|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
Bosnian teens hosted by 4-H
4:31 p.m., May 9, 2006--Going to a Broadway show. Exploring the treasures of the Smithsonian museums. Wading in the Atlantic Ocean. Doing some tax-free Delaware shopping. These are just a few of the activities 15 Bosnian teens enjoyed during a month-long stay in Delaware, hosted by UD 4-H. But the teens, who are participating in the Bosnian Youth Leadership Program, also had a busy schedule of events that the average tourist doesn't experience. They met with Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner and Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.); talked politics with Ralph Begleiter, former CNN correspondent and current UD Rosenberg Professor of Communication; volunteered at the Milford Food Bank; and toured inner-city 4-H after-school sites. “The purpose of the Bosnia Youth Leadership Program is to train the next generation of leaders of Bosnia-Herzegovina as it continues to recover from its 1990s war,” state 4-H educator Mark Manno said. “The month's activities were designed to help the students understand the responsibilities of citizens in a democracy and the most effective ways that they can make a difference in their own communities back in Bosnia.” The youth leadership program is sponsored and funded by the U.S. State Department. Since 1999, it has been held each year in various locations across the nation. This is the first time that a Delaware organization has been selected to organize and execute the program. Manno said a key part of the program involves teaching the teens how to implement a service project once when they return home. “The Bosnian youth are being trained using a 4-H model called T.R.Y. (Teens Reaching Youth),” Manno said. “This is giving them the skills they'll need to carry out meaningful service projects.” The teens, who traveled with three Bosnian teachers, came from the cities of Banjaluka, Zenica and Livno. The group is ethnically diverse and includes Serbians, Croatians and Bosniaks. They arrived in mid-April and kicked off their trip with three days in Washington D.C., followed by a week and a half with 4-H families in Kent and Sussex counties. The April 23-May 6 portion of their trip, hosted by New Castle County 4-H families, was interspersed with a three-day stay in New York City. Seventeen-year-old Andrija “Andy” Djapic, of Livno, said that he learned a lot during his time here and is excited about conducted a service project back home. Djapic is a Croatian whose two best friends at home are a Serb and a Bosniak. He said he wants to see all Bosnians interact and work together. To that end, he and the other students from Livno have come up with the idea of creating a community center that welcomes all the youth in their town of 20,000.
Delaware 4-H's commitment to the Bosnian Youth Leadership Program didn't end once the teens headed home. In September, Manno will travel to Bosnia to offer on-site assistance with the service projects. In the interim, the teens will be able to hold meetings with Delaware 4-Hers via satellite link. In addition, a blog site will allow for virtually Djapic is very focused on his service project but also has enjoyed the chance to see new things during his stay in the U.S. “The fireworks at the Blue Rocks game was just great; I've never seen anything like it,” Djapic said. He said he liked being able to try new foods: he ate authentic Mexican food at a Kennett Square, Pa., taqueria and sampled water ice for the first time in Wilmington's Little Italy. The 4-H host families also learned from the experience. Brenda and Denis Shaffer and their three sons, all members of the Summit Bridge 4-H club, hosted one of the Bosnian teens. “We're very glad we decided to get involved with the program,” Brenda Shaffer said. “After dinner, we sat down with our student and asked him question after question. He was very patient about explaining what life in his country is like.” Shaffer said she was impressed with the Bosnian teens' knowledge of world affairs and their fluency in multiple languages. “Many of these kids speak three or four languages,” Shaffer marveled. She and her family have enjoyed taking their student to the movies and to area shopping malls--shopping was a big draw for virtually every one of the Bosnians. “Delaware 4-H has been pleased to be a part of this global education effort,” Joy Sparks, state program coordinator for 4-H youth development, said. “The Bosnian teens as well as the Delaware 4-H families have learned so much about themselves, other cultures and family life. It fits perfectly with our 4-H citizenship effort.” Article by Margo McDonough
|
|
|
