Story of Hana Spahić
The third in a series of stories about volunteers in Bosnia and Herzegovina takes us to the northwest of Bosnia and Herzegovina, more precisely to the city of Bihać. Hana was born in Bihać, and finished primary and secondary school in Bosanski Petrovac. She continued her studies at the Faculty of Education and Humanities at the International Burch University. She is currently a third-year student of Graphic Design and Multimedia. Hana is also a member of the Student Association of the Faculty of Education and Humanities, where she holds the position of social media manager.
When I was a high school student, I didn’t like to be always at one place, static. Something always had to happen. Although I come from a small city where the conditions for gaining experience and side activities are not common, I managed to push the boundaries. I joined AsuBiH (Association of Secondary School Students in Bosnia and Herzegovina) and with a small group of high school students managed to achieve our goals. I started volunteering in the Municipality of Bosanski Petrovac through the project “Social Day”, a day when high school students change their classrooms for jobs, where I learned many things that I still use today.
Hana had her first volunteer engagement at the age of 16, while today she is a member of the Bravo Association and part of the organizational team of Networks INT, where she contributed to the realization of the regional forum of innovation, technology and entrepreneurship Sarajevo Unlimited.
At the beginning, I didn’t think that what I was doing is actually volunteering. My goal, desires, and reality pushed me forward. I enjoyed helping those who needed help, children, young and older citizens. Later, I realized that my contribution to volunteering is huge, and through education I realized that volunteering is not necessarily helping others, but also building myself as a person on the path to community building.
Hana’s volunteer engagement also included seminars, trainings, traveling, and new friendships. At one of the seminars she participated in painting the walls of a kindergarten in Bihać, which she fondly remembers every day.
“The most important value of volunteering is that it is not conditioned by external factors and the desire to acquire a higher social status, but by internal motives and reasons. A person whose interests are a priority, person not guided by his/her heart, does not know the true values of volunteering. I am the happiest when everyone around me is happy and that is what fills me and gives me joy.”
There are many challenges that one young person faces in BiH. The pressure of the environment, parents, society, the environment and the community can sometimes be a stumbling block on the way to building a successful and long-lasting career.
People do not appreciate volunteering. They think it’s all empty and nonsense. My volunteering is also my education. It’s not a waste of time. I learned many things that were not taught by teachers in primary and secondary school, nor at university. Sometimes I think that a small number of people with evil intentions hinder others on their chosen path. In the end, there will always be good and bad opinions, and it’s just up to you not to stop reaching for your goals and desires.
Hana also told us where she sees herself in a couple of years and what additional goals she wants to achieve in her business and private life:
I see myself as an educator. As a person who transfers knowledge to other people. I also see myself as a successful graphic designer and editor. I would also like to see myself in the role of wife and mother one day. I see myself as someone who will not be static and who will forever believe that anything is possible if you believe enough in yourself.
In the end, Hana has a message for young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina who still doubt whether volunteering is for them.
Find something you enjoy doing and fulfill your life. Give yourself a chance. You will never have as much time and freedom as you have now. Don’t let your life pass without constantly thinking that there is no hope for a better tomorrow. Prove to yourself and others that you can be a driver of changes. Try volunteering, it costs you nothing.
In the spirit of promoting volunteering and the support that volunteering gives to our society, as opportunities for community development, the Institute for Youth Development KULT and UN Volunteers in BiH bring a series of stories about volunteers and volunteering in Bosnia and Herzegovina. #toghetherwecan
