8:22 a.m., Nov. 21, 2008----Michael Cannon and Chris Shaffer, both from Middletown, Del., returned from Bosnia several weeks ago but the teens still crave cevapi, a dish of grilled minced meat wrapped in pita bread.

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“Every Bosnian city claims they have the best cevapi and each one is different,” said Cannon.

The joy of foreign food was just one of the discoveries that Delaware 4-Hers made during their October visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina, as part of the 4-H/Bosnia Youth Leadership Program. This was only the second time that the U.S. State Department has permitted a group of U.S. teens to travel to Bosnia. The first was last September, when the inaugural contingent of Delaware 4-Hers traveled there.

In addition to Shaffer and Cannon, this year's teen delegation included Ashley Brizendine of Dover; Josh Vann of Newark; and Jillian Harkness of Dagsboro.

The State Department initiated the Bosnia Youth Leadership Program in 1999 to train the future leaders of Bosnia as it continues to recover from its 1990s war. Each year since, selected Bosnian teens have traveled to the U.S. for a month-long stay. In 2006, Delaware 4-H became responsible for overseeing the program.

Each spring, Delaware 4-Hers open their homes to Bosnian teens. On this trip, the hospitality was reciprocated. When possible, the 4-Hers lodged with the same teens who once stayed in their homes, said 4-H educator Jordan Ashby.

Guided by Ashby, state 4-H Extension educator Mark Manno and volunteer Larry Shaffer, the teens crisscrossed the country, visiting Banja Luka, Tuzla, Livno and Tomislivgrad. Sightseeing was secondary; the teens spent the majority of their time meeting with civic leaders and elected officials and making presentations at schools and community centers.

“Everyone was extremely nice,” said Cannon. “I really liked that I got to meet and interact with Bosnians and had a chance to see how they live everyday.”

“I was so excited the day I left for Bosnia,” recalled Brizendine. “When I arrived, my first thought was what a beautiful country it was.” But as attractive as the Bosnian landscape is, Brizendine said her favorite experience was meeting new people from a different culture. As a result of the trip, she said she now feels more comfortable in new situations.

“At first, it was overwhelming, all of the new things we were seeing. Different money, different food, different language and different customs all kind of hit hard to what I am used to in America,” noted Cannon. “But as the days went on, I came to really like the culture -- and especially the food.”

“I would do it again in a heartbeat and would encourage all teenagers to travel abroad,” added Cannon. “Traveling will give you a global perspective in our changing world.”

Now that the 4-H delegation is back, they are traveling to 4-H meetings and community events, sharing their impressions of Bosnia with other Delawareans. To read more about the trip, visit the delegation's blog at [http://4-hbosnia.blogspot.com/].

Delaware 4-H is administered through Cooperative Extension at the University of Delaware.

Article by Margo McDonough