YMCA in Kosovo Blog

   Name: Aoileann Conway Where I live: N. Ireland Profession: Community Youth Work (Ulster University graduate) Age: 24 Interesting fact: I live for the outdoors and a good cup of tea! m-power is a youth project that is in nine YMCA’s and one YWCA and delivered in 10 locations across the isle of Ireland. The youth project is supported by the European Union’s PEACE IV program and naturally concerns itself with building, promoting, and facilitating peace. The three core pillars in which the project is based are good relations, personal development, and citizenship. Each program is delivered by qualified, professional youth workers in a non-formal, youth work setting. It offers qualifications, new experiences, adventure, outdoor pursuits, sports, difficult discussions, and a time to reflect. Each program has the same foundation, yet no two are the same as they are rooted in meeting the needs of individual young people to support their growth and personal development. I deliver th...

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...

Hi all, maybe some of you already know me and some others not, but let me introduce myself, before you start reading my new story. I am Ylli Alija from Gjakova and I work in YMCA as a youth worker since December 2019. When YMCA Kosovo staff told me that I can write a blog about this group that I am about to tell you, I got so excited for many reasons. First of all the group that I am talking about is the first and the only leadership group that we (YMCA) have in the municipality of Rahovec; in some way they made history? I guess yes, because they will always be remembered as the first group of Rahovec who attended at the leadership training and I think they will lead the way of YMCA by inspiring new generations to become part of us. Believe me or not they are also the first group that I had to hold the leadership training with, so they are kind of special in my heart and that’s why I want to share my story about this group with all of you. I remember when me and my colleague wer...

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...

As part of my job, international training is very important. This time I had the chance for the second time to be part of  YMCA Europe Roots for Reconciliation training. I was excited about this training because when I was in Berlin for the Peace Work institute we were separated in different tandem groups and the group that I was part of we wanted to do a  digital campaign for peace. After six months I was invited to be part of the P.E.A.C.E project in Budapest- which was my groups tandem idea.I was very happy that our project was chosen to be implemented. P.E.A.C.E project aimed to train different youth workers and leaders who work with young people and to spread peace-building through different online campaigns and build the participants knowledge of digital tools and platforms that can help them do this. Nita and Fiona from Kosovo Y I feel safe and not left out in RFR training's and this time again it was a very good because I had the chance to present about wh...

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 scope of the YMCA's work was also moving in another direction - to include women and girls. The Young Women's  Christian Association, set up in 1855 was originally an alternative to the YMCA for women and has always been a separate organization. But by the 1960s women and girls were becoming involved with the YMCA - staying in hostels and joining mixed youth clubs. There were even some associations with clubs just for women. In response, in 1964 the national movement allowed women to become full members and encouraged local YMCAs to do the same. The 1960s and early 1970s were generally a time of re-assessment for the YMCA, centered on a 1970 report, "Changing Needs and New Perspectives". As a result of the report, it was decided to allow local YMCAs to have a single form of the membership, rather than full and associate membership if they wished. The conditions for this new membership did not stipulate that the member should be a Christian basis of the mo...

After the second world war, as in 1918, the YMCA helped restore normality after the chaos. As well as organizing trips to war graves abroad for bereaved, the relatives, the association also established hostels for refugees from Germany, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Yugoslavia. The British YMCA helped 20,000 of these “European Volunteer Workers,” settle in Britain, Giving them a home while they worked in industry and farming. Afterlife settles into a peacetime routine, this most recent period in YMCA history has seen ventures to inject Christianity into the industry, a rapidly expanding and changing hostel programme, and a concentration on youth work, health and fitness, and training. Soon after the war ended, a whole new programme of work, focused on bringing Christian values into business and industry, began. The programme - based at residential centers at Kingsgate in Kent, Cheshunt College at Cambridge, Rhoose Youth College in Wales and Dunford House Sussex ...

The SDG program, in the YMCA, enabled us to raise some higher degrees and learn something new. During these weeks we were part of the program, the many activities open up our thinking about  the change that we can bring if we pursue the goals which has been presented by the UN, inspired by results that preceded. The experience at SDG, at YMCA in Kosovo  How will we make our country a better place to live? Well, the activity that took place in one of the sessions gave each of us an opportunity to think about how we would change our country, in accordance with UN goals, the SDGs. SDG Quiz SDG 4 Quality Education What do we need to develop more in our country? Education. One of the most profitable sessions. Since education is the main pillar of human development, in their best. From this session we came out with some big ideas and full knowledge, about that what we learned in SDG Program, we became unique. We created our game which is called SDG Ch...

For me it was a challenge that I started doing with pleasure.  A challenge that made me stronger! A challenge that made me feel better, and with the safest positively in the things I do in life. A challenge that makes me understand that starting from me I can change the world! Diona volunteering in the library                                                                         In life we choose if we want to be bad or good, we create ourselves, our character and personality, but whatever we create, a monster or an angle, everything depends on the environment that surrounds us! Family, relatives , friends and everything that happens to us is the reason for all the virtues that we warm ourselves, whether it is good or bad! Volunteering at  the YMCA Birthday   ...

After 11 hours of traveling we finally arrived in Thessaloniki. We were very excited. First we went to YMCA building or XANO how the Greeks call it. It was awesome it had basketball courts, volleyball courts, and a girl showed us around. I loved the YMCA shop, it was amazing. After that we got on the bus and had 2 hours on the road where we arrived at Halkidiki camp. Outside YMCA Greece After we sent our suitcases to the accommodation we went to eat dinner. We were then shown the camp rules. There was a bell and everyday it rang at 7:45 so the marikes ( χαχα ):some of us who had to lay the table and serve, had to go. After that there was another bell ringing at 8:00 so that everyone could go to the dinning hall and eat. After the marikes served the meal it was time for the prayers and after that we started eating and we couldn't leave the table until everyone was finished! The first day we were split in four groups that had two or three leaders and they took us on a tou...

"Paradise on Earth" Well, it was quite a new and attractive place for us or should i say for us youth... travelling to Greece was living a reality between antique and modern life, surfing through Thessaloniki at first, it was a great city with all the ingredients of Greek history. All over amazing sights, all across downtown we saw special things and buildings, and then... the YMCA building. When we first saw that place, we thought is all this building for the YMCA? or only half of it?.. but no, it was huge! Everything was organized as it should be, a place where youth can express themselves, can reflect freedom and spend time with friends. A pool, a mini-market, a basketball hall, a mini church, lots of activity rooms and many many other things like cups, awards and we wished that one day we would have a YMCA like this, what an amazing place! We moved from Thessaloniki for a hour and a half to Halkidiki - paradise on earth.The camp was populated by mostly Gre...

Hi everyone, my name is Armir and I’m a member of GWY in Kosovo. Just recently I got the chance to go on a Training conference which took place in Macedonia from 4th to 12th of June. It was hosted by CID within the YiA program.  Armir (centre) in Skopje  The first 5 days were hold in Mavrovo where we the participants shared our ideas and opinions about different topics and on the 5th day we gathered everything we talked about and started to prepare for the big conference which lasted 3 days in Shkup where we had to make a presentation there about the role of YiA in youth work development. The overall aims and objectives of this  project were: 1. To explore the local impact of the projects and their quality and sustainability 2. To discuss  the development of youth work 3. To accumulate opinions for youth work recognition in different countries and on European level. There were 49 participants from all over the EU, so I’m very happy tha...

By being part of GWY staff I am having the chance to develop others but my organization is taking care of my development also. Since September I had to skip some of staff meetings because I had to travel in Prishtina for a specialized course called "Basics of community Youth Work" organized from Forum SYD. Martin top right with other participants The course is very interactive and applying effective learning methods. Me and Shqiprim who is from GWY too, are really enjoying this opportunity given us by Forum SYD through George Williams Youth Association. In this training except personal development, I had the chance to meet some people from Local youth councils and other organizations all over Kosovo which is good for the future collaborations. There are some modules part of this course plus one practical placement. The 5th module was held in Albania's capital city, Tirana. We really had fun there and I was part of some powerful sessions for Conflict solving i...

Through the YMCA i applied and got an scholarship with Forum Syd to study "Basics of youth work". Since the beginning when I started this training it had a great atmosphere. Together with another member from our organization, Martin Berisha we gained  a lot from this opportunity and learned with other participants from all across Kosovo, creating friendly relationships with them. I realized that at the beginning of this journey  we didn't know each other but now i have made friends and contacts for many years to come Shiqiprim top left with other learners . The training started from the middle of September and ended at the start of December, the sweetest moment of this training was the time we spent in Albania where we had a weekend residential and I had an unforgettable time! Modules passed and now just the last one, i feel we have gained so much new knowledge which will help me in my youth work. I have gained some great friends considering i only knew one p...