From October 2024 to June 2025, an informal group from Bijeljina successfully carried out the mentoring program “Older Brother, Older Sister”, providing at-risk children with what they need most — individual attention, friendship, and emotional support.

Eight dedicated volunteers — students and young professionals — completed training through six modules and built strong connections with the children, supported continuously by the program coordinator and a professional associate. Through 182 individual meetings and 12 group activities, the children experienced for the first time moments such as ice skating, picnics, visits to playrooms, and sign language workshops.

The program became a space for personal growth for both the volunteers and the children. The children developed self-confidence, emotional closeness, and new skills, while the volunteers learned to listen, set boundaries, and be present — as mentors, but also as role models.

Thanks to the Center for Social Work in Bijeljina, which provided facilities and resources, and the campaign “Run for a Child’s Smile”, the program also gained visibility through posts, video clips, and a memory album — all while strictly respecting the child protection policy.

This project demonstrates that the greatest changes come from small steps: attention, patience, and shared time. Thanks to all the volunteers who, through their presence, changed childhoods — and their own lives.

The project was implemented with the support of the La Terra Nostra Foundation, which recognized the importance of this approach and made it possible for mentoring work to grow within the local community while fully respecting children’s needs and identities.