Scientology Bosnia Disaster Response Helping Villages Rebuild
Thousands of homes, destroyed by recent floods, are earmarked for demolition. Scientology Volunteer Ministers invite others to join them in their work to help villagers salvage raw materials so they can rebuild their homes.
Stashko lives on a farm that survived a serious fire during the 1990s Bosnian War, only to succumb in time of peace some 20 years later. He lives in the region hardest hit by the May 2014 floods, where authorities estimate some 50-70 percent of the homes are damaged beyond repair and must be demolished.
The devastating floods that hit Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia were the worst in more than a century. Some three months’ worth of rain fell in a matter of days. In Bosnia alone, 40,000 people were evacuated. Bosnia’s foreign minister said the destruction was comparable to that in the 1992-95 war that still scars the country.
Stashko is a first responder and member of the local Red Cross. In the weeks following the catastrophe, with so many in desperate need of help, he had little time to think about himself or his problems. But his own home was condemned and slated for demolition. The prospect of salvaging what was left by himself was daunting. Learning of Stashko’s plight, the Scientology Disaster Response Team offered their help. When these volunteers first arrived in Bosnia to provide disaster relief, they knew little about construction. But with so many families needing help, that quickly changed. Armed with crowbars and mallets and their own determination, they have been helping tear apart damaged homes, salvaging wood and metal beams, roof tiles, copper pipe, wire, and anything that can be reused. They put these skills to use to help Stashko take apart his home piece by piece, saving and storing everything he can use to build a new home.
More volunteers are needed to help the Balkans recover. If you are interested in helping the ongoing effort, contact the International Disaster Response Officer at (323) 960-1949 or email disasterresponse@volunteerministers.org.
The Volunteer Ministers program was created for use by Scientologists and non-Scientologists alike. Any individual of any religion, culture or creed may train as a Volunteer Minister and use these tools to help their families and communities. Training is available free of charge through the Scientology Volunteer Ministers website to anyone who wishes to help others.
Equipped with effective technology to resolve virtually any difficulty, Volunteer Ministers live by the credo: “No matter the problem, something can be done about it.”
The Church of Scientology has published a new brochure, Scientology How We Help: Scientology Volunteer Ministers—Something Can be Done About It, to meet requests for more information about the program. To learn more or read a copy of the brochure, visit www.scientology.org.
In creating the Volunteer Ministers program, L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “If one does not like the crime, cruelty, injustice and violence of this society, he can do something about it. He can become a Volunteer Minister and help civilize it, bring it conscience and kindness and love and freedom from travail by instilling into it trust, decency, honesty and tolerance.”