Youth Day celebrated at SOS Children's Village

Youth Day was celebrated today at SOS Children's Village Gračanica. The gathering of young people who have left care and are still in care has become traditional, and this year marked the sixth such gathering.

Fifty-five young people gathered at SOS Children's Village Gračanica, 25 of whom have left care and started independent lives. For many of them, SOS families are the only families they have and will always be their safe haven to return to.

The goal of Youth Day is to bring the family together, provide further support to young people who have left care, exchange experiences, and give young people an opportunity to express their opinions, be open to life experiences, offer their experiences to others, and view them in a new way.

- The focus of our work is on each individual child. We encourage children to actively participate in decisions related to their lives. The long-term nature of care is what makes our organization special. Young people who grew up in SOS families and who have embarked on their life paths are always part of the SOS family, and we are always there to offer them support, understanding, and encouragement - said Zlatan Musić, director of SOS Children's Village Gračanica.

On this occasion, the European Voluntary Service – 'Erasmus+' Program was also presented, given that the SOS Children's Villages BiH organization is accredited for receiving, sending, and coordinating the sending and receiving of volunteers. This service enables young people to perform volunteer service in another country, promotes solidarity among young people, and is truly an 'educational service'.

Young people from the community and representatives of the association Anea-Mladi Gračanice also joined the presentation and learned how to become volunteers, expand their knowledge, and get to know new cultures. Representatives of the association Nautilus, whose mission is to improve the position of young people and empower them to take an active role in the community, also called for youth activism.

Today, the SOS families in Gračanica were filled with conversations, laughter, reminiscing, and the young people enjoyed their favorite childhood delicacies. The next formal meeting is scheduled for next year, and until then, most of the young people will visit their families countless times again, just as it should be.