At the end of September, the Small Family Home in Ledići welcomed a group of residents from the Pazarić Institution for the first time. It was a special day filled with reunions, conversation, homemade food and emotions – a day when old friendships were renewed and new ones were born.

The guests were welcomed in Ledići by members of the Association for Persons with Special Needs of the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton, who were staying at our Small Family Home at the time.

The idea for this gathering was initiated by Belma Mujezinović, Director of Foundation Second, and organised in coordination with Emira Hodžić, President of the Association.

It was particularly important to us that the residents of the Pazarić Institution who originally come from this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina had the opportunity to visit Ledići. Some of them had previously been members of the Association, which made this gathering much more than just a day trip.

It was a reunion with familiar people, their home region and cherished memories.

From Guests to Hosts

The members of the Association for Persons with Special Needs of the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton Goražde, who were themselves our guests during a multi-day stay in Ledići, took on the role of hosts that day.

They prepared a generous lunch for their guests, putting great care and effort into making them feel truly welcome.

The table was filled with grilled food, homemade bean stew, meat with home-grown potatoes and other dishes prepared through the joint efforts of the Association's members. Over lunch, conversation and time spent together, the atmosphere quickly became exactly what we love most about Ledići – relaxed, warm, family-like and informal.

After lunch, the guests explored the property and visited our garden. They were especially delighted by the courgettes that were still growing in Ledići. They picked several themselves and took them back to Pazarić.

And so, a small part of our garden went home with them.

Old Acquaintances and New Friendships

The most valuable part of the day, however, was neither the lunch nor what was harvested from the garden.

It was the people.

For some, this was an opportunity to see people they had known in the past. For others, it marked the beginning of new friendships. There were many conversations, memories and emotional moments, particularly because some of the residents of the Pazarić Institution originally come from the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton and carry their own personal histories and connections to this region.

The gathering showed how little it sometimes takes to reconnect people – a place where they are welcome, a shared table and someone willing to take the first step and bring them together.

This is exactly what we want the Small Family Home in Ledići to be.

A place that serves not only as a home away from home for children without parental care and other vulnerable groups, but also as a space for meeting, reconnecting and creating memories for people who often have too few opportunities for experiences like these.

The first gathering between residents of the Pazarić Institution and members of the Association for Persons with Special Needs of the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton Goražde in Ledići ended with hugs and a promise that this would not be their last meeting.

Because some friendships began that day, while others simply continued from where they had once left off.

Support Our Work

Your support helps us keep the Small Family Home in Ledići a place for connection, rest, friendship and new experiences for children and adults from vulnerable groups.

📞 By calling our humanitarian number 17077, you can donate 2 KM to support the activities of Foundation Second.