YMCA in Kosovo Blog

Today is the 6th anniversary of the Independence of Kosovo. We as an organisation have seen a lot of changes during this 6 years as we constantly invest in youth and try to provide a safe space for them to grow. We wish you and your family the best on this day and we look forward to building the future with you! Sot është përvjetori i 6-të i Pavarësisë së Kosovës. Ne si organizatë kemi parë shumë ndryshime gjatë këtë 6 viteve mbase ne konstant investojmë në rini dhe të përpiqemi për të siguruar një hapësirë të sigurt qe ata të zhvillohen. Ne ju urojme juve dhe familjeve tuaj këtë ditë dhe shikojmë përpara për të ndërtuar të ardhmen bashke me ju! Dorina and staff team.

I took part in YMCA Europe’s 3 rd annual fundraising conference, not something I am used to attending but the reality is in some YMCA’s you may have a certain role but you end up involved in most things. It was a 3 day conference in Brussels “the capital of Europe” as I kept getting told. As I looked at the schedule I knew this was going to get heavy at times and there were sessions around the new Erasmus + and EU financial instruments, there was also input from the Scout movement and discussion around a potential YMCA Europe office in Brussels.  Fundraising Conference participants  Jane Burns from England kicked off the conference and went through a host of methods and initiatives which worked in the western countries, she also treated us to YMCA England’s new brand which I feel has been an excellent process however the new logo left some traditionalists without words, however others felt it would grow on them... eventually. My favorite session was the...

What is the role of women in our society?  What they should do to raise their voices and why is this important for them? Those were the questions we discussed at the round table within the Y Woman project. Y Woman is a new project here in Kosovo which gives space to young girls to talk openly about issues and develop strong female leaders for the movement. I'm a young girl volunteering at GWY (YMCA), and when I was informed about the project I was very happy because I have a strong connection with the topic. I always felt that I need to raise my voice, and be part of a group who shares more or less the same thoughts with me. A space for girls to share hopes, fears and opinions  During the first round table it made me think about how am I contributing my future, and how supportive my family are and how they effect my growth as a person. Personally I think that the strongest weapon a woman has is her education. We all know that woman can educate the who...

From the first moment I heard about the peace institute I was excited to know more about it and really wanted to experience it! Not because of traveling out of the country but because for the first time in my life I knew I was going to have the chance and experience YMCA in a whole new dimension... I was going to experience the international YMCA. The big question was... was I ready for that? YES! Was the big answer, because I knew that a piece of international YMCA was already in Kosovo. Everything started the day when Dorina and Adi called me for coffee and I presumed it was just a coffee meeting like most Saturday mornings, but no it wasn’t they asked me if id like to be involved in YMCA peace work because of my previous experiences and they thought I was the proper person to attend this training.  The preparation started and I was sorting my documents for the visa application (the hardest part of every international training in Kosovo). I had experienced visa application...

As we wave goodbye to 2013 it doesn't seem that long ago since our first blog from Orbis who visited Macedonia back in March last year. He really started the ball rolling and since then we have had many entries ranging from Norway to Armenia, from Prague to England it has been quite a treat reading about our participants and where they have visited. As of writing this blog has been read in over 30 countries by more then 2,500 people! The variety of writers is really growing and 2014 promises to be a fantastic year filled with many more opportunities at home and abroad. We also hope to be joined on the blog by guests from the world wide movement not just our own movement, we hope that their offering will be unique and add to your YMCA reading experience! Another aim this year is to also bring you updates and experiences from our projects here in Kosovo not just individuals International experiences.  So from everyone here at the GWY Blog, we wish you all the best for t...

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...