Anglia Ruskin University

Wednesday 19 June - Wednesday 3 July 2013

• 16 November: Application deadline
• 30 November: Notification of acceptance
• 4 December: 1st briefing meeting - Compulsory!

• History
• Mission Croatia now
• What will you take from the experience?
• Photos from previous trips

History

In 1991 the former communist state of Yugoslavia broke into rival factions, resulting in a brutal and tragic war across the Balkans. Croatia was part of that war and they fought for their right to be an independent state. The fighting was long and sometimes bloody, and eventually the United Nations brokered a peace plan and provided armed forces to try and keep that peace. The end of what the Croatian people call the War of Independence found Croatia in great need. The conflict had all but bankrupted the country and the damage to property and infrastructure was considerable. The collapse of the communist government which gave rise to the break-up of Yugoslavia meant that Croatia had not only to recover from war, but also take the reins of government after decades of central control.

Any conflict always leaves those in most need in even greater need. In Croatia, the plight of those people, marginalised by life, and now tossed by the tides of war and politics, was at times desperate. Aid convoys travelled from the UK to take basic supplies and goods to those in the greatest need. Through one of those organisations, Anglia Ruskin University, via the then Chaplain Ivor Moody, made contact with a small hospital in Krajaveca where 25 learning disabled clients had been housed during the conflict. The building was inadequate and the staff had no specialist training, but they strove to give the young people in their care the best they could.

Mission Croatia took on the challenge to try and help these people. That first year one mini-van full of students drove all the way to Croatia. Ably guided and managed by Graham Whicker, that first group set the pattern for our future. They helped to decorate the wards, they played with the clients and most of all, befriended them. They returned with stories of need, and of standards of care which left children in beds or cots for year upon year, and the realisation that in a post war country, struggling to rise from its knees, people with learning disabilities were not high on the political agenda.

From that one mini van, Mission Croatia grew and since then, for the last two weeks in June/ the beginning of July, we take about 40 people to Croatia each year.

We now work in three centres where people with learning disabilities live. We decorate their living areas or the offices of those who care for them. We help to keep the buildings in some sort of acceptable condition and generally try to improve the environment for staff and residents. It has been shown that when the environment is better, relationships and care standards improve.

Through the years we have seen huge changes, both nationally and locally. The country has become stable and quite prosperous in some areas, although the global credit crunch has had a visible impact over the last year or two. Croatia is no longer the post war environment we experienced in the early years.

Mission Croatia now

So why do we keep going back to Croatia? Over the years we have built close relationships borne out of need. Anglia students are able to experience another culture and learn the value and gift of volunteering, and the Croatian staff and clients receive the help and skills we have to offer. Mission Croatia is well respected in Croatia - that respect comes from our longevity and the on-going commitment to helping the people we work with. The fact that we go back year after year has given us credibility in the eyes of the Croatian people, and we value that beyond price.

Mission Croatia works with those who are on the margins of society and who may not always be high priority for their own government or people. Throughout the world people with learning disabilities fall into that category, and in Croatia, we are aware that if we do not decorate a ward or a room, pave an area or enable wheelchair access to the grounds, that work may well not be done. The credit crunch has cut money available for basic maintenance, as it impacts on a fledgling economy. The staff in the centres where we try to help are overworked, poorly resourced at times and sometimes lack specialist education. The relatively small tasks that we can complete in two weeks are always welcomed by both staff and residents and sometimes what we do will spur them to carry on what we have started, as they can clearly see the benefits. Many of the clients or residents have no family who keep contact, and over the years, we have become very special to them, and they to us.

So Mission Croatia is not about going into dire situations and making dramatic changes. It is about supporting those who society always finds it easier to place low on the list. It is about continuing the work which started 16 years ago to care for the buildings and grounds where those who are now our friends live.

Some of the centres seem quite well appointed, with clean wards and tidy grounds. But look beyond the facades and you will see damp walls, with peeling paint, or areas which are so drab that they can only depress those who must live and work there. You will see grounds which are wonderful, but not accessible by wheelchair users. There are living areas which are still in the institutional mode and are difficult for people to make their home. These are things Mission Croatia will tackle. If a coat of paint and some hard work can bring about a transformation or maintain an area then we will tackle it. If spending some time with a client can draw out a smile, then we can do that. Our time is free and freely given.

What will you take from the experience?

Mission Croatia is a transformational experience! That sounds rather grand, but it is the only way to sum up what Mission Croatia can do for you. You will have a chance to do something for someone else on a scale you may well not have experienced before.

This can widen your horizons, give you insights into yourself that you never believed possible and help you to become that 'rounded person' that University is supposed to develop. You will learn so much during the two weeks - some things about Croatia, some things about your colleagues on the trip, but most of all, lots about you. In addition, when you leave University and are part of the job market, having volunteering experience on your CV can really improve your employability. You will make friends who will stay with you for life, and you will know that you have done something worthwhile.

So if you decide to join Mission Croatia 2013, you will be taking on a great challenge. You will have to work hard, live as a community, share your life with others and be ready to go the extra mile for others. And you will never be the same again!

Photos from previous trips