We are pleased to announce the grand opening of our brand new Youth Center, a vibrant, creative, educational space designed to nurture and empower the young minds of our community. This occasion marks a significant achievement in our commitment to provide an environment for our youth to explore their interests, connect with others and unlock their full potential. The youth center is an encouraging environment, a place where there will be realized many opportunities and potential. It is a place where young people can gather, learn and grow in an atmosphere of creativity, support, and inclusiveness. Our goal is to foster an environment that inspires and uplifts, fostering a sense of belonging in every young person who walks through our doors. Within these walls, our youth will discover a myriad of opportunities to explore their interests, expand their horizons, and develop valuable skills. From workshops, seminars to exciting recreational activities and leadership, and environmental programs, we have carefully curated a diverse range of programs to cater to our young community members’ diverse interests and talents. Whether it’s art, music, sports, or entrepreneurship, we aim to provide space for every passion to flourish. Additionally, the Youth Center will serve as a hub for making and nurturing meaningful connections and building lasting friendships. We recognize the power of the community and the young people in our community. From joint projects and group activities to volunteering opportunities and community initiatives, our aim is to encourage a sense of social responsibility and instil in young people a sense of belonging to this community. Behind the work of our Youth Center is a team of dedicated youth workers who are committed to guiding and supporting our youth on their journey toward self-discovery and progress. These knowledge-carrying youth workers are excited to share it, inspire new perspectives, and foster personal growth in every young person they meet. We express our heartfelt gratitude to all the individuals, supporters, and partners (Municipality of Bitola, YMCA.mk Youth Cultural Center, Sfera, Union for Youth Work, Mladi Hub) who have committed to making this goal a reality. Their support and commitment to investing in our youth have been key to bringing this Youth Center to life. We are grateful for their shared vision for a brighter future for our community, where every young person’s potential is realized and celebrated. Our goal is to support the personal and social development of young people in Bitola and their active involvement in the life of the community through the following activities: – Sports and recreational activities– Activities to mark significant holidays and international dates– Art workshops (drawing, music)– Workshops/discussions to improve your knowledge about yourself with advice from experts in the field of career counselling, psychologists, or professors from vocational schools, as well as for the development of entrepreneurship– Workshops with advice, education, and actions for the preservation of ecological life in Bitola– Volunteer actions, motivated to organize volunteering campaigns in Bitola.– Educational workshops for different areas – Other activities that include socializing and socializing.
During our activities so far, four workshops have been held for students, one for the educational assistants in the schools involved in the project and one for the professional psychological-pedagogical services. The four workshops were attended by 12 students who were ready to take on the role of peer educators on the topic of non-discrimination of persons with disabilities. The topics covered at the first workshop were general and addressed general human rights and children’s rights in particular. The second workshop was about the concept of discrimination and the habits that cause this phenomenon, such as prejudices and stereotypes. At the end, they talked about the way discrimination can be overcome and that is through tolerance. At the third workshop the topics of disability and discrimination of people with disabilities were discussed and the students also prepared their initial draft ideas on how they will perform peer education for their classmates. In the last workshop we talked about the types of violence and the protection against discrimination. Also, the ideas for the students’ presentations were deepened with the help of the instructors giving the students the opportunity and creative freedom to express the material they had prepared to the best of their ability. With that the small cycle of trainings intended for the students was closed and it was followed by Workshop intended for educational assistants who work in schools with people with disabilities. Considering the current reform in our educational system where greater inclusion of these persons is introduced in the educational process, this training has met with great interest among educational assistants. Many questions were raised and the assistants took the opportunity to express their views, opinions and insights about the various processes that take place in education, especially in the part of their work engagement in schools. At the workshop, the same topics were discussed with them as with the students, but in a more condensed form and at a higher level. The last of the planned six workshops was held this week. It was intended for the professional services of schools in Bitola and covered the topics of legal regulations related to protection against discrimination of persons with disabilities. Professional services had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with these legal regulations through a presentation held for them by a representative from the Commission for Protection and Prevention of Discrimination (CPPD). After pointing out the legal decrees, a case study was also shown where the CPPD acted on a case reported to them with which the professional services had the opportunity to see what the procedures look like when reporting discrimination against a person with disabilities and what are the institutions and procedures that should be followed in the entire procedure. With that the school services had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the latest and most recent changes in the legal provisions and procedures related to this topic. With the project “Stop the Discrimination of People with Disabilities”, we raise awareness of the existence of discrimination in all spheres of life in our society and indicate the regulations that help to reduce it in the future. The project “Stop discrimination of persons with disabilities” is supported through small grants from the anti-discrimination program of the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation – MCMS, financed by the European Union and implemented by Poraka Nova, in cooperation with YMCA. Read below to learn more about this project
The goal of the collaboration between HP and YMCA is to use technology in a good way, to achieve digital inclusion by providing access to technology and digital education to everyone in an easy and interesting way. The courses are made by experts in their fields from the HP company and conducted by YMCA youth workers. We find these courses useful for adding value to the informatics curriculum in schools as well as for practical use in our everyday lives. The courses are short in duration from 20 to 50 minutes, in five topics with several courses in each of them. They are easy, interactive, and filled with short videos, dialogues, pictures and quizzes. The courses offered are in the following topics: communications, finance, operations, marketing and startups/innovations. Each course contains 5 steps: a short course description, business concept, technology skills, survey and additional resources on the topic. The pace of studying a course is according to the desire of the participant. Once you have completed all 5 steps (100%) the course is successfully completed. For each completed course you receive an electronic certificate in your e-mail with specified information about the specific course, what was learned in it, the date of study and the signature of the Deputy Director of the HP Foundation. Each course is taught individually at the YMCA in the Youth Center with full technical equipment from our side. Alternatively, there is the possibility of conducting the courses in the premises of the educational institutions in Bitola. The participant has no obligation to bring equipment or to have special prior knowledge of a certain topic or conditions for studying a certain number of courses. The courses have open dates where EVERYONE can SIGN UP, and reserved dates are offered for groups/institutions that work with young people. Groups are limited up to 10 participants per course. The courses are: completely free for anyone with a functional email, intermediate knowledge of the English language and a desire to learn and upgrade their knowledge. The courses are held in the premises of the Youth Center – Bitola, on Krushevo Street 5 in the local community of Veljko Vlahovic. Read below to learn more about this project
By Natasha Darkov In the period May 1-7 in Struga, Macedonia, the SEGA Coalition of Youth Organizations within the Erasmus + program conducted the international training course “Youth work in Green entrepreneurs” which included youth workers from Macedonia, Slovakia and Turkey. I am happy that I participated as a representative of the YMCA and gained new knowledge and competencies in the field of green entrepreneurship. Considering the small number of participants, we had a chance for a larger discussion and the opportunity to receive better mentoring support from the organizers. The topic was elaborated in detail with basic information about entrepreneurship and of course green business ideas and their development. Each participant had to develop a detailed business plan for their idea with a special emphasis on green entrepreneurship. The training course was based on an innovative approach to green entrepreneurship as a sustainable business model by preserving the environment and raising youth employability. Starting from the basics of entrepreneurship (definitions, skills and competencies) through the basic factors for a successful business (clear goals, business idea, organization, marketing, SWOT analysis) we quickly reached the stage of planning our green business while taking into account our environment (family, friends, acquaintances, institutions, banks) who and how could help us. Green business ideas were analyzed and evaluated if they are profitable, innovative, realistic, etc. Next came the stage of developing a marketing plan for our ideas after which we finalized them by creating a financial plan for the business ideas. On the last day with concepts developed in this way, we presented green ideas and solutions in an interesting and interactive way which was followed by the selection of the best business idea.
During our YMCA existence we have faced and overcome many challenges, but nothing close to the last three years which caused serious damage to our work in general, management of the organization and the program model. But here we are, back on our feet and ready to invest on improvement of our structure and method of work. We are happy to announce of our newly established partnership with Signs of Hope of CVJM committing to work on improvement in two areas of our work during 2023: governance and methodology of youth work. Governance improving within non-profit organizations is of paramount importance. Robust governance practices provide the foundation upon which the entire organization stands. It ensures transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct, which are essential in garnering trust among stakeholders, including donors, volunteers, and the communities we serve. It’s not a dry, monotone concept but an energizing force that propels your mission forward, making it resonate with your passionate community and potential partners who believe in social responsibility and philanthropy. We aim to improve our governance structure, our constitution, our policies and set a baseline to get ready for new partnerships development in the coming period. Peer-to-peer education plays a pivotal role in empowering youth and fostering community development, a mission that aligns seamlessly with our dedication at the YMCA and youth work. The dynamic exchange of ideas among youth not only cultivates a sense of ownership and responsibility among the young people but also encourages them actively to engage with their peers. In a formal context, this method of education can be a powerful tool for building leadership skills and instilling a sense of civic duty. When youth learn from their peers, they can connect on a deeper level, as they often share similar life experiences, challenges, and aspirations. That is why we will deep dive and explore this model in the coming period in order to find the best positive practices we can use. Stay with us via our communication channels and expect some exciting news by the end of this year.
Opportunities for digital education in Bitola As part of a long-term collaboration between YMCA and HP, this April we started holding digital literacy courses for the youth of our city. The courses are made by experts in their fields from the HP company and conducted by YMCA youth workers. We find these courses useful for adding value to the informatics curriculum in schools as well as for practical use in our everyday lives. The courses are short in duration from 20 to 50 minutes, in five topics with several courses in each of them. The courses offered are in the following topics: communications, finance, logistics, marketing and startups/innovations. The courses have open appointments for which ANYONE CAN APPLY, as well as reserved appointments offered for groups/institutions that work with young people. The groups are limited to 10 participants each. The courses are: completely free for anyone with a functional email, intermediate knowledge of the English language and a desire to learn and upgrade their knowledge. The courses are held in the premises of the Youth Center – Bitola. Digital Hubs in the Western Balkans Building on that success from 2022, this year YMCA World and HP are expanding the initiative to reach as many people as possible and further close the digital divide. In that direction, in 2023 the program expanded with the digital hubs of the Western Balkans at the initiative of the YMCA and enabled by HP helping the YMCAs in Kosovo, Albania, Serbia and Macedonia to expand existing or create new hubs for digital education in order to enable young people, including those from marginalized communities, teachers and youth workers to gain greater educational and employment opportunities. The initiative in the Western Balkans aims to reach 25,000 people per year by bridging the digital divide and providing equal access to digital tools and resources. For this purpose, YMCA will work and collaborate with young people, schools, employment centres, businesses, youth workers and teachers to create digital equality in the Western Balkans region. YMCA in Kosovo aims to improve its reputation as a digital provider and engage young people in recognized courses that enhance their CVs. In Serbia, the focus is to make a digital hub available every day and to achieve digital equality. In Macedonia, the goal is to initiate a long-term program for digital education. In Albania, the plan is to provide easy access to the digital hub for primary and secondary schools and other categories of people. Beginning of the successful collaboration of the World YMCA with HP In 2022 the World YMCA and the HP Foundation launched a partnership to accelerate the digital equality of young people and marginalized communities around the world. Seven YMCA associations have integrated HP LIFE courses into their programs to improve digital literacy and encourage young people in their communities to actively participate in an increasingly digitized world. HP LIFE is a program of the HP company that works to achieve the goals of reaching 150 million people by 2030 and expanding the program to 50 countries (the YMCA has a presence in 120 countries). HP LIFE digital skills training courses in 2022 involved more than 1,300 students mainly aged 15 to 26. YMCA World’s Vision 2030 strategy also includes digital equality as it fosters education, employment and entrepreneurship in communities around the world. HP’s continued global collaboration with the YMCA can reach young people in the communities where they live today by giving them access to practical business and IT skills that can help them thrive.
Within the framework of the community mobilizers program, YMCA with the project “Bitola – Cycling City” is monitoring the fulfilment of the given pre-election promise for the realization of bicycle infrastructure in Bitola. The monitoring of the election promises of the political parties and the mobilization of the community to demand accountability and fulfil the promises is part of the project to support electoral reforms. The YMCA is involved in this project with activities that include observing the election promise for the construction of bicycle paths and infrastructure in Bitola. Within the framework of the activities, research of official announcements and documents, meetings with several stakeholders, survey research and an info session is foreseen. This initiative will monitor the election promise for the reconstruction and construction of new pedestrian and bicycle paths. Pedestrian and bicycle paths are extremely important for a municipality such as Bitola. There are a large number of people who want to recreate or walk around the city every day, but a large number of them also use bicycles or walk to reach a certain destination (work, school, etc.). By enabling special pedestrian and bicycle zones throughout the city, Bitola residents will gain many health and environmental benefits. The obtained results of the monitoring will be shared with the public through: posts on social networks, press releases and info sessions. These activities are carried out in collaboration with Strategic Management Systems (SMS) and aim to increase community engagement on issues relevant to them. “Supporting Electoral Reforms” is a project of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), implemented by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). The list of all innovative initiatives within this project for 2022 and 2023 can be found here.
This call is for locals only. Please refer to the Macedonian language page for details.
In partnership with Poraka Nova we have started a 7 months long campaign (from February until August 2023) against discrimination of people with disabilities. This project is focused on raising awareness about this discrimination (the existence, recognition and prevention of discrimination) in schools among pupils and the school’s professional services, as well as promoting the legal procedures in case of reporting discrimination to authorities. The legal procedures are made available and promoted through The Commission on Prevention and Protection against Discrimination (CPPD). The goal of the project “Stop discrimination against persons with disabilities” is to raise awareness of the existence of discrimination against persons with disabilities in all spheres of life in our society, as well as to point out to specific groups of people in Bitola the existence of legal regulations that help to sanction, prevent and reduce it in the future. Those groups of people are students in secondary and primary education, educational assistants and professional services in schools. This program will bring much-needed awareness against discrimination to school pupils through peer-to-peer education as a methodology. This project fits into our strategic priorities to work with youth on non-formal educational programs and focus on peer-to-peer methods. The topic fully aligns with our mission and the values we promote. In this project, we will work with youth and with school professionals working with these vulnerable categories of young people. Raising awareness of non-discrimination towards persons with disabilities includes: This is a project supported through small grants from the anti-discrimination program of the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation – MCMS, financed by the European Union, and implemented by Poraka Nova and YMCA as partners. Follow our Facebook page for updates on the project activities!
On December 7th, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., this year’s Fair for Volunteerism was held in the Foyer of the Culture Center – Bitola. It featured 11 non-governmental organizations from Bitola and the region, as well as the work of local volunteer clubs, which presented their volunteer opportunities and shared their success stories and projects. Among the 11 organizations that took part in the Fair was YMCA Bitola. This was a great opportunity to connect volunteering opportunity providers and high school students in the city. The fair is the sixth such fair in a row, which is organized by the American Corner in Bitola and is primarily intended for high school students, students, and young professionals. The other organizations that took part were Sefra International, MKC Bitola, Together Macedonia, Interact, Lions International, Sumnal Bitola, CEDI, Zlatno Pero, and the Center for Culture from Bitola. More photos from the event are at the following link.
