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.
YMCA World Accelerator Summit: Vision 2030 in Mombasa, Kenya
By Natasa Darkov From 21st to 26th October 2024, I had the incredible privilege of attending the YMCA World Accelerator Summit in Mombasa, Kenya. This gathering was a pivotal moment for YMCA’s Vision 2030, bringing together over 400 delegates from around the world, including change agents, youth champions, presidents, staff and volunteers. Representing YMCA Macedonia as one of three Youth Champions for the Youth Meaningful Work Survey, supported by Deloitte Australia, was a true honor and a highlight of my journey. Out of 90 candidates globally, I was honored to be one of three selected for this important role. The summit began with a warm and formal reception hosted by the General Secretary of YMCA Kenya. Each delegate was personally welcomed, with the promise of a week filled with camaraderie and connection. The evening’s entertainment showcased Kenya’s rich cultural heritage through music, dance and traditions, creating a vibrant and memorable introduction to the host country. Starting on the second day, the focus shifted to the pillars of Vision 2030: A Sustainable Planet, Meaningful Work, Community Well-Being and a Just World. Engaging plenary sessions featured inspiring speakers, including the Secretary General of YMCA World and representatives from UNICEF, the United Nations and Habitat for Humanity, who were an absolute honor to hear live. In my opinion, one of the most valuable activities for me was the “Tatu Tatu” initiative, which encouraged us participants from different nations to connect and exchange perspectives on specific topics throughout the week. It was a powerful reminder of the strength and diversity of the global YMCA network. The third day offered the opportunity to visit local NGOs in Mombasa. I chose SOTE HUB, a dynamic business incubator that supports startups in areas such as digitalization, agriculture, and climate change. Witnessing their impactful work firsthand was inspiring and aligned with the broader goals of Vision 2030. Later that day, all delegates gathered at YMCA Mombasa for a meet and greet with their staff. The visit included an engaging cultural exchange segment and ended with a memorable group photo that captured the spirit of our shared mission. The fourth day focused on mental health awareness – a topic close to my heart. The program included thought-provoking presentations and video messages from representatives in Hong Kong and Honduras, followed by panel discussions that delved deeply into Youth Meaningful Work. It was a great experience to exchange ideas and insights with peers from around the world. That evening, European delegates gathered for an informal gathering to share challenges, experiences, and opportunities for collaboration. These discussions reinforced my sense of belonging to a supportive and innovative community. On the fifth day, we explored themes through panel discussions led by international representatives, followed by a closing workshop on Meaningful Youth Work. During the closing ceremony, awards were presented for each pillar of Vision 2030. Although the Digital Hubs award went to the Jerusalem Rehabilitation Center, I felt immense pride that YMCA Macedonia, along with the Western Balkans and Moldova, was nominated for this significant recognition. The day ended on a high note with a gala dinner hosted by Y’s Men International, celebrating our shared achievements and the nurturing of connections. The final day of the summit was a time for reflection, networking, and building lasting relationships. Each morning during the summit began with recap videos capturing the highlights of the previous day, and these moments will remain as my best memories. The Vision 2024 Summit was a huge success and I left Mombasa inspired and ready to contribute to YMCA’s Vision 2030 goals. This experience not only deepened my commitment to meaningful work, but also reaffirmed the transformative power of global collaboration and shared purpose. I will forever cherish the opportunity to represent YMCA Macedonia and be part of this transformative event, and I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this journey possible. Thank you for allowing me to witness the magic of unity, innovation, and hope on a global stage.
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!
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: 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!
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.
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.
Igniting our Mission in the West Balkans Initiative
From the 13th-16th of October, our representatives have been present at the West Balkan Initiative meeting, hosted by YMCA Kosovo. The program sessions were designed around the integration of the mission, and vision of the participating YMCAs from N.Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo and Serbia – and the establishment of a bright and flourishing future together within our movement. Besides the representatives of the West Balkan Initiative, the meeting had several YMCA guests who gave their contributions to the program such as Claudia Kuhn from CVJM (YMCA Germany) with inputs on the Program Development, Paul Smillie from the YMCA Europe Movement Strengthening Initiative with inputs on Governance Improvement, Marius Pop from YMCA Europe Strategic Partnerships with inputs of the collaborations with the corporate sector, Tom Valentine from YMCA of the USA with inputs of the perspectives and support for the region in future and Andy from YMCA Europe Communications Team. The program offered an incredible opportunity to exchange good practices, meet the local youth leaders, and visit YMCA centers across the country including the new Camp Pjetershan. Our stay was in the city of Peja with sessions and lunches held at the local YMCA – an impressive multi-functional facility that accommodates a variety of training programs and youth-oriented sessions. It has been a great opportunity to provide an update on each movement on their development during the initiative and plans in light of the promising partnerships and potential future activities. It has been a great time to remember all the values, memories, and experiences that brought together the leadership of the West Balkans Initiative – continuing to focus their work on regional plans, future steps, challenges, and opportunities for the upcoming year. In terms of achievements, it is worth mentioning that new municipality spaces and agreements have been acquired by some YMCAs, each YMCAs revenue has increased throughout the initiative, new partnership projects (within the region and Internationally have begun), extra focus on not just the leaders but staff and board members has been given. With over 20 digital meetings (team and 1 to 1) plus study visits to all participating YMCAs this year the region is slowly growing and heading in the right direction- with still much work to be done. And the crown jewel of our trip – Camp Pjetershan – an impressive YMCA camp accommodating 70 young people and offering wonderful facilities like sports and training facilities, camp halls and offices, camp dorms, campfire site- a space that can be used for multiple outdoor-oriented activities and a fine example of local, national and international support for a project. We have been inspired by this meeting, awed by the resilience and determination of the team, and the individual work of every participating YMCA that is creating change in their communities – and we are grateful to be part of it.
