Working with Refugee Children
For the last two months, the youth have had the pleasure of working with the refugee children in Croatia. The children had started going to school, so they needed help with homework, but mostly of course, with the Croatian language.
The children are from age seven to nineteen years old. Each one of them is very special and needs a different approach. The work is based on the Big Brother/Big Sister concept. Although youth sometimes work with other children, most have one child to whom they are a Big brother or a Big sister, and need to take care primarily of that child.
The children come from Afganistan, Iraq, Syria, Turkey and other countries. They live in Hotel Porin, an old hotel just outside the city, in very bad condition. They have had a really hard time coming to Croatia and they need a lot of attention and understanding. Of course, they would rather play than study, so it is Sai youths job to motivate them and try to teach them in a playful manner, so they wouldn't get bored or frustated.
There are children who speak some English or other European languages, but most of them only speak their own language (Arabic, Persian). So, sometimes it is really hard to make progress, since youth have very limited resources.
Working with these children is very rewarding. They are very sweet and sincere, and they make youth feel like a part of their family. It is a privilege to be a part of their lives.