ABOUT THE PROGRAM OLDER BROTHER, OLDER SISTER
What is the program older brother, older sister?
Older brother, older sister is a mentorship program through which a volunteer (older brother/sister) and a child (younger brother/sister) are being connected, with the aim of developing caring, supporting, and quality relationships. The goal is achieved by two means: through the work of a volunteer with a child and through the work of a professional with the volunteers.
In the program Older brother, older sister, kids are individually socializing with the volunteers who become models for the kids’ acquisition of socially acceptable behavior and give support in the development of their life skills. During those socializations, kids prefer going to the cinema, going for a walk, out for a cake, bowling, ice-skating, and what brings them joy especially are the creative workshops at which they make friends with the other younger brothers and sisters.
Who can be an older brother and older sister?
An older brother or older sister are young people in their twenties who can spare 20 hours a week during one project cycle to make life better for one child at risk. Volunteers are emotionally and mentally mature people with positive ethical and life values and are ready to work on themselves and to work alongside the rest of the volunteers and professionals.
How to sign up to become an older brother or older sister?
Applications for volunteering are being open at the beginning of every academic year in the local organizations which are implementing the program Older brother, older sister.
If you are interested in volunteering, you can directly contact organizations, whose contacts you can find on this web page in the Partnership organizations section. You can also fill out the query for contact on this web page in the Contact section, or contact us directly via email at info@mentorstvo.ba and via phone: 062 959 186.
Who are the children enrolled in the program?
Children enrolled in this program are between the age of 6 and 14, who live in orphanages or are coming from economically and socially vulnerable families, therefore having more difficulty growing up into healthy, socially integrated, social, and able to work people.
How does the socialization of younger and older brothers and sisters look like?
Terms and time frames of socialization are agreed upon according to the obligations of volunteers and children. Desirably, volunteers and children are to meet up a minimum of three times a month, within the time span of 5 days.
Depending on the preference of volunteers and children, joint activities are agreed upon. Mainly, those are going to the cinema, to theater, to the museum, and to various cultural and sport manifestations, going for a walk in nature or out for a juice and a cake.
Once a month, joint activities are being organized for all the volunteers and children in a local organization, mostly with creative and fun features where children and volunteers meet their peers and share their experiences in the program.
How much allowance is there for socialization?
Depending on the local community where the program is being implemented, allowance varies from 25 to 35 BAM on a monthly basis. Allowance is used to cover the expenses of socialization between the children and volunteers, expenses such as movie tickets, juice, cake, etc.
What is the duration of the project’s cycle?
The project’s cycle, according to rules, follows an academic year and lasts for 10 months, however, small deviations are possible. Socialization of children and volunteers lasts at least 7 months, and it is possible to prolong the association during summer vacation and to continue volunteering into the next cycle.
Do volunteers have professional support during the project?
Volunteers are obliged to participate in the introductory education before they start volunteering, at the end of which they become prepared for their voluntary commitment to this program. Also, during the period of volunteering, coordinators and associates are organizing consultations for all volunteers, and also individual meetings if needed. Furthermore, during the volunteering period, additional educations and workshops, for improving self and dealing with volunteer activities, are being organized.
FOR ORGANIZATIONS
How can organizations apply for getting assets for implementation of the project?
Public call for co-financing of organizations, for the implementation of the program Older brother, older sister, is being opened at the beginning of August, therefore, all interested organizations can fill out the application. Organizations can apply to every public call without any restrictions.
What are the requirements they need to fulfill?
If you want to become an implementer of the program Older brother, older sister with the support of the Foundation, your NGO must fulfill the following criteria:
- Steadily working for 3 – 5 years,
- Has experience with projects, i.e. practical experience in the domain of working with children and youth, and in the domain of social protection,
- Organizes volunteer work for youth,
- Has experience in training volunteers, with a special focus on educational and advisory work,
- Has a partnership with institutions in the domain of social protection in the local community,
- Supports new methods of learning: informal, participational, with a focus on the learning of skills,
- Is ready to take care of providing funds for a local project, and already has secured at least 30% of funds for implementation of the project,
- Obliges to work according to standards of quality.
For what period are assets being assigned?
Assets are being assigned for one project cycle which follows an academic year – 10 months. After this period runs out, organizations must apply to the upcoming public calls for co-financing as well.
Besides the assets, is professional support also provided for realizations of the project?
The staff of the Foundation Older brother, older sister continually offer professional support for coordinators and associates in the program. Before the beginning of implementing the program Older brother, older sister, local coordinators and associates must do introductory education which is organized by the Foundation, and at least five meetings and additional educations are being organized during the project cycle. If needed, the coordinators and associates can organize individual advisory meetings too.
ABOUT THE FOUNDATION OLDER BROTHER, OLDER SISTER
How was the Foundation established?
Process of founding and registering of the Foundation for support and development of the mentorship program Older brother, older sister had started in the year 2013, and it was officially founded on December 19, 2013. Association for prevention of addiction NARKO-NE, through the Network Older brother, older sister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was the initiator of the Foundation’s founding, and all of the organizations, members of the Network, had given their support for its establishing at that moment. The founder of the Foundation is the Association for prevention of addiction NARKO-NE.
In 16 years of the implementation of the program Older brother, older sister in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and by work of the Network Older brother, older sister in Bosnia and Herzegovina, around 1450 children and volunteers were introduced. Now it is time for the Foundation to take over the inheritance of the Network, and to promote and upgrade the concept of mentorship work with children and youth at risk, through various programs and activities.
What does the Foundation do?
The foundation Older brother, older sister gives financial and advisory support for the implementation of the program Older brother, older sister, and organizes philanthropic and promotional actions with the aim of collecting funds for the Fond of Older brother, older sister. Foundation also develops novel models of mentorship and plans to include these in the upcoming public calls.
How is the Foundation financed?
The Foundation Older brother, older sister is financed mainly by donators, and partially by local fundraising activities. In the period of 2018-2021, the biggest donators were Foundation Medicor from Liechtenstein and the organization Renovabis from Germany. Also, the Foundation has a team of volunteers in Sarajevo who organize promotional and fundraising campaigns with the aim of collecting funds for the Fond of Older brother, older sister.
Who are volunteers of the Foundation?
Volunteers of the Foundation are young people being 20-30 years old, who are ready to devote on average 15 hours a week for the preparation and realization of campaigns for collecting funds for the Fond Older brother, older sister. It is desirable for volunteers to have some experience in the program Older brother, older sister, or with some other similar projects, but it is not compulsory. Besides this, it is necessary for the volunteers to be interested to learn more about fundraising and philanthropy and to be prepared for teamwork and responsibility.
In addition to volunteering in the fundraising team, the Foundation Older brother, older sister has options for interested corporative volunteers with the jobs such as translation of promotional and working materials, content creation for social networks, training, and education for the staff and volunteers, etc.
What is Alumni group Older brother, older sister?
Alumni group Older brother, older sister is an informal group of ex-volunteers and participants of the program Older brother, older sister. Purposes of Alumni group gathering are next:
·Spreading the story of the positive effect of the program Older brother, older sister for the children at risk and community as a whole
·Promotion of philanthropy and fundraising for the Fond Older brother, older sister so more and more children at risk would be given a chance to associate with their older brother or sister
·Possibility of connecting and communicating among themselves through a closed group on Facebook, and through other social networks of the Foundation OBOS.
How to become a volunteer of the Foundation?
Applications for volunteering at the Foundation Older brother, older sister in the fundraising team will be organized according to the needs of fundraising activities. The invitation will be published on the website mentorstvo.ba and on our social networks.
If you are interested in volunteering, you can always fill out the query for contact on this web page in the section Contact or contact us directly via mail at info@mentorstvo.ba or via phone: 062 959 186