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 ...

A short but memorable visit... This month August 2019 the YMCA celebrated its 175th birthday, which was held in London. We volunteered at this 4-day event, where our goal was to represent Kosovo and tell about our work at the YMCA. Dea with YMCA Kosovo delegation at the YMCA 175 In addition to participating in the workshops, we also had the honor of leading our own workshops, sharing our culture with other people. Not only did we share our culture, we also got to know many other cultures from around the world, where we also had the opportunity to make friends with other young people who were part of the event. Dea with her new friend  And finally, we took a stroll through London visiting some of the many tourist sites and museums. Dea with YMCA Kosovo Delegation visiting London

A trip to London… The journey we undertook had a purpose: Attending the YMCA175 event, where we as a delegation from Kosovo had the honor of sharing the beautiful work of our youth with the world, how they help the community, empower youth and how it has impacted and continues to impact, influence. The YMCA is a place where young people can make a difference and feel valued in their community. Diona with the YMCA Kosovo Delegation in the YMCA 175 event I am fortunate to have the honor and privilege to be part of leading one of the many workshops of that event where I had the opportunity to share our culture and the role of young people from my country in empowering youth and changing socializing with people who were eagerly attending and involved in the session we had prepared! Diona during her workshop  Also, during this time I had the opportunity to participate in various workshops where I had the opportunity to get to know a large number of people from all over th...

When I first found out that I was chosen to go to London for YMCA 175 I was too excited, not only because I was going to London but also it was my first time in an airplane and my first time in an international event with YMCA. As days went by, the 3rd of August finally came. After a day of traveling, we saw our self in London. I still couldn't believe it. For the event, we had to take part in different workshops that were held by different countries around the world. We also had to lead a workshop "TenSing in a new country" which was on the last day of the event. The first day was amazing... It was the opening of the event where our ambassador Florent Abrashi sang some amazing songs, creating a wonderful atmosphere. The second day went great. Jora with Era, Dea, and Diona at YMCA175  I took part on workshops about wellness, leadership, and inclusion, which made me learn a lot about those topics and I’m happy that I can share that knowledge with our yout...

I’m Erblina, an 18 year old volunteer in the YMCA. I really wanted to be part of the organization ever since I heard of it. Erblina at her TenSing painting group I learned many things that I didn’t know before, things that aren’t discussed even in classrooms. YMCA is where I feel free to be myself and the people there make you feel like you’re part of a family. What I liked most about the sessions in the Ten Sing program is that besides drawing we have the chance to make friends, play a bit of music and discuss different topics each session. Erblina during her Leadership session drawing her perfect leader When I first became a trainer of the Arts group in the Ten Sing program, I and the participants found the space to express our creativity and try new things. I wasn’t sure I would be great at helping them learn more about art, but afterwards, I started feeling more comfortable and shared with them what I knew about drawing and painting. Being part of the ...

I’m Vullnet, being part of the YMCA have been one of the best parts of my life. Not only did I make new friends meet new people, but I changed a lot in a good way. For me, as a young man was a great opportunity to show my self, to speak up, to talk about my dreams, to say what is it in my mind without having the fear of judgement, which helped me to travel from my introvert self to an extroverted me now. Thanks to the YMCA.    Vullnet volunteering at Question Time event I was part of many programs here at the YMCA. Starting with the Leadership, Ten Sing (Art Group), Scouts, YWoMen etc. All of them were special to me. After finishing one, I was always felt the content had challenged me and changed how i think and feel about certain things, like a new person inside. Besides learning new things, I had the chance to liver those new things, the topics we have worked on have taught us how to stay strong in life, how to deal with ourselves as adults. But the most wonderf...

I'm Jehon Alikckaj from Decan and I'm in 'Vellezrit Frasheri' high school. I joined YMCA last year, where I am part of the Leadership and TenSing program. Jehon with his certificate of Reality Module of Leadership This organization has helped me a lot since it has made me more compassionate and has offered me the space to express myself  without prejudice by anyone, it has offered me space for my words to be heard considering that Kosovar society is very much perceived by the opinions of others. Also, the YMCA has also connected me with new friends from the municipalities of Gjakova, Peja and Junik where this organization has its other centers, this also helped me with critical thinking and sharing realities with youth from other cities. Jehon with his friends after their World Challenge The YMCA my second home and so it will always remain.  I encouraged all young people from Kosovo to join the YMCA and similar organisations as this helps you discover the...

My name is Erza Hakaj, I am 16 years old from Decan. I joined the YMCA last year and I learned many different topics that belong to the Leadership program, through them we have developed our YMCA and it has become an open door that has offered me and many young people the space to do activities, games where each of them has a powerful message to us that we will remember during different stages of life. Erza Hakaj  I've been part of TenSing program also where I've challenged myself in different fields of art. The reason why I chose the YMCA is that we are all equal when we have a week of overloading a place like the YMCA enables us to entertain and express what we think without fear of judging us, we have the right to do whatever we want including what we need. Erza and her friends in the Leadership Program  Through my training I got the skills and confidence to become a Peer Trainer, the YMCA has given me this chance and now I have my own team to lead, I be...

Hello!   I’m Drilon Rogova, an 18-year-old boy who has experienced a lot because of YMCA. I`m a part of YMCA   for 5 years now and each year was better than the other.   YMCA have many programs that I have participated such as “Move” (tensing), the first group I ever joined in YMCA, and then followed by Leadership program (4 levels), Y WoMan, Ten Sing (singing, dancing, drama, video making, painting ), Scouts, SDG training and much more . Hello! I'm Drilon I have been a leader of a leadership group for 3 levels which gave me knowledge on how to be a good leader and the first singing group on YMCA when we gave two successful performances at the Tensing showcase. YMCA helped me gain my self-esteem, talking in public, giving speeches, making new friends etc. I also won the award for young volunteer of the year 2017. Past President Milot gave 'The Young Volunteer of the year' award to Drilon YMCA also gives opportunities to young people ...

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...