The programs in Stari Brod have been running smoothly with a big thanks to Maya, Vanja and Josipa. Each week they have been hosting students from Dom Vrbina (Vrbina House) and SOS village for paddling, ecology and boatbuilding. Vanja made blank paddles and students have been shaping and personalizing them. We did a basic refresh on the two 18 foot oak river boats čamac (cham-ats) and launched them at the beginning of the season. Already this year we have served more than 40 students. We are hoping to begin work on starting a shop this winter and are writing several grants with the help of Josipa for supplies and tools for the workshop. Fingers crossed that by next year we will be able to begin a new čamac in Stari Brod. Out on the Coast, I have been in the shop building spars and oars for Vinka our 24 foot historic sailing boat from 1937 and we also hosted a sailing club, but more on that later…
For now, here is an update from Vanja and Josipa in English and Croatian~
Ove godine na obali rijeke Kupe u selu Stari Brod, nedaleko Lekenika svake srijede može se čuti žamor djece. Zvuk je to koji remeti mir i tišnu ovog mjesta gdje se ponovno provodi projekt Jadranskog pomorskog instituta, a u kojem sudjeluju djeca iz SOS sela Lekenik i Dječjeg doma vrbina.
Ove godine djeca, njih između 10 i 15 kako koje srijede, uče vještine veslanja, brodogradnje i ekologije. Od kraja lipnja, kada je ovogodišnji projekt započeo djeca su zaista stekla mnoge nove vještine. Tako su obnovljena dva riječna čamca, koji su u sklopu istog projekta izgrađeni prethodnih godina, oba su i porinuta u vodu te služe za aktivno učenje veslanja. Uz učenje tehnika veslanja, koje neki samo usavršavaju jer su projektne aktivnosti pohađali i prošlih godina, djeca Sos sela Lekenik i doma Vrbina također sudjeluju i u uređenju pristupa rijeci te išćenju korita rijeke od šipražja, trave i algi.
Polaznici se svake srijede na samom početku okupe u krug te iznose svoje planove za taj dan, govore što bi voljeli raditi te kako se osjećaju. Nakon toga voditelji ih dijele u skupine. Dok se jedna ekipa brine o čamcima, drugi uče veslati, a treća ekipa provodi ekološki dio projekta. Radionice su podijeljene u tri dijela, te nakon svake pauze voditelji se zamjenjuju za svoje ekipe. Tako svi polaznici svake srijede sudjeluju u svim planiranim aktivnostima.
Do kraja ovogodišnjeg projekta ostalo je mjesec dana, jer je završetak planiran sa zadnjim danom kolovoza. Do tada, je u planu u potpunosti osposobiti prilaz rijeci, izvježbati veslanje do savršenstva te izraditi nova vesla.
Djeci, polaznicima projekta, možda najzanimljiviji dosadašnji dio projekta bio je održan predzanju rijedu u srpnju kada se petnaesteročlana ekipa (djeca, njihovi voditelji i voditelji aktivnosti) spustila čamcima nizvodno te na obali rijeke Kupe provela zanimljivo i aktivno poslijepodne uz logorsku vatru, pečene kobase, kukuruze i mnogo smijeha i veselja,
This year on the bank of the Kupa river in the village of Stari Brod, not far from Sisak, you can hear the murmur of children. It is the sound that disturbs the peace and quiet of this rural place, where the project of the Adriatic Maritime Institute is once again doing programs, and in which children from the SOS Village of Lekenik and the Children’s Home of Vrbina participate.
Every Wednesday, kids are learning the skills of rowing, boat building and ecology. Since the end of June, when this year’s project started, the children have really acquired many new skills. Thus, two river boats, which were built as part of the same project in previous years, were restored, both were launched into the water and are used for actively learning to row. In addition to learning rowing techniques, which some are only perfecting because they attended project activities in previous years, the children are also learning about life in the river, undergrowth, grass and algae.
At the beginning of every Wednesday, the participants gather in a circle and present their plans for that day, say what they would like to do and how they feel. After that, the leaders divide them into groups. While one team takes care of the boats, others learn to row, and the third team implements the ecological part of the project. The workshops are divided into three parts, and after each break the leaders switch their teams. Thus, all participants participate in all planned activities every Wednesday.
Here is what the boat looked like before the restoration.
There is one month left until the end of this year’s project, because completion is planned for the last day of August. Until then, the plan is to fully equip the approach to the river, practice rowing to perfection and make new paddles.
Ready for Launch
Here is a short video of the moment the boat met the Kupa
For the children, the participants of the project, perhaps the most interesting part of the project so far was held last week in July, when a fifteen-member team (children, their leaders and activity leaders) went downstream in boats and spent an interesting and active afternoon on the bank of the Kupa river with a campfire, grilled sausages, corn and lots of laughter and joy.
Bye!!! Till Next time!