Emina Bektic
As a Bosnian, Emina connected particularly well with the young Bosnian orphans and children of her cohort. Sharing stories of grief and hardship yet hopeful aspirations, Emina planted seeds of hope for a better future for all the youth of Bosnia. Read more about Emina’s experience abroad in Bosnia
Please share any memorable/impactful stories from your time in the Inspire program!
If I could pick one memorable story, I would share the moment at the school with the children in Bosnia after Dhuhr prayer. Three young girls came up to me crying, and I asked them what was wrong. The girls replied, “We don’t know, we each started talking about our lives and ended up crying for each other.”
As I am Bosnian, I was able to engage in heartfelt discussions with the children without any language barriers. As I talked with these girls, they poured their hearts out to me, and my heart broke for them. These girls, no older than 12 years old, shared their stories of grief and hardship.
These children have faced so much trauma and pain, yet they bear it and continue to push forward. They prioritize their family and those around them and continuously make others comfortable at the cost of their own discomfort. The children of Bosnia are forever in my heart, and I can’t wait to be reunited with them.
How has your perspective on life and the world changed as a result of your volunteer abroad experience? Can you identify any specific moments or interactions that had a profound impact on your outlook?
A huge learning I gained from my time in Bosnia is to be present in the moment. I realized how nothing in this life matters regarding the future or the past. We become so engulfed by it that we forget to live in the present.
I witnessed these children, orphans, and families who live their entire lives by being in the present because they do not have the opportunity or privilege to mourn the past or worry about the future. They simply live their life in the now, and by doing so, they appreciate the little that they have.
They don't take even the happiness they have to be breathing for granted. But I do, we do. And I’m so grateful for this trip because I truly took that in. I’m not guaranteed another year, I’m not even guaranteed a tomorrow. I need to be in the now and thank Allah for all that I have because it can be gone in a second.
If you had to describe the Inspire program in a few words or sentences, what would you say?
I would say it’s an opportunity to find comfort in the uncomfortable and become the best version of yourself that you can possibly be.
In what ways do you feel you've grown as an individual during your time abroad? Are there new skills, qualities, or insights you've developed that you didn't possess before?
I genuinely came back from this trip as a different and better person. I went on the trip nervous because I was doing something outside my comfort zone, but I am so happy I went.
I learned so much about myself and the world around me. I developed a sense of self-awareness, global awareness, gratefulness, and a deeper sense of spiritual healing.