The road to Sarajevo
The journey to Sarajevo had been long – three flights and hours of sitting around in airports, a small price to pay for the rewarding work I had ahead of me.
In the main I helped relieve headaches from insomnia and nightmares; improved joint movement and muscle tone to improve mobility and relieve pain and gave exercises to clients so they could continue with their own rehabilitation after my return home. I knew I wouldn’t be able to use EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) for post traumatic stress syndrome as the language was a barrier. Fortunately the charity – Healing Hands Network – has sent a group of three EFT tutors to work with interpreters to train Bosnian people to a practitioner standard. They should then be able to treat their own people.
I was so humbled to help people whose souls had been ripped from them. Some had lost limbs; many still had shrapnel embedded in their bodies; they may have been raped, tortured or watched helplessly as family (including children) and friends were killed. Despite all this, they have remained brave, dignified and graceful.
The Bosnians’ appreciation was not lost in translation as they took a firm hold of our hands to say thank you. We were inundated with home baked food and home grown fruit.
The days were intense but the evenings came as light relief in the vibrant city of Sarajevo, with delectable coffee houses and restaurants; wonderful shops full of hand crafted wares and curios. Sadly, reminders of war were still present, with walls bespattered with bullet holes. The burned out or bombed buildings were more prevalent in the outskirts and countryside on our way to the outreach destinations. The Bosnians’ economy still remains in disarray because of the war but the people are determined to build on what they have.
If anyone would like to make a donation to the charity to support my future visits, please go to www.mycharitypage.com and click on getinsyncwithhazel.
To find out more about the charity view www.healinghandsnetwork.org.uk
I am now registered to treat our own servicemen and women in this country, suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. Thank you to everyone who has helped me get to Sarajevo, including business people in Ashington and Morpeth, friends, family, and local businesses Peter Stewart skip hire, Willie Gibson, Electrical Contractor and Nicolle Kirk, manager of the Granary Leisure Complex.
Hazel Small
