Participants’ Impressions from the mental health support groups

Latest News Participants’ Impressions from the mental health support groups Biljana StefanovskaAs a participant in the support group for parents of children with disabilities at the beginning we talked about the problems we face in our daily lives, something that was a familiar story to all of us, but over time it turned into mutual support and we started to we help each other, together fighting the barriers of the system in which we live. Seeing the group made up only of mothers of children with disabilities who are fighting for the welfare of the children my desire in the future together with the help of other participants and collaborators to encourage the fathers of these children to participate in such support groups is with the aim together to overcome the barriers and stereotypes surrounding the adaptation and acceptance of our children in the place where we live and to feel that this struggle is shared. Biljana StojanovskaAt the very beginning of the support groups, I had one thought going through my head, and that was that these would be like any other project we have been involved in, for the sake of order to go through the process or to have some background. However, over time I was very positively surprised by how we were accepted, allowing us to share our problems, and for which we received specific directions to find the root of that problem if we could, or to learn to solve it with appropriate techniques, master or reduce the difficulty of our problem. The group, the members, the collaborators made us feel special as individuals, and not only as parents of children with special needs. In the future, I would like to involve the whole family in this project, i.e. the fathers, as well as the brothers and sisters of the children with special needs, and together we can overcome the problems that occupy us every day. Jasmina GelevskaThis year, for the first time, I joined a support group for parents who have children with disabilities. It was a wonderful experience from which we became more positive people, we received a lot of support, advice, and courage and realized that we are worth more and worth fighting for. All participants have become like one family and our association will continue in the future. We have created a strong bond with the help of the professionals and we are grateful to them for that. I invite all people who are facing this kind of problem not to hesitate and get involved in such groups because together it is easier and we can do anything. My motto: We have no choice to choose, we must fight for ourselves and our loved ones. Bojana ArtinovskaI didn’t know what to expect, it’s my first experience with psychologists. I just knew I had to face my truth. Fortunately, I quickly gained confidence and felt safe in the group. I was able to face more fears and learned to share and at the same time be there for other members of the group ie. to listen. I learned a lot about mental health through theoretical lectures, but the experiential Gestalt exercises helped me to find answers very quickly and opened the possibility for further work with myself. The biggest benefit I think is that I learned to consciously approach problems, knowing that there is a solution, I just have to look at it from a different perspective. Recognizing a problem helps me personally, but also the feeling of support and compassion in me is now more pronounced when I see it in another. I encourage anyone who finds himself or herself in this predicament to join if they can. I think accepting help is one of the hardest things we all have to learn. This was a wonderful experience for me and I am infinitely grateful.

An overview of the activities of the support group for single-parent families

Latest News An overview of the activities of the support group for single-parent families By Renata Dimanovska Reflecting on the past six months of leading our support groups, I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude for the incredible journey we have shared. When we started this activity, my colleague Ljupco and I had a leading motive to create a safe space, free from prejudices, where everyone can openly discuss the difficulties they face daily and the ways they can deal with them. Together, we have cultivated a community where every voice is heard and every story is valued. We witness profound moments of vulnerability, resilience, and growth. Members bravely shared their experiences, finding not only support but strength to face their challenges. And most importantly, our discussions fostered empathy and connection, reminding members that they are not alone in their struggles. The tools and insights gained here have encouraged members to make meaningful changes and approach their challenges with renewed hope and confidence. Over the past few months, a wide range of mental health topics have been covered, including: What is mental health and how to take care of it, what exactly is anxiety and how to deal with it, the occurrence of panic attacks, and techniques for coping, post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma and working with a traumatic event, challenges of modern parenting, parenting styles, communication styles, resilience, and many other topics. I must emphasize that most of the topics were followed by experiential exercises that also helped the participants experience what we discussed. We are grateful to our participants for being a part of this journey and for making the past six months truly transformative. The project „Peer school for children and youth mental health“ of the Youth Association YMCA Bitola has been implemented in the frames of the regional program for local democracy in Western Balkans2 Reload2, financed by the European Union (EU), implemented by United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The project is co-financed by the Municipality of Bitola. The project has been implemented by the YMCA in cooperation with Poraka Nova and Amos. For participant’s impressions, you can read here Photos from this Activity in this gallery.

An overview of the activities of the support group for parents of children with disabilities

Latest News An overview of the activities of the support group for parents of children with disabilities By Martina Durljanova Our support group is a “Respite Group” as parents of children with disabilities often call it. It’s about hero parents, who left themselves far behind others, in the ravages of time, to be the backbone of the family. But that’s what every parent does, right? However, the parents of children with disabilities do not only have the burden of the family but also the burden of invisible community barriers, the burden that society makes to make their difficult situation even more difficult, the non-acceptance of the extended family, the separation from all social gatherings, events and socializing. Thanks to the “Peer School for Mental Health” project, we opened a support group where space was opened not only for socializing but also for psychological support and a place where the darkest sides that were hidden for a long time in these parents are revealed, topics that they never had the opportunity to discuss. To talk, directions they didn’t know could be opened and conversations they didn’t know could happen. Through the twelve meetings that started in November of last year until June of this year, we discussed numerous topics. We started with mental hygiene as a topic, so after the mental cleansing we continued to delve deeper into new topics and discover the dark sides of endurance (the expected and assertive one), how it gives rise to anxiety and depression, quiets self-esteem and all this contributes to the stress in everyday life increases so that in the end they cannot cope with the (lack of) support and (lack of) acceptance from the environment and institutions, but also the most difficult thing, the support from the family, which they rarely have. And that whole process is repeated constantly, with every new incident, outside or at home, with every single event related to the child. Fortunately, we have created a comfort zone, where parents are eagerly waiting to come and talk about new topics, but also to return to some of the old ones, because every day is a new story, a new challenge that they currently have to face, so with the help of the psychologist, they discuss them, go into details about how they felt then at that moment, and how they feel now while they are telling. And let’s not neglect the support from the group itself, which helps each other to deal with problems more easily. The desire of the parents to continue leading the group even after the end of the project is great, so we would not stop here but would continue to move at the same pace and further to meet their needs. The project „Peer school for children and youth mental health“ of the Youth Association YMCA Bitola has been implemented in the frames of the regional program for local democracy in Western Balkans2 Reload2, financed by the European Union (EU), implemented by United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The project is co-financed by the Municipality of Bitola. The project has been implemented by the YMCA in cooperation with Poraka Nova and Amos. For participant’s impressions, you can read here.  Photos from this Activity in this gallery.

Mental Health workshops for Peer Educators [module 7a and 7b]

The basic workshop modules were six, but due to the large scope of peer education and the length of the implementation period, a seventh module was needed, which was designed to support the peer educators. Therefore, everyone who needs additional strengthening in the area of ​​work with young people and peer education had the opportunity to participate in the so-called mentoring sessions in module 7a, and all those who want to express themselves creatively on the topic of mental health had the opportunity to work on themed songs and music within module 7b. All activities with peer educators took place in the Youth Center. The mentoring sessions or the so-called 7a module were intended for those educators who have already conducted presentations and activities, so they shared their impressions in a common atmosphere with others. Personal stories were shared about how they felt during the presentations, what problems they encountered during the implementation, and what kind of attitude they encountered with the teachers and professional services. There were numerous insights, but some of them were that they were happy and satisfied and that they learned, developed, and strengthened their self-confidence. They were satisfied with the support they received from the YMCA, they expected more support from the schools and they thought it would be great to work with smaller groups of classmates. These meetings helped the peer educators a lot, especially those who were conducting activities of this type for the first time, but they also felt free to express themselves and learn something additional from the more experienced ones. Three workshops were held, the first of which was attended by the Mayor and other representatives of the Municipality of Bitola, where they were introduced to the entire project and current activities in more detail. The third meeting was an introduction to the 7b module – mental health and music imposed by peers. From those proposals came the workshops with the creative expression of the messages that the peer educators had already shared among themselves during the peer school in the past period. Here, the peer educators were offered many opportunities for self-expression through the written word, writing verses, and singing. The guest was Jasna Dimitrovska, a musician, who briefly explained to the participants the planned future activities in the mental health school for children and youth, as well as the connection between music and mental health. The participants in one of the previous modules had prepared several of their songs which were opened in this module and several workshops worked towards creating a song that will be ready for performance at the final event of this school. The project „Peer school for children and youth mental health“ of the Youth Association YMCA Bitola has been implemented in the frames of the regional program for local democracy in Western Balkans2 Reload2, financed by the European Union (EU), implemented by United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The project is co-financed by the Municipality of Bitola. The project has been implemented by the YMCA in cooperation with Poraka Nova and Amos. Read for the previous modules of workshops here.

YMCA Camp Europe Campacity Conference

After months of planning and hard work, Campacity 2024 took place over April 15th-21st in Toledo, Spain at the Castillo de San Servando youth center, with the support of the local government. We then moved across to YMCA Camp Priego and was hosted by YMCA Spain. The second “Campacity” Conference was a joint initiative of YMCA Europe & Y USA, hosted by YMCA Spain and aimed to: During one week of sessions, participants: All this was made possible through a successful collaboration between the YMCA Europe and Y USA participants and by sharing each national or local YMCA’s meaningful work. 75 Participants from 15 different countries came together motivated to learn and share, with the aim that united them all – love of camping and belief in its impact. The program was balanced with capacity-building sessions and cultural exposure time designed to help connect and create connections. Participants had the option to attend workshops for many cross-cutting topics that play a crucial role in creating a successful camp such as strategy building, fundraising, partnerships, monitoring and evaluations to name a few. Apart from this, they had an opportunity to learn about the Do No Harm methodology, as in today’s world, it is crucial to stay mindful of our actions, plans and projects. As a final note, it needs to be mentioned how wonderful and empowering it is to see people working hard today with whatever means they have to create a better tomorrow, and Campacity demonstrated that even if we live thousands of kilometers away from each other, we are part of something bigger.

Mental Health workshops for Peer Educators [module 4,5,6]

In the second semester, we continue with a new series of mental health workshops for peer educators from primary and secondary schools and faculties from Bitola. Modules 4, 5 and 6 are planned for this semester. In the fourth module, the participants got acquainted with the digital representation of the topics covered in the previous three modules – anxiety, depression, risky behavior and personal endurance or resilience. On each of these topics, it was discussed how they are perceived by young people, how young people approach them and in general how life on social networks affects and shapes the young person in our modern life and what are the positive and negative influences on our mental health. In this module, we also did an exercise for self-assessment of Internet addiction, during which we could jointly discuss the results of the findings. At the request of some of the participants who were not able to attend this training earlier in groups, we made an additional workshop for educators from all groups. This module was completed by 42 peer educators divided into 5 groups of elementary school students, high school students and faculty students who got acquainted with the manifestation of these topics in the digital sphere. With this, we have closed the section on enriching the knowledge of young people on the subject of mental health. The more interesting part followed, starting with the fifth module, which is preparation for the most beautiful part of the activities – sharing knowledge with peers on the ground in educational institutions in the city. Within it, the participants from three groups (faculty students, morning shifts and afternoon shifts, elementary and high school students) of the peer school for mental health for children and youth had the opportunity to recapitulate all the material that they went through in the previous four modules. In doing so, they perceived which of the learned topics they consider more important or useful for their young peers, or for which topic they have particular enthusiasm to share with their peers. We worked on coordination and formation of teams by schools and planning for their responsibilities for the next period. From our side, they received guidance and support on how to put together presentations and choose appropriate activities for the next phase when they will share some of the new knowledge with their peers from the schools and faculties of the city. We believe that the knowledge supplemented with practical activities will strengthen what has been learned among peer educators, and among students across the city, we will help bring and demystify the topic of mental health to everyone. This module was completed by 47 peer educators, 3 groups of elementary school students, high school students and faculty students. In the sixth and final module, we offer teams of peer educators a unique mentoring experience in a supportive environment to receive feedback on their presentations. This is where peer educators come with their presentations, share them with other peer educators and where they can try them out and practice and get feedback on the “homeworks”. This will help them to continue working on improving them in order to make the next and most beautiful stage of sharing knowledge in schools less stressful for the peer educators and more interesting for all students. Peer educators from all groups of elementary school students, high school students and faculty students who are determined to share the acquired knowledge with their peers in practice participate in this module. This module is still being implemented, the teams are being built, coordinated, working on their presentations, coming for consultations and mentoring, and as soon as everyone is ready, we will update the text with figures and the final number of peer educators and teams per school in the city. The project „Peer school for children and youth mental health“ of the Youth Association YMCA Bitola has been implemented in the frames of the regional program for local democracy in Western Balkans2 Reload2, financed by the European Union (EU), implemented by United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The project is co-financed by the Municipality of Bitola. The project has been implemented by the YMCA in cooperation with Poraka Nova and Amos. Read for the previous modules of workshops

Mental Health workshops for Peer Educators [module 1,2,3]

Throughout November and December last year, we implemented a series of workshops on mental health topics for peer educators from primary and secondary schools and faculties from Bitola. The first mental health workshop module was on the topic of anxiety and depression. According to experts in the field of psychological sciences, anxiety is a condition associated with the feeling of fear, and depression is a condition associated with the feeling of sadness. Recognizing them and developing personal strategies to deal with these conditions is what is necessary to maintain harmonious mental health. 58 peer educators divided into 5 groups of primary school and high school pupils and university students who were introduced to the topics of anxiety and depression completed this module. These topics were discussed including what they mean to young people’s conditions, what factors cause them, what the symptoms are, and how to help others and ourselves. The second module of mental health training was on the topic of risky forms of behavior. It was discussed what risk and risky behavior mean, how that behavior is related to the mental well-being of a person, what factors cause it, why it is a particularly significant phenomenon among young people and how young people can recognize the beginnings of risky behavior in themselves so they can help themselves and to recognize it in others. This module was completed by 48 peer educators divided into 5 groups of primary and high school pupils and university students who were acquainted with the topic of risky forms of behavior. During the training, it was discussed what these types of behaviors mean and how they manifest, how much they are present and in what forms in our everyday life in the schools of the city, how these conditions affect young people, what factors cause them and how we can help the others and to act preventively. The third module of mental health workshops was on the topic of building resistance, endurance and resilience. It was discussed what resilience means, how it is learned and how this ability is the most important factor in maintaining psycho-physical balance. This ability is the one that gathers our energies and directs them towards what makes the most sense at the given moment to overcome the situation we find ourselves in, survive and transform the experience we find ourselves in. This is what young people can learn to help themselves and help others. 42 peer educators divided into 5 groups of primary and high school pupils and university students who learned about the topic of building resistance, endurance and resilience completed this module. The peer educators discussed the ways to become resistant to ubiquitous negative influences in the external environment and surroundings, how to endure or cope with situations in which we are involved with or without our will and understanding ways to build lasting resilience and peace with self and others. The project „Peer school for children and youth mental health“ of the Youth Association YMCA Bitola has been implemented in the frames of the regional program for local democracy in Western Balkans2 Reload2, financed by the European Union (EU), implemented by United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The project is co-financed by the Municipality of Bitola. The project has been implemented by the YMCA in cooperation with Poraka Nova and Amos.

A Journey of Inspiration and Connection: Mid-America Camping Conference (MACC)

By Viktor Iliev I will begin with my profound gratitude to the YMCA of the USA for extending an invitation to join an international cohort at the Mid-America Camping Conference (MACC). This gathering transcended conventional expectations, evolving into an immersive experience alongside my colleagues from Kosovo, Romania, Spain, Ukraine, Aruba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Brazil. The YMCA of the USA’s commendable approach not only showcased their exemplary camp culture but also facilitated a global exchange of best practices. This collaborative endeavor added a distinctive international perspective, fostering connections across the Atlantic for the betterment of all engaged in youth development through outdoor education and camping. My trip began with a day delay due to flight cancellations, but I arrived in Omaha, Nebraska, and spent the night at Camp Kitaki. Although I missed the official camp tour, the next day’s exploration left an indelible impression of Camp Kitaki as a transformative outdoor haven, dedicated to youth development and experiential learning. The Camp Director, Jason, at a recent event eloquently captured the power of camp in a compelling video, encapsulating the essence of outdoor education. Our journey continued to Des Moines Y Camp in Iowa, where the entrance gate proclaimed, “The Closest Place to Heaven on Earth.” We were welcomed by the Camp Director Alex who took us to the camp tour. This camp had so many things to present and so many aspects of camp operations that almost left me speechless. Witnessing the camp’s extensive history, Alex’s remarkable projects, and the overwhelming support from Camp Alumni spoke volumes about the camp’s impact. At our next stop, Camp Duncan located in the State of Illinois hosted by one of our amazing hosts, the Camp Director Bobby, I felt with a sense that we go to pre-known place. The reason for that is that as we traveled from one state to another, after the long talks while traveling so we had insights into camp operations that were seamlessly intertwined with a sense of familiarity. Amazingly to see, but he and several of the camp staff lived at the campsite. With a picturesque lake and diverse outdoor activities, Camp Duncan stood as a testament to the multifaceted experiences it offer. A special interlude from camp activities led us to Chicago Downtown, culminating in a visit to the headquarters of the YMCA of the USA. Meeting the dedicated team, led by the hospitable Adriana, reinforced our view of the organization’s impact and commitment to its core values. By the end of our journey, we witnessed how she and her team members of this amazing pre-conference tour don’t just talk about the YMCA core values (Respect, Responsibility, Honesty and Caring), but incorporate them in their own lives and act upon them. For a random organization is easy to state whatever mission and vision, but we were not at a random organization. YMCA of the USA is an organization like no other. Giving kids a great start. Helping families stay healthy. Inspiring communities to work together. That’s the YMCA. Our journey reached its pinnacle in Michigan at the Sherman Lake YMCA , where the MACC unfolded as the main event. The conference hosting about 250 camp professionals from across the United States and worldwide, showcased a unique blend of individuals at various stages of their camping careers. Experience, knowledge, and passion are abundant at this conference. With three exceptional keynote speakers, diverse interest sessions selected according to our personal preferences, round tables, reflections, recreation and networking opportunities, the conference left an indelible mark on me. I must admit that I was blown by the generous offer of interest sessions and struggled to decide what to prioritize. One thing that here is done in a unique way from what I have been used to and seen before, is the unique opportunity to create a customized personal interest session schedule. The way to value people’s time is this! One of the core areas of impact of the YMCA of the USA is Social Responsibility. These are not just two fancy words, but words to which YMCA gives them an essence by demonstration. In addition to each MACC conference, there is a fundraising event for a cause selected every year that receives all the funds raised. This year MACC Service Auction is in supporting the Maui Family YMCA’s ongoing efforts to rebuild and uplift the community after the Lahaina fires. I was amazed to experience the culture of philanthropy and social responsibility via the silent auction and service live auction where people donate items from their own YMCA or country such as branded materials, t-shirts, products or artwork from children’s camps, etc. to contribute to the auction and people bid for best offers. Philanthropy and entertainment at the same time. And the best part at the end – the conference was supported by many corporate donors. When people step in and contribute to a cause, you create a community. We have a lot to learn from this! And what a nice way to finish our journey by visiting our supportive host Thomas who along with the dedicated team at the Flint YMCA warmly welcomed us. We explored the place and its programs and discussed its best practices, the opportunities it offers so they are a truly community organization where people feel they belong. The final stop was at YMCA Camp Copneconic where despite the snowy and cold weather offered a captivating tour and an afternoon reflection on our collective experiences. Our group covered a distance of 1180 km, roughly the distance from Bitola to Vienna. I extend my best wishes to all fellow travelers in implementing the invaluable insights gained during this remarkable journey.

Youth Center Bitola: 2023 by the numbers

On 25.05.2023, the Youth Center was opened in Bitola, following its mission to encourage the personal and social development of young people through their inclusion in the community. Currently, two youth workers work in the center, while the center itself is managed by a consortium of 3 youth organizations from Bitola, YMCA, Sfera International and MKC. During the whole year, a series of activities were carried out in the direction of fulfilling the 8 previously established specific goals, and we are particularly happy to share that they have been largely fulfilled, i.e. we offered program activities covering all fields of youth development. Providing a space for young people to express themselves, organizing the free time of young people, developing the competencies of young people, encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit, promoting healthy lifestyle habits as well as raising environmental awareness, informing young people about opportunities for non-formal education, strengthening the active citizenship and promoting volunteering. By numbers it would look like this: The most visited program activities were: digital education, environment, mental health, youth participation and youth policies, as well as entertainment/social activities such as intercultural dinners, cooking days, learning foreign languages, etc. Our contribution to the activities of the youth center was mainly through two projects that we implemented during the year: Last year was proof of the youth center’s commitment to the development of young people in Bitola. The implementation of activities across all specific objectives demonstrates the commitment to fostering a dynamic, responsible and inclusive environment for young people. The vision of the Youth Center is a future with encouraged, creative and responsible young people who actively contribute to general progress, and represent a lively, informed and active youth community in Bitola.  The full annual report of the youth center in the Macedonian language is available on the Youth Center website.

National Youth Work Conference

On December 19, 2023 in Skopje the largest national conference on youth work in our country was held. In front of over 100 attendees, the event was opened by Andrej Naumovski, President of the Union for Youth Work, Naumche Mojsovski, Director of the Youth and Sports Agency, Gjorgi Tasev, Associate of the Prime Minister for youth and youth policies, and Jovica Mitevski, representative of The National Agency for European Education Programs and Mobility. At the conference, certificates were ceremoniously awarded to 13 people who passed the training and acquired the title of youth worker. Among them was Natasha Darkov, part of the YMCA Bitola team. The topics “Youth centers as a necessary service for young people” and “Youth worker as a profession” were discussed in two panels. The representatives of the state authorities and mayors announced continuous support for the validation processes and the full establishment of youth work as a profession and an incentive for the process of establishing youth centers throughout the country. The representatives of the youth sector including the Union for Youth Work, youth centers and youth workers emphasized that youth workers and youth centers are key to implementing quality youth work. Their recognition and support will also mean the creation of an environment to support the growth and development of young people. They also spoke about the importance of youth worker training and the youth worker profession for the proper development of young people. The representatives of other institutions supporters of the development of youth work in the country stated their support as well. Faculty of philosophy stated the support they provide through the second-degree studies in youth work that are the first postgraduate studies in youth work in the region for which are provided scholarships as well. GIZ emphasized the importance of cooperation and targeted action of foreign donors following youth work providers at the local and national level. The involvement of YMCA as an organization in these processes is at a high level. Jovce Krstevski, a certified youth worker, is part of the staff of the youth center in Bitola, he is a member of the base of quality evaluators of youth centers established at the Agency for Youth and Sports and was one of the panelists at this event. In addition to that, at the event Natasha Darkov, after a whole year of exceptional engagement with groups of young people, completed an intensive certification course for youth work, and received the formal title of “youth worker” from the Agency of youth and sport и Сојуз за младинска работа/Union for Youth Work. This year, Jovce Krsteski went through a process of training and practice for the application of the methodology for career counseling and guidance of young people ProfillPASS, which was developed by the German Institute for Adult Education – the Leibniz Center for Lifelong Learning Deutsches Institut für Erwachsenenbildung.