During October, our Small Family Home in Ledići welcomed seven children from the Kovačići Small Family Home, which operates as part of the Sarajevo Home for Children without Parental Care. Three educators accompanied the children to Ledići, where they stayed for three days.

The Small Family Home in Ledići is run jointly by Foundation Second and the Sarajevo Home for Children without Parental Care, with whom we have been working for years to provide children with additional opportunities for rest, socialising, time in nature and experiences outside their everyday environment.

This October, that cooperation brought us another beautiful story – a story about children, nature and the special bond that developed between our young guests and the cats of Ledići.

Among the children were two girls with developmental disabilities. The girls do not speak, but they understand people and the world around them very well. And in Ledići, we were reminded that words are not always necessary for some of the most beautiful forms of communication.

It was these two girls who formed an especially close bond with our cats.

First, we learned how to love gently

On the first day of their stay, the educators devoted a great deal of attention to teaching the children how to approach the cats properly, how to touch and pet them gently, when to let them walk away, and how to recognise when an animal needs some space.

For the children, it was a small lesson in responsibility, patience and consideration for another living being.

At first, they needed reminders and guidance. The children were excited and wanted to pick up the cats, pet them and play with them. But they quickly learned that a cat is not a toy and that animals have boundaries too.

By the end of their stay, almost all of the children were able to play with the cats independently, carefully and gently, without the concern that they might accidentally hurt them.

And the cats returned their trust.

A special bond that needs no words

What touched us most was the bond that developed between the two girls with developmental disabilities and the cats that live around our home.

They may not be able to express in words how they feel, but their reactions to the cats said more than enough.

They followed them with their eyes, approached them, touched them and spent long periods of time beside them. In those moments, it did not matter who could speak and who could not. There was touch, eye contact, closeness and a sense of security.

For children, contact with animals can be much more than simply having fun. Caring for an animal encourages gentleness and empathy, teaching a child to observe the reactions of another living being and adapt their own behaviour accordingly. For children for whom verbal communication is difficult or not possible, an animal can become an especially valuable partner in non-verbal communication – without questions, demands or expectations.

The educators who know the children best noticed this too.

As they watched the girls with the cats, they spoke about how much they seemed to enjoy the interaction and how relaxed and engaged they were when the animals were nearby. For the educators, this stay was another confirmation of how meaningful an environment like this can be for the children they care for every day.

Days spent outdoors

There was not much sitting indoors during those days in Ledići.

The children spent almost their entire days outside – running, playing, spending time with the cats and exploring the area around the house. We also walked through the village, enjoyed the fresh mountain air and appreciated the simple things for which there is often too little space in the rhythm of everyday city life.

No special programme was needed to fill the day.

A garden, games, a walk, a few cats weaving around their feet, a meal together and a sense of freedom were more than enough.

While the children explored every corner of the garden, their three educators found their own favourite place – our Barakah Corner.

Once again, the gazebo showed us exactly why we wanted to create a space where not only the children, but also the people who care for them every day, could rest and enjoy some time away from their usual routine.

The final day of their stay was spent there, with a barbecue, a meal together and the slightly bittersweet countdown to the time when they would have to return to Sarajevo.

"When can we come again?"

Their time in Ledići passed quickly.

Especially when days are measured not in hours, but in walks, games, laughter and the number of cats that came looking for their share of cuddles.

By the end of the stay, the children and their educators shared the same wish – to come back again.

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

Not simply a house where children can spend a few nights, but a place they look forward to visiting and remember after returning home. A place where a child can run across the grass, walk through the village, meet animals and learn how to care for them.

And our cats, who once needed someone's help themselves, have a very special place in that story.

When we began caring for them, we never imagined that one day they would help us offer children something that is difficult to plan or buy – spontaneous connection, trust, gentleness and communication that does not always need words.

For the two girls who stayed in Ledići this October, the cats became one of the most meaningful parts of that experience.

So we will be waiting for them to return.

The children.

Their educators.

And we are certain that, as soon as they step into the garden again, their little four-legged friends will be waiting for them too.