Annual Report 2011 EN

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ANNUAL REPORT 2011

"Focus,

CONTENT

CONTENT

04 OPENING WO""""..

0 8 ABOUT YMCA BIT 11 TRAININGS 15 VOLUNTARY SERVICE 21 CAMPS 25 HEALTHY LIFESTYLE v Y-MOVIE 29 Y.mca macedonia L J ' 'L I

Y-COMICS

33

ACID TRIPLE

37

STRATEGIES AND CHALLENGES

41 45

GRATITUDE

Y M CA B IT O L A

NUMBERS

47

OFFICIAL INFORMATION

49

OPENING WORDS The theme of this annual report is FOCUS. This is the most wonderful period of the year, because we have to FOCUS on the past and look back on what we have done through the year in terms of activities and share it with you. Also, it is a good sign to see the progress we have made and the success we have achieved in serving as a community focused organization.

YMCABITOLA

2011 was not an easy year. We had many challenges, but that is what makes us stronger. Following are the biggest successes that we have achieved: -Moving the national office to Bitola. After 11 years based in Skopje we decided to move the head office to Bitola. Along with that we have appointed the national secretary general also in Bitola. For YMCA Bitola that meant also taking higher responsibilities in terms of the national movement as well as wider national and international involvement. We strongly believe that it is good starting point for activities to evolve on a higher level

OPENING WORDS

and change the approach towards more professional organization. Also, that provides new enthusiasm in YMCA Bitola and new opportunities for development of the work.

- Volunteers as basis. The engine of every non-profit community organization is the volunteers. We are happy that the youth from other parts of the world are willing to volunteer in Macedonia and that such programs exist which can supports these activities. From the beginning of 2011 we have officially started to work with the European Voluntary Service and the Peace Corps volunteers which contributed to an increase of our activities.

OPENING WORDS

ries as well as improving organization in terms of bringing better management policies.

As we approach our lOth anniversary of community service, stay with us so together we can contribute to the creation of better society for our youth.

- Wider inclusion. Last, but not least I will mention widening our target group. In the past period our target group was 18-35, but this year we have increased the age limits working with children and young people ages 11-17. Working on projects particularly for this group has increased our visibility and relevance among the local institutions in Bitola.

Everything that was mentioned so far shows the growing capacity of YMCA Macedonia. What we can promise now is that in the next period will be even more dynamic, providing more activities, targeting more beneficia-

Viktor 11 ev, Secretary General of YMCA Macedonia

About YMCA Bitola YMCA Bitola is a non-profit, nongovernmental, nonreligious and inclusive youth association which aims to provide opportunities for local youth and to actively work with them in our community. YMCA Bitola is part of the YMCA family spread throughout 119 countries worldwide reaching over 58 million people. YMCA Bitola was established in May 2002.

The main goal of the Association is to provide activities and opportunities in the fields of culture, art, nonformal education, promoting healthy lifestyles, and civil society that develop positive values and attitudes among young people.

We are focused on activities from public interest: non-formal education, culture and art, healthy lifestyle, civil society and human rights. We accomplish our activities through: trainings, seminars, workshops, camps, festivals, international study visits and other activities. We work on both local and international level. Multimedia products from our activities include: documentary movies, short videos, comics and promotional materials.

Trough different kinds of trainings at YMCA Bitola, in our country and abroad, we enable our members to gain the necessary knowledge and skills for their personal development as well as their proactive involvement in the activities of YMCA Bitola. Most of the activities are within the "Youth in Action" program. Also we provide different kinds of books, materials, and brochures for work in the civic sector.

Y-Training

Numbers During 2011 we worked and cooperated with various partner organizations and projects in which we were quite active. 15 local trainings realized with a total of 270 participants and send 75 participants on 8 training courses in the country and abroad.

Extracts from articles published in NotifY I first heard the term Elevator Speech at a training organized by the YMCA and during the training I learned a lot about how to present myself in 30 seconds. The training took place in front of the students of FAMIS and was led by Katie Kalinowski and Viktor Iliev. The training was conducted at the Faculty of Administration and Management Information Systems. Imagine that we are in elevator and trying to put together our Elevator Speech. We are not always able to say what we want and do not always have unlimited time.

Therefore it is best to learn how to single out the important things and say them in the beginning ...

Written by Viktorija Manevska

A special part of the project is "readiness for work." This program is designed to provide youth the necessary skills and knowledge to become healthy, productive people and participants in civic life in their communities. The training was completed through lectures, interactive communication, and practical exercises in order to better understand the whole process. The readiness for work training provides active participation of the attendees in the learning process, where participants can practice and gain new skills and strengthen self-confidence, an important factor to find and keep work ...

Written by Maja Jonceska

Volunteer and join in some of the activities of YMCA Bitola! Learn something new and do something useful! YMCA Bitola also offers you unforgettable international volunteer engagement in Europe! You can realize that through the EVS program in some of the European countries! You choose in which country and on project to volunteer and costs are covered! If you are interested to apply, YMCA Bitola will assist you.

Voluntary Service

Numbers During 2011, we promoted volunteering and volunteered with a total coverage of 50 short term and 5 long term volunteers, we started with the actual work with the European Voluntary Service and from Macedonia we sent 3 volunteers, and received 1 long term volunteer in Bitola and worked with Peace Corps Macedonia and we received 1 long-term volunteer in Bitola.

Here we express gratitude to all volunteers because they are the strength that makes the changes in our communities.

Extract from testimonial of volunteer, part of the EVS My EVS project, ONE'n'THE CROWD was the project of FIRE-theater-art-culture FOUNDATION organization from Sofia-Bulgaria - intercultural dialogue of tolerance and solidarity through theater. The subject project was xenophobia and its impact on society. During the project we were involved in the creation and performance of non-verbal theatrical performance associated with the above topic. Parallel to the work on the main performance, we were also included in the campaign to promote EVS and in the FEST STUDIO workshops for circus techniques, theater and pantomime.

The main performance "THE FIRE DRAGON" included nonverbal performance that took place on stage and performance with techniques for open juggling with fire. Besides us, the volunteers from Macedonia, 13 other volunteers from Serbia, Greece, Spain, Poland, Lebanon, Sweden, and Bulgaria also participated in this project. Good cooperation, mutual understanding and friendship with the volunteers resulted in a successful performance and it was a memorable and unique life experience.

If you're creative, you want to share your ideas and abilities with young people around the world and to learn something new, then EVS is an experience that you must not miss!

Written by Ana Sekulovska

Extract from article published in NotifY ... This whole initiative represents a major advance in the implementation of democratic rights in Macedonia, which is one of the prerequisites for entry into the EU, but also is a good indicator of improving of the functioning of institutions in Macedonia. All of us who are involved in this project are positive and ready with great enthusiasm to approach the popularization of this idea among the youth, because it not beneficial only to them, but at the same time will bring more order into the functioning of associations working with youth in the country and will improve the very functioning of civil society in general.

Written by Jovce Krsteski

Each year our members participate in youth exchanges, festivals and summer camps (full of learning, fun, fellowship, sharing experiences etc.) organized by YMCA Bitola or our partner organizations. We expect you at some of these events! Contact us!

Camps

Numbers Within the activities related camps we took participation at leaders with 0 campers.

with orgamzmg camps for young

Here we express gratitude to the Peace Corps Macedonia, American Corner of Bitola and YMCA Greece for the cooperation within these activities.

Extracts from testimonials of participants at camp "Volunteering is helping in development of our community, getting new experience and chance to give the best from you" said Hristijan from Kicevo.

"After the camp I will have respect for other ethnicities and help others, making projects to make life in my community better" said Riste from Delcevo.

"Before the camp I didn't care about my community.

Now when I go home I'm going to correct every mistake, to do better my community. I learned a lot about health, what is good and bad for us. How to keep nature clean and how to protect the animals" said Giorgi from Prilep.

"First time I was camping and it was amazing because I have never been camping before. I helped others and other campers helped me. In classes I learned how to make project in correct form, I learned how to be with others people of other nationality, other religion" said Qjani from Veles.

"The Young Men's Leadership Project was the best experience I have ever had. Now I know how to make a project, how to debate, how to work in teamwork, about health, environment, things that I didn't have any idea" said Shkodran from Gostivar.

YMCA Bitola takes care of our young people.

We do this through organizing tournaments (of a non competitive nature), bicycle excursions, hiking etc. with the goal of recreation and fellowship.

Numbers

Healthy Lifestyle

3 mountain excursions with 20 participants, 3 bicycle excursions with 18 participants, parkour gathering with 90 participants, 2 months regular ping pong term and 1 ping pong tournament with a total of 00 participants in the whole period, participate at festival of projects for a healthy lifestyle in Ukraine with participants, making a DVD to promote this type of projects, projects in Skopje and Bitola associated with a healthy lifestyle workshops, excursions, etc. with a total inclusion of 1. 00 participants.

Extracts from articles published in NotifY ... When we arrived we were thrilled by the sight of the winter landscape. Clean air, tranquility and beauty of the winter is something that can't be felt in the city and I am sure that we all who came benefitted from that the break from the city congestion. I was tired but very happy because this was my first visit to this place and I certainly hope and expect this activity to continue in the next period because it meant a lot to me. I want hiking and thus to improve my health and to have great time hanging out with my friends.

Written by Ivona Gjorgievska

On a beautiful Saturday morning in May, about thirty young people ... wearing t-shirts, tracksuits equipped with bats in their hands. The green tables in the "Miadost" sports hall were impatiently waiting for the tournament to begin and the balls to start to bang. The audience took its place. The third big table tennis tournament organized by YMCA Bitola started ...

Written by Viktor Iliev

Y-Movie is a program in the field, recording and documenting the work of all YMCA Bitola programs and bigger events. Also this program works on other youth initiatives expressing them through concrete movies prepared by our Y-Movie team. YMovie is available to all young people, other YMCAs, non-profit organizations and everyone who wants to bring the visual expression of their own events to a higher level. Contact us!

Y-Movie Participation with our members of one international training in media and making videos for different events that promote youth activism .

r Personally, I had the opportunity to work with most of the participants, learning more about myself, and about what I am able to do- an experience that I appreciate most of all. Then, through the corresponding theory, and through the various tasks that were given to us, I found out about the movie making process, complex processes of planning, production. And finally, with team effort, after one week, we managed to make 4 amazing videos.

Written by Viktorija Petreska

Y-Comic is a program in which creative artistic expression culminates. It works on different themes that are interesting to and attractive for young people. Y-Comics has creative expression in its focus which is practiced through working on our fanzine, which besides developing the creative potential of our youth has its own educational dimension, organizing exhibitions, as well as visual expression of different events in a comics art form. If you have event which you want to see in the form of a comic art, contact us!

Y-Comic

Numbers Y-Comics realized 2 comics for 2 events (training for human rights and training for youth policies), 1 open call for designing of promo banners and organized 1 exhibition with targeting 150 people.

Here we express gratitude to all the contributors and partners organizations who were part of these events.

Extractcs from articles published in NotifY ... After this session of presentations, it was organized the ninth Comics Salon in Veles. Rich with international work in the fields of comics and illustration Comics Salon also offered fun comics and the opportunity to socialize with the guests from abroad. Besides that, the work of many other authors from Macedonia was also presented. Among the exhibition in the salon, were works of Viktor Lozanov, a long time associate member of YMCA Bitola ... . . . On the 4th of November, the day of Bitola, YMCA Bitola set exhibition of cartoon illustrations on the theme Science Fiction. Included in this exhibition were the works of authors from Bitola with illustration made mostly by young people with great author potential.

The exhibition went very well with the great pleasure of visitors by encouraging and further organization of such similar events.

Written by Jovce Krsteski

This is a group of young people who juggle with fire, silk and lighting elements. Under the name Acid Triple, these young enthusiasts of YMCA Bitola are practicing and performing at different youth festivals, mainly during the summer. If you want to see them at your event, contact us!

Acid Triple

Numbers The fire juggling group Acid Triple consisting of 5 young artists during 2011 performed 5 times in street and cultural festivals with fire performance in front audience of 1.500 people in total.

On the behalf of the juggling group we express gratitude to the Center of Culture of Bitola that provided support so the trainings during the winter period can be realized.

• Extract from article published in NotifY This year as every other, .. Bitfest .. had a program that lasted whole summer and that makes it the longest summer festival in the country. After previous projects, preparations and trainings, Bitola again had the opportunity to see Acid Triple in the best light, in full readiness and with a few new accessories. The new equipment, swords, added even more excitement for the viewers. At the main square the final part of our performance took place, where the battle with swords was performed and walking on fire. Once again the audience in Bitola was left speechless and greeted us with a long applause for fire experience that we offered them.

Written by Goran Mitrevski

STRATEGIES AND CHALLENGES 2011 was a year of increased activity as well as capacity building and increased sustainability. The results of which we believe will be visible even in 2012 through our ability to provide even more activities and possibilities, targeting more beneficiaries, as well as raising the quality of our work.

YMCA Bitola

Something that we have to point out here is that with its experience in providing services and community programs, YMCA has become a relevant organization in the city of Bitola and recognizable in the civic sector. Reaching that success was made possible primarily due to: - Dedicated leadership, the active European Voluntary Service, Peace Corps and local volunteers.

Today the biggest challenge is to build a quality and responsible team of leaders. We invest in efforts to do exactly that.

STRATEGIES AND CHALLENGES

- Dedication to achieve the key priorities of the organization as laid out in the strategic plan.

-Openness for cooperation and establishing partnership with different organizations and institutions. In the last year we have worked with local youth and civic associations, with primary and secondary schools, universities, the municipality and other local institutions, with national and international strategic partners.

Following are the main challenges in front of us that we need to focus on the coming period: - Dedication on the youth work as strategic priority led by the own mission and purpose of the organization, without stepping out no matter what. We are interested in listening to the views and opinions of our young people and offering concrete solutions based on their needs.

- Consistency in our work from the previous period without ups and downs regardless of outside community and economic problems. After analyzing the last period, the development of YMCA Bitola is noticeable and is moving at an upward trend.

- Professionalization of the staff in the organization. Of course, having a professional staff will bring even better results in future. That is why we have to invest more efforts into finding resources for the operational as well as the programming staff of the organization. The volunteers remain as priority and the strength of the organization.

- Looking for long term strategic partnerships. Working with long term partners will contribute to better planning of activities, sustainability, and the on-going processes of organizational capacity building.

GRATITUDE During the previous year we were supported by I cooperated with the following partners and collaborators: YMCA Europe YMCA Skopje, Macedonia YMCA Balkans YMCA South West London, UK YMCA West Kent, UK YMCA Michiana, USA YMCA Thessaloniki, Greece YMCA Parthenope Onlus, Italy

HorYzon, Switzerland SALTO South East Europe European Commission - Youth in Action Coalition of youth organizations SEGA Forum of NGO's of Bitola Together Macedonia American Corner Bitola Peace Corps Macedonia Centre of Culture Bitola Municipality of Bitola Primary school Elpida Karamandi Primary school Kole Kaninski Economic secondary school in Bitola The high gymnasium in Bitola The technical high school in Bitola Children Parliament of Bitola We would like also to thank all other institutions and organizations with whom we cooperated.

And of course, a special thanks special thanks for all volunteers for their support, time and efforts that helped us realize of our activities throughout last year.

OFFICIAL INFORMATION Established: May 2002 Full legal name: Youth Association YMCA Bitola Acronym: YMCA Bitola

~ Telephone office: +389 47 529 366 Telephone mobile: +389 70 59 43 41 E-mail: contact@ymcabitola.org.mk Web pages: www.ymcabitola.org.mk, www.ymca.mk, www. ymca-macedonia.org. mk National General Secretary: Viktor Iliev National President: Aleksandar Kirkovski

Target group: We welcome all people with a focus on youth age 11-30 Fields of activity: non-formal education, culture and art, healthy lifestyle, civil society and human rights Types of activities: trainings, seminars, workshops, camps, festivals, international study visits Levels of engagement: Locally and internationally Executive Board members: Viktor Iliev, Jovce Krsteski, Blagojce Kolicoski, Maja Jonceska, Emilija Josifovska, Karli-Marie Reyes, Konstantin Petrovski President of EB: Viktor Iliev Contact address: Vasko Karangelevski REMO 1/3/42 Office address: Petar Petrovic Njegos No. 128/16 Postal code and country: 7000, Bitola - Republic of Macedonia

Š Published by YMCA Bitola, 2012