This was my sixth trip to Bihac refugee camps, for some it was the second and for others the first. Intense days, which have squeezed our hearts and pulled out of each one of us love, compassion, anger, shame, solidarity. There were 8 of us, so we often split into various activities: murals, aid distribution, shows, etc., and so we managed to achieve multiple purposes. But, since Noemi has taken care of the journal, I will insert her own accounts and reflections.
First day
Vehicles packed, hearts in turmoil, we are ready to go! The fantastic 8: Fabio, Serena, Noemi, Marina, Carlo, Patrizia, Michael and Anna.
Second day
Upon arrival, we immediately started drawing the mural at Camp Bira, where we have previously already done other murals. We collaborated again with the IPSIA volunteers, and since their legendary Social Cafe has been moved again, the idea was to embellish the opposite walls and create a more joyful and homey atmosphere.
Beginning of the second mural, at the Paediatric Clinic. Today they suspended the visits to give us the opportunity to start bringing life to these walls and tomorrow the work will be finished.
Afternoon at the Borici refugee camp. Show by our legendary Michael with his friend Tony, with dancing and games! This camp hosts families with children. They arrive on foot … from Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and “those countries”, as they say in Italy … they have been on the road with young children for months, sometimes years before arriving here… ON FOOT! Day and night! As soon as you enter the camp, they hug you, they give you all the love they have. Today I hugged a girl who seemed very sad … I whispered in her ear while she was holding me tight: “Are you ok?” and she started to cry. We both cried … Then after the show I played soccer with some of the boys and I discovered that one of them was the dad of that little girl and so he told me part of their story … may God protect their hearts 🙏
The love we received today as always was greater than what we came here with ❤️
Second day
Continuation of the mural at Camp Bira … How many stories I heard while painting, so many moments when you stopped and talked eye to eye, heart to heart. They are difficult looks to bear … they come back to you before you fall asleep, looks and stories that you would never want to see or hear. But … we are here to tell and not to forget. Today more than one boy I asked if he wanted to paint replied that he had been beaten by the police at the border and that he could not move his arms, or his hands … A boy, John, told us that he has been in Bira for 10 months and has tried “the game” 12 times … And 12 times he was caught and thrown into the woods with nothing left … Tomorrow we will finish this mural but … none of us are ready to leave this place.
The murals at the city’s Paediatric Hospital are finished. When you decorate the walls of hospitals that house young patients, you always paint in an atmosphere of hope … Who knows if seeing this little train, children, pets, the sun and the moon, the little patients will forget where they are, and be instead guided by their imagination … because children have not yet forgotten how to do it ❤️💜💙💚💛
Today we received a great gift “: an unexpected TV interview! Thank you!!!
The Squat
We asked them permission to take pictures, to tell others what’s going on … and with difficulty we did it … It is embarrassing and painful to take photographs where dignity is gone. It’s called a squat, which means an abandoned house occupied by people who have nowhere to stay (in this case an old factory still half destroyed by the war). An illegal camp, where these migrants wait for papers to enter one of the existing camps or try the “game”. Now there are 30 of them on the way, leaving for a long journey (14-16 days on foot) to try to cross the border. To be honest, I felt like sinking in. When you hear about it it’s all so abstract, but coming here, talking personally with them, eye to eye, it just tears your soul apart… There are 200 men here in this abandoned building … they have no water, toilets, food, clothes, blankets.
We managed to buy sleeping bags, shoes and socks for 20% of them, also thanks to a local shopkeeper who gave a good discount and has a heart for migrants. Tomorrow we will try to deliver these goods …
The next day we were able to quickly give them sleeping bags, shoes and socks … we made it! And a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky.
Here are also some shots of today’s show at the Bihac Cultural Center for the city’s children, for the 760th anniversary of the city of Bihac. There were over 400 children! “Laugh whenever you can, it’s a cheap medicine”
Third day
Murals done! It was wonderful to give these guys a chance to do something creative for a few days, immersed in color, and to have been with them to listen to their stories.
The sign says:
YOU ARE ALIVE
HOLD ON TO YOUR DREAMS
TAKE CARE (a phrase you often hear in the camp)
At camp Sedra
I am waiting to start my part of the show in this other refugee camp, when these drawings made by the children are brought to my attention…. Nothing to add.
and also a warning
Some shots of the show. In the end, the audience went wild in a series of traditional dances and songs from their countries, and created an atmosphere that deeply moved us all.
In the evening, an abundant but magic snowfall accompanies us while we go for dinner with some of the amazing IPSIA volunteers, whom Marina rightly called “angels”.
Fourth day
One last visit to the Squat, and then we left for Velika Kladusa, where Shazahib, a boy met on the last trip, was waiting for us. We also had the opportunity to speak with several youngsters outside the Miral camp and hear about their extremely difficult situation. Then off on our journey back, already planning when we will return and what we will tell everyone at home …
In the meantime, we received some sweet thank you’s:
Dear Anna, I want to thank You very much for Your effort to bring some light and happiness at the paediatric in Dom zdravlja Bihac. To You and to Your friends best wishes and hope to see You again.
Jasminka Ljubijankic, director of Dom zdravlja Bihac
This week we were happy to welcome again the volunteers from the association “Per un Mondo Migliore” , who painted a murales in the TRC camp Bira, with the help of the guests, as well as in the clinic of Bihać. They also performed their “Tony and friends” puppet and clown show for the children in the TRC camp Borici and Sedra, as well as in the Cultural Center of Bihać for the children from the local kindergartens.
As always, they brought a lot of colours, smiles and joy to the guests of the camps but also to the local community, with whom they are linked since 1997, year of their first puppet show performance in Bihać. We warmly thank them for their visit and look forward to the next one!
“Take care and hold on to your dreams”
IPSIA
The Love Log 