On 14th August 2006 in the midst of the airport chaos in the UK, I travelled from Heathrow Airport to Bosnia & Herzegovina to work with Phoenix-Aid, a charity which was started two years ago working with those who have incurred injuries/trauma and are still suffering even though the Bosnian war ended in 1995. Many are left in poverty as there breadwinners were killed or injured during the war.

Two people, Sarah Greenwood and Karen Tinker, decided they needed to help as they were alternative and complementary therapists and had both been to Bosnia before through a charity giving treatments to those suffering from war injuries and trauma. They realised that there was a need for qualified therapist in Bosnia full-time, as the treatments given by the charities only reached a small percentage of those needing them, and for a limited time each year.

Sarah founded a new charity, Phoenix-Aid (UK Registered charity No 1103938), with the full intent of training Bosnian nationals in order that they would be able to treat their own people all the year round. To date the charity has run several courses in Massage, Indian Head Massage, Reflexology and Aromatherapy, worked with some homes for physically and mentally 'challenged' people of all ages and giving free treatments to Bosnians when they can. They and their students are in the middle of setting up regular visits to these homes to give a variety of treatments as well as setting up a therapy centre in the town of Ilidza which is about 5Km outside Sarajevo.

My decision to go to Bosnia was to teach the form of Healing that I know has worked with so many people across the world, Quantum Touch®; I know that its simple techniques could be given to these people so they can use it to help the people of Bosnia. I went for four days, my first two days was a Workshop with 15 students, it was amazing how they physically changed after the first day, I saw light in their eyes and happiness in their bodies, a number of them even said that their families had not seen them with such a big smile on their faces or being so happy for many a year. By the end of the workshop (photo above) the students were full of enthusiasm and just wanted to use their newly found techniques on family, friends and other Bosnians.

On my third day I visited a centre for the Protection of Children and Young People with Physical and Mental problems in Zovik. This visit moved me in many ways, because I saw with my own eyes the cramped situation the centre has to work in and the complete dedication and love the very small staff has for everyone in the Home. I worked on four young men (two shown here), who were very crippled and mentally disturbed, but I had great satisfaction that they were responding to my touch and their smiles and contented groans were good enough to know that Quantum Touch® was working within them.  

I have been asked to return for longer next time and I have agreed to do this, so my return to Bosnia has been planned for February 2007 when I intend to run a second workshop for some of my original group and others, as well as for the nurses and staff of the Centres for the Children. I will also have more time to treat more people at the therapy centre as well as at the children's homes.