The project in summary

Implementation of appropriate protection, qualitative standards for reception conditions, educational and social integration, as well as psychosocial support to refugee and migrant children in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The project in detail

The project “Supporting Refugee and Migrant Children in Bosnia-Herzegovina” that Save the Children developed in Una-Sana Canton, the worst affected by the permanent migration flows trying to reach safety in Europe, was aimed to ensure appropriate protection, qualitative standards for reception conditions, educational and social integration, as well as psychosocial support to refugee and migrant children in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Specifically, this project intended to:

  • Offer psychosocial support through arts for accompanied and unaccompanied minors to help them start a post-traumatic resilience process, strengthen their coping mechanisms, and promote their social, emotional, cognitive and motor development;
  • Ensure all refugee and migrant children, including unaccompanied and separated children, have access to quality formal education, including enrolment in regular classes in public primary schools of Una-Sana Canton, together with their peers from the local community.
  • 931 refugee and migrant children (aged 0-17), including 119 Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Children (UASC), participated to several educational and artistic activities developed in 3 Child-and-Youth Friendly Spaces (CFS);
  • 419 refugee and migrant children (aged 6-15), including 2 with disabilities, regularly attended classes in 5 public primary schools (Model Schools) of Una-Sana Canton, together with their Bosnian peers;
  • 494 refugee and migrant children joined the Preparatory HEART Program;
  • 172 parents participating to the meetings taking place in the camps and at school;
  • 9 teachers from the schools of Una-Sana Canton;
  • 14 facilitators, out of which 8 cultural mediators.

Between September 1st 2019 and September 30th, 2020, with Alta Mane support, Save the Children ran and fully equipped with didactic materials 3 CFS in the Bira, Borici and Sedra Transit and Reception Centers (TRCs) in Bihać to offer several educational and artistic activities intended to accompanied and unaccompanied minors located in the centers. Tailor-made for different age groups and adapted to their specific needs, the activities provided 7/7 days in Borici and Sedra TRCs and 3 days a week in the Bira TRC reached 931 refugee and migrant children (0-17 aged), including 119 UASC, and 172 parents. During the same period, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education of Una-Sana Canton, 5 Model Schools have been identified and, on one hand, enrolled 419 refugee and migrant children (aged 6-15), including 2 with disabilities, in regular classes, and on the other hand, implemented the Preparatory HEART Program, an educational assessment program, based on the HEART methodology, intended to the educational and social inclusion of the minors on the move with the Bosnian peers, reaching 494 refugee and migrant children.