David Barth serves as Mission Director to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Srebrenica. For years, the name has been synonymous with tragedy. The massacre in Srebrenica marked the darkest moment in the blackest of wars. During the second week of July, 1995, 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were slaughtered by paramilitaries of the Army of the Republika Srpska and 30,000 women and children were forcibly deported in an act called the worst crime on European soil since the Second World War. Eighteen years later, the wounds have barely begun to heal, if at all.
The town remains wracked by ethnic tensions. It remains the most economically depressed municipality in the country, with unemployment approaching 50%. The obstacles to economic growth are legion. Infrastructure, workforce skills, isolation, poor governance. And a major casualty of that is hope. One resident told me that because she’s from Srebrenica, it is expected by society that she never allow herself to be happy. Imagine the impact that has on children.
With that in mind the staff of USAID/Bosnia and Herzegovina set out to create one special day for the children of this remote town. NBA basketball player and star of the Bosnian national team Mirza Teletovic joined the mission at the Srebrenica International Peace Camp to spend quality time with the children of Srebrenica; to talk about sports, ecology, human rights, and most importantly, hope.
In addition to a basketball clinic featuring Mostar native Teletovic, USAID-grantee Eko Sports Group taught courses in water sports, including scuba and boating. Eko Sports Group is a marvel as well. Made up of disabled athletes, including landmine victims, the Eko Sports Group has made itself the country’s most prominent aquatic sports trainers. They provide a valuable service and are also tremendous role models on the power of perseverance.
The principal responsibility of our Mission is to administer precious foreign assistance resources in the most efficient manner to achieve tangible results. This is our core objective. But we are also in a position to promote our American values. So I was enormously proud to watch our team working with their hands to build a camp worthy of these kids. I think that you will see from this video that in this case, their smiles represent an overwhelming tangible result.
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