By Ajlana Osmanagic | Program Director
BOSANA FOUNDATION
Scholarship and Personal Development Program
Quarterly Report
October – December 2014
Executive Summary:
Last quarter of the calendar year was not really hectic for our students as the previous one. At the end of the previous quarter we have welcomed 14 new students so our focus was geared towards helping them adjust to the university life and Bosana scholarship requirements. We wanted to help them connect with the rest of the group in order for them to feel like they are part of our big family. Most of the new students were just starting college and they were trying to embrace their new obligations, adapt to the new environment and a new city. At the end of the quarter students had midterms and are still awaiting their results. For most part, the results that we know thus far are positive and encouraging that the students will not have a problem to successfully complete this semester. The month of December and January are set out for exams that will take place at the end of January and beginning of February.
Students and Program Update:
The beginning of the new academic year can be challenging for the new students but for some current students as well. Students that are new need some time to adapt, settle into the new city, find new friends and adjust to the new educational structure. Students that have completed one or two years in college are now trying to fulfil all requirements while getting exposed to new course material. For some students, they still have to pass classes from previous semester or a year so this can be an issue if too many classes add up.
Overall, this has been a quiet semester. It takes couple of months of going through course material before midterms happen and they have started for most of our students in December, but majority of them are still waiting on results. It is important for students to get good grades on their midterms, subsequently that will help them once the time comes to take the final exams. Some courses can be passed just by passing all midterms or it might at least help them get higher grades. We are constantly encouraging our students to be consistent, to study regularly and get good grades on their midterms so there is less stress during the final exam season. In the following quarter we will have concrete information about their academic success in this semester. Currently, most of our students are positive and believe that there should be no issues with their academic results.
Highlights of the quarter:
Two of our students have been hired by Rukom Concept Store on part-time basis during the holiday season at the Sarajevo Holiday Market. This was a great opportunity for our students to gain some experience plus it was an opportunity to earn extra money for their everyday needs.
One of our students from Trebinje proposed a humanitarian action because she has heard about a mother and a daughter that are barely surviving, have poor living conditions, and are in need of basic needs. She asked the rest of the students to gather clothes and other necessities in order to help this family. The project was very well received with the rest of the group. They all joined and collected what they could, some sent part of their scholarship directly to this family bank account. They also sent clothes and school supplies to Tuzla where some of our students live to gather all the donations and take them directly to the family. Students then submitted a report to describe the whole process and what they have learned.
This was a very noble notion from our students who themselves have very little to share. They decide to give as much they can and help a family in need. What is even more noteworthy is the fact that students realized that they were happy to be able to help someone; so far they have been on the receiving end of the humanitarian aid.
We are so proud that our students are giving back to the community. This is the ultimate goal for us, to continue the circle of giving to inspire our students to give back to their community and inspire other members of community to do so. They have learned that it is not important how much you can give but the fact that you want to help people in need and that it is coming from the goodness of one’s heart. The amount of that help is irrelevant.
After this project was completed and they have seen how successful it was even with limited donations from them, they decided to find a way to do similar projects every month in different cities. Right now they are trying to form groups and team leaders in order to implement this idea.
We are confident that our students will continue with these little projects that will bring happiness to many other little girls.
Challenges:
This quarter did not have any major challenges. We are trying to stay on top of our student’s needs. We are offering tutoring to students that might need additional help with the midterm exams. In the next quarter they will have to be ready for final exams for the fall semester and we want to make sure they have all the help that we can offer.
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