Healing Hands Network


    

Overseas Project - Sarajevo, Bosnia

    HHN's therapies have helped me physically and psychologically, I can only say that I am reborn. Thank you HHN.

    Bosnian Client treated by HHN

         To see suffering people visibly restored over time is a wonderful feeling, and confirms the value of HHN's work here.

    R.T, HHN Volunteer

         These wonderful therapists thrill me with their desire to come and spend two weeks in Sarajevo and help someone they have never met before.

    Nadija Pinjo, Co-ordinator HHN Sarajevo

         It was a beautiful, touching, rewarding and hugely profound experience. One I will never forget and one I am extremely grateful to have been able to have experienced.

    A.R, HHN Volunteer
Dedicated to the relief of suffering from the mental, physical and emotional after-effects of war. Treating people overseas and in the UK forces

Video produced for Healing Hands Network by: www.radarfilm.co.uk





Ukraine
We are supporting Ukraine by delivering vehicles including Ambulances and SUV’s, along with humanitarian, medical and surgical aid. This is distributed across all of Ukraine by our trusted partners StaySafeua which is a Ukrainian NGO of volunteers. Our vehicles are used for evacuation, transporting injured and elderly, delivering urgently needed supplies to the recently liberated areas and those affected by the destruction and bombing.

Bosnia
To date close to 100,000 free therapy treatment sessions have been given to our clients in Sarajevo and surrounding areas, both in our clinic and 6 outreach venues. Approximately 35 therapists a year travel across for 2 weeks to volunteer their skills. We intend to build on these next year to empower our clients to help themselves, families and friends. We also ran several share groups combining all techniques that we have taught them, including Emotional Freedom Technique and Heart Focused Breathing and gentle exercise. Our clients in Sarajevo come to us from associations that operate for different support groups, such as Concentration Camp Union, Women Victims of War, Mothers of Srebrenica and Civil War Victims. Each season the Presidents of these associations select their most needy members to send to us for our therapies, which we offer over a 6 month period between May and October each year. We offer mainstream therapies such as massage, aromatherapy, reiki, cranio-sacral, reflexology and Indian head massage amongst others. Each therapist does a 2 week tour of duty during our season.

Why?
The siege of Sarajevo lasted for 1,425 days between 1992 and 1995. The city's 500,000 inhabitants were trapped without food, power, communications or healthcare. Thousands of grenades fell on this once beautiful city every day, destroying some of its most important buildings. By the end of the war 12,500 people had been killed and 61,000 wounded. 1,601 of the dead and 14,946 of the wounded were children.
Concentration camps sprung up in the surrounding areas and Cantons and many men, women and girls were brutally raped, some repeatedly.
Our charity has been working in Sarajevo since 1996 to help and give hope to the people who lived through that terrible time.
 
Who?
Our members are qualified and experienced therapists offering a range of treatments including massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, reiki, cranio-sacral therapy, shiatsu and other mainstream complementary therapies. They are all volunteers and raise the funds needed for their trip -  currently £900.
Our clients come from the Association of Concentration Camp Victims, the Association of Civil War Victims, Mothers of Srebrenica, Concentration Camp Union and the Centre for Torture Victims. We treat everyone who comes, regardless of race, colour or creed, and although we listen to what they have to, say we are careful not to take sides in a situation which has set neighbour against neighbour.
We began working with Women Victims of War in 2015 and have had amazing results.
We have been approached by many other towns/cities in Bosnia who want out help after seeing the results we achieve in Sarajevo.
 
What?
Holistic approaches to healing are accepted unconditionally in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and as a result of this the therapeutic benefits we are able to achieve are sometimes greatly accentuated.  Many clients say how much better they are feeling. Sometimes they are sleeping better or perhaps their continual aches and pains are relieved and they have a better quality of life. Other clients report an increase in optimism and hope, and a wealth of other positive effects. For some it is simply an hour for them to reflect and have some peace as they are looking after a widowed mother who is also suffering.


How can you help?

Healing Hands Network pioneered its unique and exciting work in Sarajevo, and we have stayed there because the need is still so great.  We are still having new people come forward for help after all this time, 65 new clients in 2018, having had no intervention before. But we hope in time to work in other parts of the world when it becomes safe to do so. We are beginning to deliver self-help training to enable people to help themselves for the 6 months of the year we are not there.

We also work at home in the UK with veteran and returning servicemen and women who may be suffering from PTSD, and their families. 
To achieve our aim, we need help – more members and more money.  If you can help in any way – by volunteering or by giving us your financial support or help with fundraising and publicity – please get in touch.

 

Support Us:

You can support the work we do overseas or with the UK Forces as a charity, whether you are a therapist or not.
Click Here to find out how

Dedicated to the relief of suffering from the mental, physical and emotional after-effects of war. Treating people overseas and in the UK forces