As part of the Young Leaders Program organized by European Network for Independent Living (ENIL), I had the honor of doing an internship in the non-governmental organization "Lotos" Information Center in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This experience gave me a unique opportunity to see first-hand how people with disabilities and the Lotos professional team work with various accessible adaptations in their everyday environment.
What I especially valued was that we established quality communication with all participants, including Bojana, a Deaf colleague who works in finance, with whom we communicated through International Sign Language.
During the internship, which took place from 10–17 November, I visited a number of activities and organisations that contribute to the inclusion of persons with disabilities, including: a drumming workshop as part of music therapy, a club for persons with visual impairments where darts are regularly played, a meeting of the Working Group for Monitoring and Implementing the Gender Action Plan of the City of Tuzla 2024–2027, and a visit to the organisation “Leptir” in Srebrenica, where two Deaf persons work.
This internship has been an extremely enriching and valuable experience for me. I am impressed by the dedication of people in Bosnia and Herzegovina who, despite numerous challenges, continuously work to improve the position of persons with hearing impairments and other types of disabilities.
The internship is being implemented at Lotos as part of the ENIL Young Leaders Program, with the support of the organization Fight For Right. ENIL also provided financial support that enabled my participation, and Sandra – assistant support and sign language interpretation.
This experience remains an important lesson in solidarity, perseverance, and the importance of inclusion in every segment of society.