English below.
BAB je vrlo zaposlen organizacijom naša sljedeća dva projekta, kao i još dva koja planiramo. Prostor za ljude i zajednički prostor u hrasnici, Sarajevo, još uvijek radi i prža podršku izbjeglicama i lokalcima. Zahvaljujemo volonterima zbog kojih je ovo moguće.
Zasad ćemo vam pričati o psu volonteru koji je došao da pomogne ove godine. Ime mu je Kali i on je pas. Prvi put je volontirao i ispostavilo se da je odličan volonter.
Putovao je skroz iz Njemačke da bi pomogao. Čim je stigao, počeo je raditi na podjeli hrane u Sarajevu. Bili smo svjesni da neki ljudi možda dolaze iz kultura koje ne prihvataju pse, ali, još važnije, bili smo svjesni i da su neki od izbjeglica bili u situaciji kad su psi korišteni kao oružje protiv njih, od strane policije ili vojske. Tako da smo morali biti pažljivi da ne uzrokujemo traumu. Držali smo ga van linije podjele hrane. Na samom kraju, prišla je trinaestogodišnja djevojčica iz Afganistana, koju je očito zainteresovao. Ona je nevjerovanta mlada žena, koja je govorila mnogo jezika, a sve ih je naučila usput, živeći u toliko izbjegličkih kampova sa toliko stranih volontera.
Trebalo je vremena, i prvo ga je oklijevajući pomilovala, sve dok njen strah nije nestao. Tad joj je vlasnik psa dao povodac i ohrabrio ju da ga povede u šetnju. Tako je i uradila, i na povratku je na njenom licu bio veliki osmijeh i rekla je da joj je to bio prvi put da miluje i šeta psa.
Sljedeće noći, nakon pomaganja sa podjelom hrane, dok su ljudi čekali na podjelu cipela i deka, svi su se smiješili Kaliju. Zato je bio pušten sa povoca. Jedan čovjek iz Sirije, koji je bio „u igri“ te noći (ovo je izraz koji se koristi za pokušaj prelaska granice), trčao je dugo vremena sa Kalijem, vičući i smijući se, a Kali je lajao kao odgovor i trčao uokolo, obojica vjerujući potpunom strancu. Kad je došlo vrijeme da se rastanemo, dao je Kaliju polovicu svoje zapakovane hrane. Podijelio je hranu sa psom, ne znajući kad će sljedeći put imati priliku da jede i da li će te noći biti uhvaćen i pretučen.
Sljedećeg dana Kali je otišao u Mostar u dječiji dom. Djeca bi se okupljala oko njega stalno, nekad je dvadesetero djece htjelo da ga pomiluje odjednom. Ponekad je bio pod stresom, ali nikad agresivan prema djeci. Bio je strpljiv, čak i kad ga je najmanje uhvatilo za povodac i prošetalo. Znao je da nemaju snagu kao on, ali ih nikad nije vukao.
Ove zime će se vratiti u Bosnu i Hercegovinu. Obožava snijeg, jer je mješanac haskija. Obožava hladnoću, čak i -25. Tako da se nadamo da će, dok se ljudi budu smrzavali, gladni, bolesni, povrijeđeni ili pretučeni, Kali barem na trenutak pomoći tim ljudima i djeci da zaborave na glad, bol ili očaj. On ih ne ocjenjuje prema boji kože, odakle dolaze, u šta vjeruju. On će samo htjeti da se s njima igra na ledenom snijegu.
Molimo pomozite naš rad da mi pomognemo drugima.
BAB has been very busy organizing for our two upcoming projects. As well an additional two in the planning. The Peoples Place and Community Space in HasrinIca, Sarajevo is still working supporting refugees and the local community. We thank the volunteers who are making this possible.Peoples Place and Community Space, Hrasnica, Sarajevo (20.06.2018)
So for now we are going to tell you a story about canine volunteer who came to help this year.
His name is Kali and he is a dog. It was his first time to volunteer and he proved to be an amazing volunteer.
He traveled all the way from Germany to help. Upon arriving he started to work immediately at a food distribution in Sarajevo. We were very aware that some people may come from cultures that are not accepting of dogs but more importantly we were aware that some of the refugees and immigrants may have had dogs used as weapons against them by police or military forces. So we had to be careful as not to create any trauma. We kept him away from the food line.
Towards the end a thirteen year old Afghani girl who was intrigued to meet him, approached. She is an amazing young woman who spoke so many languages which she learned along the way from living in so many refugee camps from various volunteers. It took time but first she hesitantly stroked him until eventually she left her fear behind. Then the owner of the dog gave her the line and said take him for a walk. She did and when she returned with such a big smile on her face saying it was the first time she had ever had contact with a dog.
The next night after helping distribute food again this time as people waited for shoes and blankets they all smiled at kali. So he was allowed to go free. One man from Syria who was about to go “on the game” that night. This is the term used for trying to cross the borders. He ran around for ages with Kali shouting and laughing as Kali barked along with him and ran around, both trusting a total stranger. As all our times came to leave he gave Kali half of his packed meal. Half of his meal he shared with a dog, not knowing when he would get to eat again or if he would be violently beaten that night, if caught.
The next day Kali went to Mostar to volunteer at a children’s home.http://www.djecijidom-mostar.ba/index.php/en/ Repeatedly the children would swarm around him. Sometimes twenty children wanting to stroke him at once. Sometimes he was a bit stressed but was never ever aggressive towards the children. He was patient even when the smallest took him by the line to walk. He knew they did not have the strength he has, but would never pull them.
This winter he will return to Bosnia Herzegovina. He loves the snow as he has some Husky in him. He loves the cold, even minus 25. So we hope as the people are freezing, hungry, sick, injured from being beaten he will for even a slight moment help to take these people (including children’s) minds off there hunger, pain and desperation. He does not judge them because of their skin colour, where they come come, their faith or belief. He will just want to play in the freezing cold snow with them.
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