Youth Center Bitola: 2024 by the numbers
Latest News Youth Center Bitola: 2024 by the numbers In May 2023, the Youth Center was opened in Bitola, with the aim of providing a safe and inclusive space through various programs, activities and mentoring, where we aim to encourage personal development, cultivate leadership skills and create a sense of belonging among young people. The Youth Center itself is managed by 3 youth organizations from Bitola, YMCA, Sfera International and MKC. After a successful 2023, with a total of 2,651 beneficiaries and more than 200 activities held, the work of the youth center continued with even greater enthusiasm and desire for as many participants and activities as possible. In relation to the 8 previously set specific goals of this center, program activities were offered that have been largely fulfilled. A safe space is provided where young people can spend their free time, develop their competencies, encourage their entrepreneurial spirit, promote healthy lifestyle habits, as well as raise environmental awareness, inform about opportunities for informal education, strengthen active citizenship and promote volunteering. In the reporting period from January 1 to December 31, 2024: 4,469 beneficiaries were covered by over 300 different activities, many of which were held multiple times. The activities were offered by youth workers or by different youth work providers, i.e. over 15 different youth work providers used the spaces of the Youth Center Bitola to carry out their activities. The most visited topics were digital education, mental health, environment, youth participation and youth policies as well as entertainment/social activities. We would like to highlight two program activities, led by the YMCA: The Digital Education Club is one of the most visited clubs in the center for the second year in a row, aiming to achieve greater digital literacy among young people, as well as The Peer School for Mental Health and Children, which with 60 peer educators, included around 2.000 participants in all schools in the Municipality of Bitola, as well as the Peer School against Peer Violence, which included around 170 participants from the high schools. The activities of this school continue in 2025, with a focus on students from primary schools in the Bitola. The results of the work of the Youth Center Bitola in the period from January 1 to December 31, 2024 are proof of the commitment to continuous work and organizing activities aimed at the professional and personal development of young people in Bitola, as well as to encouraging their participation in making decisions that are important to them in their local community. The success of the programs is evident mostly through the continuous increase in the number of visitors to the activities of the youth center, which in the annual period for 2024 has reached higher numbers than the total number of visitors in the previous 2023. This is the result of the organization’s commitment to promoting the Youth Center and increasing its recognition among young people. The full annual report of the youth center in the Macedonian language is available on the Youth Center website.
Promotion of a Safe School Environment
Latest News Promotion of a Safe School Environment In December as part of the project “Promotion of a Safe School Environment”, the YMCA held a series of three workshops in the primary school in the Municipality of Mogila. The project “Promotion of a Safe School Environment” is an extensive project of the Coalition of Youth Organizations SEGA in partnership with the Macedonian Center for Civic Education, the First Children’s Embassy in the World Megjashi and Smart Up – Social Innovation Lab as well as with support from the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation. It is being implemented in the period from September 2023 to August 2026. Project activities The goal of these workshops was to build the capacity of the children’s organization, so it can implement school initiatives that can contribute to building a safer school environment. The workshops were attended by the upper-class student representatives, including all class presidents, their deputies, and the school’s children’s ombudsman, aged 12 to 15. We started first to improve students’ communication skills, to familiarize them with the concept of research and to offer them an opportunity to exercise aimed at a deeper understanding of everything that research encompasses. As a follow-up activity, they had to conduct research in their school including surveys, questionnaires, or interviews. In the last workshop they reviewed the results and assessed them in a direction to understand and to come up with relevant school initiatives. For this purpose, for the first time they have been introduced to the elements of a project initiative (what a project means, what are the phases of the project cycle, etc.). The students gained basic knowledge of these topics that will be useful for them in the next phase of this project in spring 2025. The student’s initiative The initiative of opening a safe corner for students will be implemented in the second school semester. This corner is planned to be in the school hallway itself, which will consist of 5-6 lazy bags and several tables where students will have a chance to talk to a psychologist about the problems in their everyday lives. On the wall itself, they will have the opportunity to draw motivational messages, a box left for praise and complaints, they will be able to anonymously report their remarks about the school, school staff, their problems, etc. It is intended that this initiative will raise the level of safety among the students, the professional service and school staff and this initiative will contribute towards a better school environment for this generation of students. Photos from this Activity in this Album.
YMCA World Accelerator Summit: Vision 2030 in Mombasa, Kenya
From 21st to 26th October 2024, I had the incredible privilege of attending the YMCA World Accelerator Summit in Mombasa, Kenya.
European Mobility Week
Latest News European Mobility Week The European Mobility Week, which takes place from 16 to 22 September every year, this year covered 2,767 cities from 45 countries. Like every year, this year too, YMCA Bitola marks the European Mobility Week #EuropeanMobilityWeek with the aim of raising public awareness among young people, all citizens and decision-makers about the importance of alternative modes of transport for an active lifestyle, healthier citizens and environments and reduced congestion and pollution. The theme of this year’s campaign was shared public spaces. Our public spaces are unfairly distributed in the different modes of transport with car dominance with over 90%. This must change. We held the first meeting with representatives of primary schools in order to understand the vision of the European Mobility Week. The event was attended by representatives of 7 primary schools from our city, who recognized and accepted the idea of greater student inclusion, as well as raising awareness among younger students. The second event was for 18 students from 6 primary schools in Bitola. We talked about the European Mobility Week, about the bicycle as a means of transport, we had four activities and we had a workshop on basic safety checks and Do-It-Yourself repairs. They need to learn why we should all stand for this vision and have a beautiful and sustainable city. During the rest of the week, peer educators from primary schools carried out activities aimed at sharing this knowledge, so that as many young people as possible could get involved and contribute to the vision of healthy, active, mobile and independent youth. The education on traffic culture and cycling agenda covered the primary schools St. Kliment Ohridski, Dr. Trifun Panovski, Stiv Naumov, Elpida Karamandi, Todor Angelevski and Kole Kaninski. Thanks to the schools who are interested in implementing such activities, to the school staff without whom such activities would not be possible, to the peer educators who joined us, participated, learned something useful and implemented activities in their schools on this topic. Peer education activities are of great importance, both for the city itself for popularizing the topic and for familiarizing students with their responsibilities in traffic. We thank the Go Green – Bidi Zelen association and the Fikamago Bike bike shop and service for their support! Photos from this Event in this Album.
The Strategic Meeting of the YMCA Western Balkans
Latest News The Strategic Meeting of the YMCA Western Balkans From September 23rd to 26th, we had the opportunity to attend the meeting of the Western Balkans Initiative (WBI). This initiative is supported by YMCA Europe, The YMCA of the USA and YMCA Germany to the YMCAs in Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania and Serbia. The meeting, organized by YMCA Serbia in Novi Sad, focused on sustainability, with a relevant agenda that covered the following main topics: Showcase of YMCA Serbia programs and development Progress report for 2023: Serbia, Macedonia and Kosovo Current work plan for the YMCA region (measuring impact) Review of success stories and challenges from Bulgaria, Italy, Romania and Kosovo in property management Best practices from YMCA Germany running hostels Comprehensive fundraising for capital investments EU and Erasmus+ funding opportunities The meeting is a follow-up on the previous West Balkans meetings in extended format with guests from YMCAs from Bulgaria, Romania and Italy. Hybrid sessions were attended by representatives of YMCA USA and YMCA Germany. This partnership highlights the importance of shared goals and collaboration between YMCAs, regardless of location, in fostering impactful work across Europe. The progress of the WBI Action Plan 2023-2025, created to enable the appropriate growth of YMCAs from the Western Balkans, was presented. The action plan aims to improve the situation in 3 key areas: youth programs (improve program quality, reach more young people), good governance (improve governance, structures, transparency, financial discipline and establish good conduct policies) and self-sustainability (build meaningful partnerships, income generation programs, fundraising strategies and secure capital investments as a strategic goal for sustainability). This event was a great opportunity to bring together colleagues from different YMCAs to share, learn from each other, dream, be inspired, ask tough questions, share challenges and together build bridges of hope, cooperation and fellowship. A big thank you to YMCA Serbia for the incredible hospitality in the beautiful city of Novi Sad! Photos from this Activity in this gallery.
Final Promotional Event of the Peer School for Mental Health
Latest News Final Promotional Event of the Peer School for Mental Health On June 26, after the completed education of peer educators and the largest peer education held on the importance of mental health in Bitola with a coverage of over 2000 students from elementary and secondary schools in Bitola, as well as in several faculties, the final promotional event of the project. It was a several-hour event, which consisted of presenting the project results, but also a presentation of the additional intellectual and creative results that resulted from the project activities. The promotional event began with a presentation of the steps and phases through which the project moved and how all the modules were through which children and young people from primary, and secondary schools and students were organized. The discussion was opened by Viktor Iliev, president of YMCA Bitola, followed by Prof.Ph.D. Sasho Kochankovski about how the atmosphere was built among the participants of the peer education modules and the social impact that was realized on the involved educators. In this section, the work of the two support groups (groups for persons with disabilities in the family and groups for single-parent families) was shown. The coordinators who led the groups, Renata Dimanovska for the group with single-parent families and Martina Durljanova for the group of families with persons with disabilities, gave presentations for them. Then the manual was shown according to which the work modules for children and young people, as well as for vulnerable groups, were conducted. The explanation for the manual was given by Jovce Krsteski, who in cooperation with Prof.Ph.D Sasho Kochankovski was preparing the appearance of the manual. Before awarding certificates for completed peer education modules, a group of peer educators who have been actively preparing in the past period performed in front of the present audience with their musical score. From the mental health topics they worked on the past year, they created their text and under the guidance of Jasna Dimitrovska, they managed to create their melody for that text and sang their entire idea in front of the audience at this final event. In the end, there was the awarding of certificates of participation and the sharing of gratitude to everyone who participated and helped this project throughout the year. The Mayor of the Municipality of Bitola, Toni Konjanovski, also addressed some of the young people who participated in the activities, as well as participants from the support groups who emphasized the need to continue this type of activities in the city, because there is no enough for this type of work with marginalized groups. offer at the level of the Municipality of Bitola. The event took place on the premises of Europe House in Bitola, where most of the peer educators were present, of course also their peers, parents, some of the professional services from the schools, representatives of civil society organizations, and representatives from the municipality. The representatives from the Municipality gave words of praise for the invested effort, work, and energy for this project to be completed properly and to contribute to enriching and encouraging interest in this issue at a higher and more professional level. With the publication of the manual, Bitola as a city also joins the trend with its contribution to the topic of how to work with peers on topics important to their mental health and well-being. The manual is free and can be downloaded at the following link. Photos from this Activity in this gallery. 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.
Philanthropy Forum 2024: Philanthropy as a driver of sustainable development
We had the opportunity to participate in this beautiful and inspiring event in which various stakeholders unite to jointly face the challenges of today. The forum, which was attended by participants from Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Singapore, Serbia and Croatia and over 80 participants from institutions, businesses, civil society organizations and media, emphasized that philanthropic efforts play a key role in promoting and building a fairer and sustainable world for all. The forum shared best practices from the Balkans and beyond. Philanthropy is an action that creates more opportunities, partnerships and new models of enhanced cooperation that encourage growth on the path to sustainable development. One of the directions for action that was highlighted is that we should work on promoting strategic philanthropy, and not only on ad-hoc initiatives and providing support in emergency situations. At this event, Konekt also presented the possibilities of the new platform for group giving “Op-op” that allows donors to make thoughtful donations to worthy non-profit organizations that are proven to make big changes. 6 civil society organizations that have gone through the process of checking high international standards were awarded the “Mark of Trust” certificate and are recommended for donors to support. Don Carmine, Director of the USAID Office for Democracy and Good Governance, emphasized that USAID believes that philanthropy can be a driver of sustainable growth. Holders of top executive positions of domestic companies, members of the Konekt Responsible Business Club emphasized that the association of companies in this sustainability initiative will strengthen their positive impact on society in cooperation with the civil society sector. The media panel discussion highlighted the need for good philanthropic practices to rank higher in the topics that are the focus of editorial policies, fostering a national culture of philanthropy. This event is part of the USAID “Giving Partnerships” project implemented by “Konekt” in partnership with the European Center for Nonprofit Law (ECNL), the Chamber of Commerce of North-West Macedonia, Indigo, and the American Chamber of Commerce in North Macedonia
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.
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.
