Ten Youth Councils established and active with the help of EU-funded grant

Ten Youth Councils established and active with the help of EU-funded grant

Pristina, 3 December 2014

Ten well organized local youth councils and over 200 youth that learnt how to raise their voice in an institutional way and propose legal changes are the outcome of the two year EU-funded grant “Youth Capacity and Action for Change”.

Advancing youth in rural areas in Klina, apple versus smoking in Vushtrri/Vucitrn, healthy life through an open air gym in Gracanica, raising youth participation in voluntary work in Lipjan/Lipljane, employment possibilities in Peja/Pec, are some of the concrete youth activities undertaken in the local communities.                                                                                     

Vlora Krasniqi, one of the youth involved in the project in Vushtrri/Vucitrn, said: “I have learnt and built experience on writing and implementing youth initiatives and I feel I have grown a lot on communication skills. I also feel more capable and motivated to advocate for youth issues on Vushtrri”. 

The project was implemented in 10 municipalities: Malishevë/Mališevo, Pejë/Peć, Rahovec/Orahovac, Ferizaj/Uroševac, Vushtrri/Vučitrn, Gracanicë/Gračanica, Mamushë/Mamuša/Mamuşa, Novobërdë/Novo Brdo, Lipjan/Lipljane, and Klinë/Klina. Youth form these areas were trained on advocacy skills, the use of social media in advocacy, project management and organizational development.

"The Local Youth Action Councils have become an important stakeholder in policy development. Equally important, they have established partnerships with their municipal local youth departments which allowed them to jointly develop Local Youth Action Plans, partnerships which will also enable them to hold regular consultative meetings with policy makers in the future," said Christof Stock, Head of Cooperation at the EU Office in Kosovo/EUSR.

The World Vision Operational Director, Philip Harris, emphasized some of the changes that the project made possible. “Before the intervention, most of the targeted youth councils were weak or inactive while an increasing rate for volunteerism and advocacy activities has been recorded since the project started. Today, these councils have more young members of the community ready to participate in organized events, be it voluntarily or through support,” he said.

The project started two years ago with the budget around €200,000. It was funded by the European Union and co-funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation and implemented by World Vision in partnership with Students Helping Life in Kosovo (SHLK), Center for Peace and Tolerance and with the associated partner Central Youth Action Council of Kosovo.

For more information about the project please contact:

Elda Spaho Bleta, Communications Advocacy Officer, World Vision in Albania & Kosovo, +355 4 22 58 333/4| Mobile: + 355 68 5015224| Email: elda_spaho@wvi.org |
____________________________________________________________________________Fjolla Çeku-Sylejmani, Information and Communication Officer, fjolla.ceku@eeas.europa.eu, 038 5131 327, European Union Office in Kosovo/ EUSR website: http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/kosovo