Volunteer Abroad in Croatia

East of Italy, across the Adriatic Sea, Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast attracts European tourists for its pristine waters, rich culture, and medieval architecture. But the coastline is not representative of the economic hardship and social problems this Balkan nation struggles with, 18 years after a peace agreement put an end to a series of violent conflicts in the region.

Schoolchildren walk past St. Donatus Church, in the coastal city of Zadar. The church is the largest pre-Roman structure in Croatia. Photo By Jenny Montgomery

In 1995, the Dayton Accords peace agreement between leaders of Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina ended several years of bloody battle, but by then, more than 100,000 people had died and millions had fled. Today, nonprofits in Croatia are trying to heal the psychosocial wounds that come from living in a post-war environment — and they need help. Volunteers in Croatia help people rebuild their lives and a country put a difficult past behind it.

Childhood in a Post-War Society

The Suncokret Center for Community Development, in Gvozd, about 25 miles south of Croatia's capital city, Zagreb, is working to create opportunities for area children. This remote town lost about half its population in the 1990s as residents fled the region, and many of its buildings were reduced to rubble. The area is mostly agricultural, with few activities for children, so volunteers at The Suncokret Center are coming up with ways to give kids fun and creative outlets.

The center welcomes international volunteers and students with an interest in supervising and organizing activities for kids, such as crafts, music, and sports. Suncokret’s leaders hope that giving kids opportunities for personal growth will help them develop good citizenship skills. International Student Volunteers on GoAbroad offers a variety of programs for working with orphans and community development. 

Work on a Croatian Farm

Inland Croatia is known for its rolling hills, forests, and agricultural valleys. Unlike many of the massive, industrialized farms you’ll see along U.S. highways, Croatian farms, vineyards, and orchards are modest, family-run operations. In some rural areas, old stone barns and outbuildings show scars from shelling and machine-gun fire. But the people have adapted to their post-war surroundings, reviving agricultural efforts that were disrupted in the 1990s.

Volunteers and students with a genuine interest in learning about sustainable, organic farming can find opportunities to help at Croatian farms. The international organization World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) curates a list of available opportunities by country, and while Croatia doesn’t have a national branch of the WWOOF, independent farmers post notices about what help they need. Proprietors may make some money off their goods, but not much, so they can’t hire people to help them. Instead, they rely on volunteers to help with weeding, harvesting, baking bread, and any number of associated tasks.

While volunteering on a farm is a great way to learn about life in rural Croatia and sustainable agriculture, know that it isn’t a vacation. You’ll be working hard and getting your hands dirty. Volunteers need to communicate with farm owners and hosts so both parties fully understand each other’s expectations.