It is most important to be a good person

"Thousands of unaccompanied children passed through the reception center Ušivak. Some stayed shorter and some longer. My colleagues and I do our best to protect them and provide everything they need, in the hope that the grains of kindness, love and humanity we share will bear fruit in the lives of these children as they grow up. What these children leave us is no less valuable. Working as a guardian, I learned to be grateful, to recognize and appreciate courage and kindness in people, and to try to find something good in everything that happens," shared Ćamila Koro, Guardian at the Ušivak reception center, and added, "one of the boys who despite all life's misfortunes, 17-year-old Fawad has not lost his positive attitude, kindness and faith in a better future."

Fawad came to the reception center Ušivak from Afghanistan. He set out on the journey three years ago, after his two older brothers left their homeland. He left behind his father, mother and two younger brothers.

"I went to school for a short time, but I can read and write. I had to take care of the livestock which was the only source of income for my family".

Fawad traveled through five countries to Bosnia and Herzegovina and, although the journey was difficult and dangerous, it did not discourage him.

"In each country I gained something. Somewhere I made friends and somewhere I learned new words. Somewhere I learned my lessons. I am made of my memories"

"In Turkey, I worked for months in a clothing factory to pay for rent. It was physically and mentally exhausting, but I had no choice. I was already starting to lose hope and then I accidentally met my elder brother. I was happy and nothing was difficult for me anymore. My brother helped me move on and he stayed in Turkey."

In the reception center Ušivak, Fawad participates in educational workshops every day, and he was very excited when he got the opportunity to learn to play the guitar.

"Music has always been my great love, but I never dreamed that I would have the opportunity to learn to play. I learned a lot in this camp and it's nice here.”

“No one took care of me for a long time and I didn't even know how much I missed it until I got a guardian".

Fawad's dream is to reach Germany and become a chef. He said: “I want my father to be proud of me. It's not so important for me to become a chef. The most important is to be a good person."

Fawad's guardian adds: "I try to be a better person and accept the difficulties and challenges that life brings in a positive way. I learned that from Fawad and the children who, through difficult experiences, gained life wisdom that adults often don't have."

With the support of UNICEF and World Vision Germany, World Vision provides protection to unaccompanied children. In reception centers, unaccompanied children have the opportunity to learn, create friendships, go through the process of healing traumatic experiences, and rediscover their strength and potential to achieve their dreams. Guardians are constantly present in reception centers, taking care of all the needs of children on the move, protecting their rights and ensuring their best interests.

These activities were made possible thanks to the funds of the European Union as part of the project “Individual measure to strengthen the response capacity to manage migration flows in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, funded by the European Union and implemented by IOM in partnership with UNHCR, UNICEF, UNFPA and DRC.