Volunteers find joy and gratitude helping refugees in Croatia

Zagreb, 08 December 2015 – We spoke to some of our volunteers in Croatia during International Volunteer Day.

Back home, people ask me: ‘How is it there (in the transit centre)?’ I have no answer. Because there are no words which can describe holding hands with a mother who has spent the whole night looking for her child. There are no words to describe gratitude seen in the eyes of a mother whose six-month-old baby I held while she ate a piece of bread. – Zrinka Habjanovic

Volunteers from JRS South-East Europe have been working in the transit camp in Slavonski Brod since it started receiving refugees from Serbia in November. They distribute food and hygiene packs in coordination with other volunteers and try to help reunite families that have become separated.

I’ve seen sadness, tiredness, exhaustion, worry, confusion, hunger. Hunger not only for food, but for a warm word, support and understanding. Regardless of not knowing the same language, we all understand the language and the word of love.

What I’ve learnt from the people here is that you can be happy with only one bag in your hand. They don’t worry about what they will do, or if they are going to have something to eat, they only care about coming to a safe destination. – Martina Kikic

JRS volunteer Ana Grgic was among many volunteers invited to a special reception with the President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic in recognition of their work welcoming and helping refugees.

Volunteering at the refugee camp should have been an experience where I gave my time to serve others, but in the end I received more than I could have ever given.

The encounters lasted only a few minutes, but taught me a lot about human nature, togetherness, need and gratitude. They taught me more than any book ever could. – Ana Grgic

At an informal get-together of volunteers in Slavonski Brod JRS SEE director Tvrtko Barun said: "We want to thank to all of our volunteers for their hard work and dedication in helping people in need."

This last testimony attests to the shared humanity that is felt in the camp.

I spent three days in transit centre Slavonski Brod, also during the Friday when the attacks happened in Paris, where my family lives, my friends. Within the camp I was a witness to so much suffering and in the same time to humanity and compassion. I’m thankful to all volunteers and medical teams that I worked with. It is a reminder that all of us are humans. – Yasmine Atoui

Volunteering at the refugee camp should have been an experience where I gave my time to serve others, but in the end I received more than I could have ever given.