Firefly Summer Camps 2008

Firefly's summer camps are a chance for some of the poorest and most vulnerable children to have a holiday away from the political and social tensions of their home areas. Most of these children have not ever travelled outside Bosnia or even their own home town, except as refugees. The camps provide a neutral space for children to recover from the trauma of the conflict and space away from continuing tensions. They also allow time and space for children from different ethnic groups to spend time together, making friends and creating cross-community links - it is vital that these links are created so that children do not grow up thinking it is normal for different ethnicities to live separately. All participants are children from Brcko and the outlying returnee areas, and attend activities at our youth centres or those of our partner organisations, in Bosnia. During the camp, children will take part in numerous games and activities together each day, as well as preparing a performance or event for the final evening.

The camp will consist of general activities (arts and sports-based) for 10 to 12 year olds. The camp will take place between the 10^th and the 27^st August 2008 (exact dates to be confirmed). The camps will be preceeded by a 3 day planning and preparation period in Brcko, Bosnia, during which volunteers and co-ordinators will plan and schedule all activities and responsibilities together at Firefly's youth center — also a chance to meet the children & get to know fellow volunteers before the children arrive. All activities will be decided during this period, so we can't tell you what exact form they will take this year — however we can say that previous years' camps involved activities following a different theme each day, with an all-day treasure hunt and a variety show on the final day. Following the camps there will be a 1 day evaluation period, staying on the camp site — allowing you to give both positive and negative feedback about the camps, and help with planning the following years' camp. This also gives you a chance to relax with fellow volunteers, say your goodbyes and have a bit of a holiday once the kids have gone. If you are thinking of applying, you should make sure you're free between the 3rd and the 20th July, to give yourself enough time to travel and to take part in the pre-camp planning and post-camp evaluation.

To answer some more of the questions we've been getting:
1) All meals are provided at the camp site restaurant.
2) Accomodation will be in 6-person rooms - volunteers may need to take turns sleeping in the children's room as a supervisor (probably one night out of every 4) but this will be confirmed during the planning period preceding the camp.
3) You don't need to speak Bosnian, however we will send out basic Bosnian language lessons before the camp and all volunteers should attempt them! There will also be two basic lessons during the planning period. Meetings will be conducted in English, however.
4) We're looking for approximately 14 volunteers - 7 for each camp. There will also be 2 members of staff on each camp,plus three youth volunteers (aged between 14 and 16) from our centres in Bosnia.
5) There will be 30 children on the camp.
6) Volunteers will be assisting a local member of staff, rather than running the camps themselves. This means that you are not expected to organise any logistics such as children's transport, contact with parents, and so on. However we do expect each volunteer to take charge of organising some activities themselves. You'll be helped to plan them and will carry them out in pairs or in groups of three, so no one is expected to co-ordinate activities alone.
7) Your total costs will be £750, plus the cost of travel from your home country. We can help you arrange travel from London for approximately £100. We will support you in raising this whole amount, so you shouldn't have to pay out of your own money. Costs for volunteers - food, accomodation, local travel and insurance - are £250, plus the travel costs from your home country. The remaining £500 covers the food, accommodation, visa, transport, insurance and other costs for 3 of the children. Some volunteers might like to bring pocket money for drinks in the evening or for other personal items; we think you need no more than £5 per day and probably a lot less. For example, a coffee is approximately 50p, while a beer is around 75p.

Please email if you have more questions, or to apply, download an application form here (make sure your browser is configured to allow pop-ups) and send it by email or post it to:
Firefly International,
c/o Ellie Maxwell,
Flat 10, 31 Morrish Road,
London SW2 4EB
(N.B. We always prefer to receive applications by email if at all possible - thank you!)

Go to Firefly's travel section for more information about the closest airports, and to book your flight.