YMCA in Kosovo Blog

My name is Avnora Morina from Gjakova municipality and I belong to the Egyptian community. I first heard about the YMCA at Bethany Christian Service  February  2016 and have been a part of this youth organization ever since. Avnora and other participants from Leadership training I started with the Leadership program for which I am the first generation of the community to participate in such activities. This group had a variety of ethnicities and we have completed 4 levels of this program, during this time we have learned a lot about leadership, developed critical thinking and gained confidence. Communication with others as a young person was very important to me, because it opened new doors and each door had a new friend which helped me when I needed them. Avnora with her Leadership group After all this time I have opened my own Leadership group and also participated in TenSing groups and the Y WoMan gender project. With the YMCA I have had the opportunity to ...

No wonder all my relatives live in Switzerland! – by Ari. Hey guys, I’m Ari and I’ve been a volunteer in the YMCA for 3 and a half years now. I joined the YMCA to have a place where I can hang out with my friends, but little did I know that I was starting a life journey that would shape and nurture me as a leader and person! Week by week I was taught and challenged with incremental tasks that promoted good values; I was pushed towards independence gradually, and when the time came, I was given the opportunity to travel and represent my country in Switzerland!  The day came when we had to set off. Luckily our flights were a breeze and we didn’t have any problems while traveling. We first set foot in the beautiful city of Geneva and had a few spare hours to stroll around the vast city. Wandering through Geneva, I was continuously reminded of how small we actually are, and how there’s an endless world waiting to be seen and marveled. The streets, the people, the stores, the bu...

Inspired to start something new. On September 20-24 the World YMCA organized the Innovation Camp and brought together leaders from different counties to have intensive training around successful youth empowerment programmes with the view to implement them in our local YMCAs as there were 5 different topics. This event was held in Leysin, Switzerland. I was involved in Mental Health training since I am from this background (a psychology student). A really beautiful view and the environment in the Swiss Alps helped us to have an even more enjoyable experience. Errisa in Swiss Alps We were trained based on the experience of the Project from YMCA Vancouver “YMCA Mindfulness Programme” – For young people to learn healthy coping tools to manage anxiety, connect with other young people and receive support—all in a safe and friendly community environment. Errisa and her friends from the training I had the opportunity to learn about this chosen innovation and start a journe...

International training's are always fun and interesting, which is why I said yes to going to the World YMCA Innovations Camp in Switzerland. Vesa I left home very early September 20 th , and somehow managed to spend the day on only 1.5 hrs of sleep. We arrived in Geneva, and it was lovely to look around. Geneva is quite pretty, I have to admit. We also visited the YMCA World Office. Being part and spending a lot of time in an organization and then getting the chance to visit its World office, is a great opportunity and a great feeling! That house is big and has a long history, the World Alliance has a small team working here and across the world.  Vesa at YMCA Wold Office The actual training took place in Leysin, in a lovely hotel in the Swiss Alps. Speaking of the Swiss Alps they’re extremely beautiful to have as a morning view, which added on to my lovely experience there. The training had four different innovation workshops including Mental Health, C...

The first time I heard about YMCA I honestly thought  it was a waste of time! However  I had nothing to do at that time... I was 15, no activities, nothing out of school and it was only once a week training. I didn’t have a great experience with my group and didn't know anyone so it wasn't a great first experience. But I came. Dren representing YMCA in Kosovo as Change Agents in France  My mom was a big reason for me to come every week, she trusted the leadership and every time I felt anxious she reassured me. It was hard at first but then something changed...it became a thing and I felt comfortable coming every week and then there were days I didn't want to come but I still came. Dren and the other participants joined the Wonderful Days Festival in Denmark Then I  volunteered and become a peer trainer. I didn’t know my partner Drenusha at first, but after we worked together more and more she become a really important person in my personal and Y...

Hello! I am Sabrija Nikoqeviq.  I am part of the YMCA for about 2 years. I participated in the Youth Empowerment Program, Y-Woman for Equality and Gender Equality, Ten Sing for Drama and Art. I was invited by a friend to be part of YMCA in 2015. In the beginning I did not know much about this organization for the empowerment of youth but by the time I managed to integrate with the group, the staff and the aims of this organization. Sabrija and her friends after the training   YMCA helped me to freely express my thoughts, to create a new society, to learn more about the problems my society and people around and solve them. Sabrija and her Leadership group After I completed the 3 Leadership levels, I joined the new Y WoMan group. It was a large group of 20 members, each sharing our daily thoughts, experiences of equality and gender rights, where we also learned many rights that we did not know we have. Sabrija and her friends at Y WoMan tr...

When somebody mentions Switzerland, everybody will think chocolates, watches and money from all over the world... I will describe Switzerland as peaceful, clean and friendly. Pylljon posing in Zurich     While we, the Change Agents from Kosovo arrived at the Zurich airport, we had that feeling of something new and something unique that will happen. Inside of the city of Zurich I saw black& grey buildings, a clock tower, churches, monuments, bridges that remind me of a past time, a glorious time with small pieces of history, architecture and culture... very rich culture. In every corner of the streets you see a clean place and modest people walking by, always with a smile on their faces. After visiting one the most cultural cities of Europe, together with my YMCA team we arrived out of the city in a greeny forest, where we slept in a traditional Swiss house built in the 19 th century. Over the next days, our team was moved to a suburb side of Zurich in ...