And So It Goes…

I’m writing this in my room, hiding out with my wet hair, SHHHH don’t tell my host mom who would literally immediately freak out and give me a lecture about my impending sickness. It has been awhile since I updated my lovely support system who actively is following this blog.

Recently I was able to travel outside of Sarajevo (the capital) to Travnik a small town about two hours away. The point of the trip was to have a conversation with students involved in a program called Access. The Access program was created because the Bosnian government created legislation where some public schools are separated by ethnicity, but placed under the same roof- two schools under one roof. The Croatian population of BiH is predominantly Catholic. The Bosniak population is predominantly Muslim. This legislation means that all over Bosnia and Herzegovina there are physically two schools under the same roof. They have separate entrances (at the school we visited you can’t access the other part of the school once inside), separate education curriculums, and teach in technically different languages (croatian vs. bosnian vs. serbian etc.). The Access Program was created and is implemented all over the country sponsored by different organizations. In Travnik American Councils (my implementing organization) runs the Access Program. The Access Program brings students from both parts of the schools (so basically it brings Catholics and Muslims) together to learn English. They talk about breaking down stereotypes and building bridges between “different” people. We were honored to present our thoughts on BiH while the students of the Access program told us their impressions of the US. We then discussed our ideas and together broke down more stereotypes. After our discussion we took a walk to see a beautiful view and then, true to Bosnian culture, we got coffee.

The blue building is the “Catholic” school and the grey building is the “Muslim” school. Two schools one roof.

Yes Abroad students at the views the Access students took us to see.

It was interesting for me to witness this extreme difference in the education system. This school set up is such a norm here, but the idea of intentional separation is so foreign to my values. There is a saying that the YES Abroad program equipped us with at our Pre-Departure Orientation: “It is not good. It is not bad. It is just different”.  The Access Program teaches tolerance and coexistence, this give me hope. I couldn’t help but be reminded of the legislation in the US during the Civil Rights Movement- Separate but Equal. How different worlds can be yet so similar. Issues of injustice certainly are everywhere.

This relates to the next thing I want to talk about which is something I have been avoiding but do find important: our next President. When I found out, I wept along with millions of other Americans.My host mother watched as I cried while drinking tea before making my trolley ride to school. My fellow Americans comforted each other while discussing the implications of this election. Our classmates understood that this elections would affect their lives as well. Ever since I arrived in Bosnia my classmates have been telling how horrible, corrupt, and dysfunctional the Bosnian government is. During math one of our classmates came up to the Americans and said “your government is now worse than ours”. This struck me. Two weeks later I was in a cafe with my 12-year-old host cousin Nedim. He brought up the election, I was reluctant to talk about it. I knew it was an international issue, but I was becoming annoyed with everyone wanting to give me their opinions about America and our current problems, however, I didn’t stop the conversation with Nedim. We both talked about how horrible it will be for the environment, healthy care, etc (he is 12! These global children are so aware). He then said “well I guess I won’t get to go to America, or I better go now” referring to his fear Trump won’t let Muslims into the United States. I tried to reassure him by saying that the US government is made up of many checks and balances, that Trump doesn’t hold that power. I didn’t convince myself or him. Today I asked my host dad if he is working tomorrow (he is a construction worker). My host mom makes a comment about it being too cold. My host dad says he should come to my city and work. My host mom replies no Trump doesn’t like Muslim people. I sit. This woman who sometimes prays with a baby blanket over her head to cover her hair when the call to prayer sneaks up on her has never left this country, yet knows that there are people who would hate just because she does pray (even with a baby blanket on her head). Fear is often unrealistic. Many people on my program have voiced saying them or their parents are worried they won’t be allowed back into their home country after Trump is elected because he will see they lived in significant Muslim country.It isn’t realistic and neither is fear.  

This network of international-bridge-builders has given me strength to understand that what I am doing here is increasingly important. A wise woman once told me, “even as your heart breaks, smile and laugh”. Here my heart breaks for various reasons, I still laugh and I still smile. Sometimes I laugh at my miscommunication due to my awful Bosnian. Sometimes I laugh at the people running to catch the trolley as it drives away because I empathize so much! Sometimes I laugh after tears. But I laugh.