“By bringing in the clowns we hoped to help the children forget about the trauma of the war. There are no social activities, cultural centres or theatres in these communities,” says World Vision Zonal Manager Zeljko Blagojevic. The level of post-traumatic stress is high; even those children born after the end of the war often suffer from secondary trauma. The fighting devastated communities that were very close to the front line, and political tension still simmers.

To celebrate gifts of school supplies to children in Krivaja, World Vision Bosnia and Herzegovina brought professional clowns to local schools. Many of the school children are registered in World Vision’s sponsorship programme. Few other non-governmental organizations are working in these neglected areas, still scarred by the war of 1992-95. Photographs by Mackenzie Rollins and Zeljko Blagojevic. Text by Alma Tabakovic and Susan Cuthbert.