Saturday, August 26, 2000
Eagle Base volunteers
chip in to help refugees
By Anthony Burgos
Bosnia bureau
EAGLE BASE, Bosnia and Herzegovina - When soldiers and airmen at Eagle Base recently swept through the base's exchange snatching up water, clothing and toiletries by the case, they weren't stockpiling for an upcoming disaster. They were buying the items to help a nearby refugee community.
A group of 40 soldiers and airmen organized by Maj. David Voelker, chaplain at the base near Tuzla, visited the Simin Han refugee center Thursday morning to pass out badly needed supplies to the 24 families residing there.
Finding volunteers willing to buy items for the families and visiting the camp is not a difficult task, Voelker said. "This is what Americans like to do. It's a great display of American generosity," he said.
As Humvees and buses rolled into the parking lot of the facility, children rushed outside screaming in anticipation. The troops that stepped off the vehicles were overwhelmed by more than 50 children wanting to shake their hands and get a close look at their uniforms and equipment.
Senior Airman Larry Six and Sgt. Mike Leffew had groups of small boys climbing on top of their vehicles, trying to don oversized helmets and body armor belonging to the airmen.
"I figured these kids would have stayed away from this stuff," Leffew said, referring to the military vehicles and uniforms. He said he wasn't expecting such a warm welcome, especially since he was in uniform and carrying a weapon.
"They are just curious. I guess kids are kids," Leffew said. "I just came to try to make them happy."
The volunteers quickly unloaded a bus full of clothing, toiletries, sporting goods and other items, including bottled water, one of the more desperately needed supplies.
The center's water supply has dried up because of a drought in many parts of the Tuzla district. There is no water left in the center's well and no water coming from the city. Water trucks make periodic visits, but only for a limited time.
Most of the residents of the center, 10 miles north of Eagle Base, are refugees from around Srebrenica. The families live in a dormitory setting, with each having its own living space, but sharing kitchens and bathrooms. Of 101 residents, 70 are children.
The center also has a kindergarten classroom, a handicrafts workroom equipped with a loom, and a beauty shop, all staffed by residents.
Rabija Begic, a center resident, said clothing donations help a lot because the families have a limited income and the funding the refugee center receives is insufficient.
Since the women are widows of soldiers, the government pays them 30 percent of what their husband's retirement would have been. The Tuzla District Logistical Center provides help in the form of school supplies and construction materials.
The Swiss Red Cross has been funding the center for years. But that funding has been drawn down severely and will cease in about two months.
Swiss Red Cross representative Mihela Dzindo said the Simin Han center is considered functional, and that there are other projects in Bosnia that need the organization's help.
Dzindo said the Simin Han residents have received psychological counseling to overcome the effects of the war. She said center residents have also received training in foreign languages, computer skills and handicrafts. "It's time for them to continue on their own," she said.
During the troops' visit, younger children at the camp held a recital during which they read poems, sang and performed traditional dances. Older children also took on the volunteers in a game of soccer.
While the visit put smiles on the children's faces, Voelker says it takes an emotional toll on some volunteers. Many have a hard time returning.
"[Simin Han] is made up of families who have lost fathers, husbands or brothers in the war. The things they have gone through. animals don't even do that to each other," Voelker said. "[Visiting the center] isn't something that everyone can do. Sometimes people only make one visit because it's tragic," he said.
Ivana Avramovic of the Bosnia bureau contributed to this report.
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