YMCA in Kosovo Blog

My name is Arita and I’m the program coordinator for our after school project here in Kosovo. I got the chance to go on a study visit to YMCA Finland and see up close their work and what  they are doing in their YMCA, including their after school programs. Jenni Enqvist the leader of our field group and National board member of YMCA Finland made this possible for us. Hello Kosovo???  When we first arrived in Helsinki we stayed in the Arthur hotel, this also had space for projects. The hotel was incredible! Afterwards, we had the chance to meet the director Timo Laulaja and one of their staff from the after school program, Tuomas Makela. Their hospitality and what they had organized for us is something I will always remember. Everything went according to the agenda and they presented to us their work. I also got the chance to visit the other halls and rooms where the after school program runs, and I kept telling myself “One day we will be like this too!” Arita ...

Jan has been instrumental bringing the YMCA to Kosovo, she is a very important field group member that supports our  development and she brings much needed experience and vision, this has earned her the nickname "mom" in our movement. Here she shares an article she wrote after living here. Kosovo makes you laugh and cry, sometimes simultaneously. Independence has brought about hope, something that was in short supply when I lived there in 2005.   The scars of the war were only beginning to heal. People craved a return to normalcy. The collision of those dynamics created comedy and tragedy in tandem. In Kosovo Americans could feel right at home. One could visit the “Hillary Dress Shop” or eat lunch at “King Burger.”   Incredibly I was left managing a shoe store one Saturday when the owner disappeared somewhere to obtain change so that I could make a purchase. Apparently as an American I was trusted enough to mind the store. There were “auto larje” (car wa...

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...