(9 Sep 1995) Serbo Croat/Eng/French
A women's group in Bosnia has launched a major scheme to ease the suffering of the children who've lost their fathers in the war.
In Bihac, a town that was under siege for forty months, they're registering the first batch of children in the hope of finding 'godfathers' or sponsors for them.
BISER, a group of women based in Zagreb trying to bring some relief to women and children who have lost a parent in the war.
Hundreds children and mothers queued for hours to take part in the registration.
SOUNDBITE:" Today we are here in Bihac and we are registering orphan children to search for godfathers for these children".
SUPER CAPTION: Aida Daidzic, Biser
The group plans to find a sponsor or godfather for each child, because the Bosnian economy is unable to cope with the burden.
SOUNDBITE:"(inaudible) people to get involved in this issue because there are very many orphaned children in Bosnia-Herzegovina. For instance, in Srebrenica there are ten thousand orphaned children that came to Tuzla. In the area around Bihac there are more than one thousand, and it is a big issue that the Bosnian government or economy that they will not be able to support those people. So we think that the people around Europe, good people, could actually help these people to grow up, to have food, to be healthy and so on."
SUPER CAPTION: Aida Daidzic, Biser
After obtaining the details of the child, including their hobbies, the sponsor forms, along with a photo, are sent to groups across Europe and America who will advertise for godfathers for the children.
Enes Mujagic who is eleven, lost his father three years ago.
SOUNDBITE:
Q: "What was the name of your father?"
Enes: "Sahib"
Q: "And he's dead?"
Enes: "Yes"
SUPER CAPTION: Enes Mujagic
Romana Alagic is also eleven and is one of the children involved in the project.
SOUNDBITE:
"My Dad was killed in the city, I didn't know until a woman told me - it was on the 15th of July this year."
SUPER CAPTION: Romana Alagic
She's hoping to get an English godfather who will help her to finish her education.
SOUNDBITE: "Because we think that it is very important for the children in Bosnia that feel kind of abandoned, that there is someone in the world that is caring for them."
SUPER CAPTION: AidA Daidzic, Biser
Biser hopes that by finding the children godfathers they will have some hopes for the future following more than three years of trauma.
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