YMCA in Kosovo Blog

Hi I am Zana, not such an ordinary 23 year-old from Peja, at least I’ve been told so! The thing about me is that I am an extrovert with a bit of extra energy and creativity that needs to be channelled, and I started noticing that after I was out of university. Day dreaming of social equality and looking for opportunities to make a change, and as most of the youth I was eager to find somewhere I belong a space I can be me. Now here is how my YMCA journey starts. So my friend invited me to this new training called I Am Whole in the YMCA in Peja, so it thought I would give it a try. Being a psychology student at the time I was amazed at the work I saw in those mental health sessions. Young people were learning about subjects we as a society never talked about; anxiety, phobias, mindfulness, body image all of these topics were and are considered taboo. I remember thinking at the time... now this is a platform where people should join. After we shared a lot of memories, fears, and happine...

I’m Valentina and I am a youth worker at the  YMCA in my city- Peja and this is my story… ValentinaMurati I was always a very hard-working person and very empathic I always loved helping people that is why I chose Social Work as my study field and from a very young age I got the chance to participate in different NGO’s as a volunteer so my love for being able to help people change started from a very young age and still grows. After being a semester abroad and then coming back here without any idea what to do after my graduation, and for me as an very active person it was really hard. I got stuck between a lot of applications, always searching for the right one. One of my friends who was a volunteer in this NGO called YMCA  shared some posts about what they do and I started thinking what would I do if I was there too?  And  there it was! A job application, while I was reading it, I thought  I would love to be part of this family so I’m really going t...

I'm Elsa Gashi, and I participate in programs: Leadership, Building Bridges and Y-Woman. Elsa Gashi In each of these programs I have had various experiences that have inspired me to join other training, which I do with great pleasure and which brings me a lot of positivity and gives me the space to express my thoughts and ideas freely. After coming to this centre I am fed with knowledge about different topics which after each session I just become curious to know more, to say what I think, to hear what others think, I look forward to next time I come to the YMCA! Elsa and her friends during Y Woman training My experience at Y Woman has just begun and I love every session more and more. There are topics that many of us need more information about, where the many activities we do are contributing to quench our thirst and at the same time increase our thirst for knowledge. My favorite topic from this program so far is "Prejudice and Stereotypes". The reason w...

In Kosovo, many people still have a pattern of identification based on ethnicity or religious identity laden with security and incidents, especially in the Peja region. Inter-ethnic relations in Kosovo are, to put it simply, specific, and this is particularly reflected in the example of integration of returnees. There are few examples of genuine multi-ethnic cooperation in the Peja. However, it exists through the cooperation of civil society. Two projects are currently happening in the Peja region, involving young people from numerous communities. One is run by the George William Youth Center (YMCA) and the other by the Osojana Community Minority Rights Center. The Youth Building Bridges project is led by Zana Ramovic from Peja. "What we are currently doing is through art. We work in Goraždevac, Peja, Gjakova, Junik and Deçan. So far, we have held eight workshops on tolerance, peace, democracy, teamwork and conflict resolution." says Zana ramovic from the YMCA. Marko Me...