Changing Attitudes Toward Volunteerism in Macedonia
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| Volunteers recruit others in Ohrid’s city square. |
The mission of the ten-year-old Youth Cultural Center (YCC) in Bitola, Macedonia, is to get young people involved in their communities. With support from USAID’s Civil Society Strengthening Project (CSSP), YCC has expanded its advocacy throughout Macedonia by establishing a National Volunteer Center in Bitola and working with other non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) designated as Volunteer Information Points (VIPs) in their respective regions.
YCC mentors the VIPs, which serve as resources to both local volunteers and NGOs and play a significant role in getting out the message that volunteering is fun and rewarding. YCC selected five NGOs in different cities (Kavadarci, Delcevo, Tetovo, Ohrid, and Debar) to become VIPs. While each VIP was chosen because of its history of working with volunteers, none had any prior experience in promoting volunteerism. YCC helped each NGO establish a volunteer referral system, develop strategies to promote volunteerism locally, and organize their own volunteer actions. In addition, YCC provided training in volunteer management and camp leadership, and guidelines on how to approach local institutions to secure volunteer placements.
To launch the VIP network, young volunteers traveled to each of the VIP cities, organizing volunteers to collect litter, clean school yards, and help out at children’s centers. At each location, they set up booths with posters, brochures and live performances to further promote their cause. YCC worked with each VIP to stage “volunteer happenings” to generate excitement about volunteering. These events, usually held in the town square, featured music, dancing, and the opportunity for passers-by to make or buy arts and crafts. The proceeds were donated to a center for children with disabilities.
During the initial two-year CSSP-funded project (completed in 2008), YCC and the VIPs recruited 611 volunteers and raised 7,900 MKD in cash and 283,150 MKD in in-kind resources. The impact on the participating VIPs has been profound.
Petre Mrkev of the Council for Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency in Kavadarci, said that his organization’s participation as a VIP “enabled us to make a big step in the promotion of volunteerism [and] also to further promote our organization at the local level as an important partner that fosters active participation of young people in democratic processes. We have regular contacts with local institutions that inform us every time there are possibilities for new volunteering positions. These activities have provided young people with the extraordinary opportunity to practice knowledge from the university, but also to gain new skills and, probably the most important, the self-confidence that they are capable of working and creating something.”
Since its initial CSSP project ended, YCC has extended its support to two new VIPs at NGOs in Prilep and Sveti Nikole, and continues to recruit and place volunteers nationwide. With follow-on funding from the U.S. Embassy and the Balkan Trust for Democracy, YCC has recruited an additional 120 volunteers; 50 have already been placed in 45 different institutions in seven cities across Macedonia.
Meanwhile, a new CSSP grant is helping YCC establish a system for accrediting non-formal education programs. It is a member of the South East European Youth Network, and a contact point in Macedonia for the European Volunteer Service. The CSSP is implemented by the Institute for Sustainable Communities.
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