month. Students vote each month on what projects they want to support based on the funds available.

In September, our students decided to support not one, but four initiatives with their „Bosana Students for Humanity“ project.

One initiative went towards purchasing books and accessories for 18 school children living in foster families. Books were distributed to these children through their social workers.

The second project our students completed this month was to help a family of eight (8) from Tuzla by purchasing food, basic necessities, paying for children's school supplies, and paying off their electrical bill.

The third initiative was to help raise funds for an operation of a rare tumor for one young father. An official fundraiser was organized and one of Bosana students suggested donating a portion of their funds to this fundraiser.

Lastly, students donated to a student from Zenica who needed help paying for his dorm room fees.  

BOSANA FOUNDATION

Scholarship and Personal Development Program

Quarterly Report

April-June 2020

Executive Summary:

As we head into the second part of the year, we want to recognize all of our amazing supporters for the enormous contributions they have made over these last few months. We exceeded our COVID-19 fundraiser goals aimed to help our former students and, on top of that, we received a microgrant from GlobalGiving.

Bosana would like to express gratitude for your unrelenting dedication to ensuring our students receive support, especially during this unprecedented time. The majority of the world spent these months in their homes and yet, we have so many noteworthy updates for you.  I am incredibly proud to share the news about how our students have spent their spring quarter.

Students and Program Update:

These past three months have been unforeseen, presenting our students with countless personal and professional challenges that might have stopped many. However, Bosana students overcame them, continuing to adapt and carrying out their academic requirements. One silver lining over the spring quarter was seeing how our students came together to quickly move to remote teaching and learning and help each other succeed in this new environment. It has been a difficult semester and now we already have several students that are nearing graduation and some that have graduated.

We are steadfast in our dedication to our students. In response to the global pandemic, Bosana organized a fundraiser for our former students through the GlobalGiving platform.  Our goal was to help at least three former Bosana students who were most affected by COVID-19 by raising $3,000. In only a few days, we were able to raise a total of $15,834. This meant that we were now able to help many more students. We surveyed all of our former students in order to group them and divide the funds.  We are pleased to report that with your support, we were able to help all 14 students who needed additional support.

It was obvious to us that our current students and their families would be affected with the changes brought on by this pandemic. That is why we decided to raise the monthly scholarship from 150 BAM to 300 BAM during the months of April, May, and June. That way we would help our students and their parents who lost their jobs.

Additional funds were secured through GlobalGiving from both an anonymous corporate donor and an anonymous cohort of individuals to provide more hardship micro-grants to the community. Bosana was among the lucky organizations selected to receive an additional $1,000 micro-grant from GlobalGiving. This is an unrestricted donation to Bosana Foundation, which we will use to further help our current and former Bosana students who have been most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Kickstart your Career” workshop was tailored in 2019 specifically for BOSANA students with a focus on creating their professional biographies, resumes, cover letters, interview skills, time management, working in teams and other skills relevant in the today’s job market. Last year, eleven of Bosana students participated in the pilot program and this year we anticipated that sixteen of our graduating students would participate in the program. Due to COVID-19, we had to switch from in-person to online training. The students have reported remarkable results and satisfaction with the two-week online training.

Highlights of the quarter:

We are excited to report all these inspiring news about our students:

• Stipan is from Mostar and he studies medicine. He has received two Dean's Awards for Academic Excellence. Each year, we also recognize Bosana's Best Student with a monetary award according to his/her grades, involvement with the Foundation, and their volunteer hours. Stipan was selected four times for this Award. During COVID-19 lock down, Stipan volunteered at the 'Health Center' and 'Crisis Headquarters' in Mostar. His task was to inform citizens about the COVID-19 virus, explaining steps in preventing the virus and giving advice on how to say healthy.

• Suncica currently studies Political Science at the University of Sarajevo. The center for youth “Ivan Pavao II” with Suncica’s help has donated 6 computers to the daily center “Udruzenje Zemlja djece”, in which our student Pelka volunteers, and also to one pupil from Bosanska Otoka.

• Pelka is enrolled at the Educational-rehabilitation faculty at the University in Tuzla. She has been active in the non-governmental sector for many years making positive changes in her local community and beyond. During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pelka was involved as a volunteer helping senior citizens by going to grocery stores and paying their bills since elderly over 65 years of age were not allowed to leave their homes.

• On behalf of the International Solidarity Forum, EMMAUS our student Nejra distributed preliminary packages of social vulnerability to elderly in the city of Zenica.

• Our student Emir studies medicine in Sarajevo, but has spent these past few months in his hometown. Aside from his academic engagement, he volunteers in the Red Cross in Kljuc where he is involved in a wide range of activities. In June, through this organization Emir collected food which was then distributed to those who needed it the most.

• Adi M. received recognition for being the best student of his generation with highest GPA at University of Mostar once again. Adi’s major is health studies and nursing.

• Benjamin past his final exam in June at the Educational-Rehabilitation University in Tuzla, which was the last milestone in completing all his requirements towards a bachelor degree. He is now preparing for the next phase of his academic life.

We are proud that our students are not only dedicated to their studies, but are also making a difference through their volunteer work.

“Students for Humanity” project is still thriving.  Bosana students are all setting aside a part of their monthly scholarship funds for their own humanitarian projects.  Bosana’s former students are also part of this project.

Students used their funds to support three projects during spring quarter. We are so proud of our students' continuous support to families and individuals in need.

• One of the former Bosana students suggested helping Almin, student from Zenica since  he found out that this student was not able to cover his dorm room expenses for March. Bosana students covered the cost of the dorm room as well as some additional living expenses.

• In April, students helped an unemployed elderly man who lives with his daughter and wife in Tuzla. He was never able to hold a stable job working only seasonal construction jobs. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic he was not able to go to work and lost all his potential earnings. Bosana students decided to donate through their project to help the family.

• Students have also helped one family from Zivinice with funds for food and other basic necessities.