I am lucky to be part of this family called YMCA by Ariana

I remember the first time I came at the YMCA. Back then we didn’t have a YMCA center, we kept our sessions at a local youth center.

Ariana at Youth Ambassadors meeting

 I  remember that afternoon it was raining and I didn’t find my umbrella so I got wet and arrived late. My first opinion for the YMCA was a place to have fun and meet new people, I didn’t even imagine that the YMCA in the future is going to be a second family for me. I remember how good and proud I felt when I met Dorina our CEO on the bus while traveling to Prishtina. It was that day when I learned even more about YMCA, also that day Dorina encouraged me to apply for Greece Camp, something that I wasn’t really informed about. I applied I was really happy and lucky to be one of the participants that went to a summer camp somewhere  abroad.

Ariana and other participants at UNICEF's event


 I started with the leadership program where I created my own group. I also went to Y WoMan training and YMCA now was a place where I could express my feelings, my opinion without the fear of getting judged from others. When I turned 18 even more opportunities were  there for me. I was proposed to go to Paris for the COP21 conference. It was like a dream coming true since I had never been on a plane before, I had never been to Paris and thinking that I got chosen to represent YMCA Kosovo was a honor. After that I went to the Netherlands the next year at a camp for learning more about Summer camps and organizing camps, it was really strict with the agenda, which I think is a good thing, since I was there for a reason and wanted to learn.

Ariana at COP21

 YMCA told me once again how much they believe in me...  YMCA is the place, the family that made me believe in myself  and know how important is to raise my voice, made me realize that someone somewhere cares what I think, that someone wants to hear my opinion. I am now Scout leader. I went to a training that was about camping and scouting. I was there with two other people from Kosovo. The three of us got Swiss scout scarf, which is a really important thing since not everyone get a scout scarf, you have to earn it. 


Ariana with European Scouts

I met a lot of friends, people that taught me new things that I didn’t know and people that I hope that I will meet again someday in and outside Kosovo through the YMCA. 


Ariana and other participants at the Volunteer Fair 

Here I am now, right here in Gjakova surrounded with Youth Ambassadors, being proud about myself and our YMCA for having the first "generation" of Youth Ambassadors. When I started writing this I though I wouldn’t  be long and wouldn’t know how to share my experiences, but now I know how lucky  I was to hear about YMCA, and how lucky I am to be part of one of the first leadership generations, one of the first scout leaders and one of the first youth ambassadors, I am lucky to be part of this family called YMCA.


Ariana and other participants at Youth Ambassadors Meeting



Ariana Sahatqia

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