Practical Training Experience Report Bosnia

by Prince Agyemang-Badu

My name is Prince Agyemang-Badu and I had 6-month practical training with Adventist Development Relief and Agency in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 01.10.2020 to 31.03.2021. The program was fully sponsored by Erasmus.

Before the practical training, I duly conducted a considerable investment of research, reflections, and consultations on the impacts of the training and the situation on the grounds. Influences relating to my future carrier perspectives, development of my interests, the connection between the training institution and my studies, my financial capabilities or sponsorships, language, security, corona situation, and other factors contributed to choosing the training body and the country.

Adventist Development Relief and Agency (ADRA) is a global Faith-Based Organization founded and sponsored by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. ADRA seeks to deliver relief and development by structuring relevant programs and building capacity for sustainable change to millions of lives in about 118 countries across the globe. ADRA practices decentralization and operates by partnering with local communities, organizations, and various governments; the approach allows effective and quick response on the ground. Among the numerous offices across the globe is ADRA Bosnia. ADRA Bosnia (BIH) believes and works towards “Pravda, Suosjećanje i Ljubav” which means Justice, Love, and Compassion for all humanities regardless of their gender, ethnicity, political affiliation, or religious associations. ADRA BiH operates in two main offices in the country, the Sarajevo and the Banja Luka offices. ADRA BiH has structured, organized, and implemented numerous projects through the years, mainly in Sarajevo and Banja Luka.

I worked with the office in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.  Sarajevo has become a transit point on the western Balkans route. Unregulated migrants use Sarajevo as a rest stop in their journey to regroup, refill their energy, sort for adequate resources being money, friends, and smugglers to continue their journey. With the numbers of unregulated migrants increasing in Sarajevo, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the European Union, through International Organization for migration, have created a temporal rest stop for migrants known as the Blažuj temporal acceptance camp. At this camp, ADRA BiH has established a center to train, psych, and educate the migrants. The primary language used during the traineeship was English, but Bosnia and German were used as second language in some cases.

I was assigned many tasks at the migration-center which included the following

• Served as a project assistant at the center. I was in charge in the absence of the Program coordinator.
• Organized and taught German as a Foreign Language.
• Facilitated and trained migrants with computer skills (Microsoft applications).
• Represented the organization during the International Organizational of Migration (IOM) usual meetings.
• Provided First Aid Training for the migrants.
• Assisted the Facilitator in psychosocial support activities.
• Wrote evaluations and reports relating to the Migrant center project.
• Assisted in general activities at the center.

The Erasmus-sponsored 6-month practical training with ADRA Bosnia is one of the best things that has happened to me in my academic career. I was fortunate to have an outstanding team leader and teammates during the training. The team and my supervisor made all efforts in their power to make the training as interesting, smooth, extensive, and successful for me. If I have the opportunity, I will work with the organisation again.

The application process with Erasmus was quick, smooth, and less tedious due to the assistance from Friedensau. I worked at a migrant camp, where I got to know the true stories behind the motivation of the movement of unregulated migrant to the European countries even during a world crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic. I am more interested in that, and it has motivated me to write my masters’ thesis on the topic. One of the greatest opportunities every student could get is to have an opportunity to travel with the sponsorship of the Erasmus program. You will realise that there is life and cultures beyond your home countries and even at your sending institution. You will have the opportunity to build networks that will help you in your academic and future job-seeking endeavours. Experiencing what you have been taught in the classroom on the grounds is the best feeling ever every student could imagine. But before you sign up, make sure to read about the countries, especially their cultures and visa applications. Do not miss such an excellent opportunity to explore!

Thanks to the training, I believe my chances of getting a new or better job have increased. I have a clearer idea about my professional career aspirations and goals. Also, I am more capable of taking on tasks with high responsibility. Finally, after the traineeship, I would like to work in an international context.