From June 27 to June 29, 2022, a summer camp supported by the USAID Youth Ethnic Integration Project, in cooperation with the Red Cross of the City of Skopje and the Roma Rock School from Skopje, was held in the Solferino Center, Struga. The camp was attended by 30 students from different ethnic communities and organizations, including students from the secondary schools “Brakja Miladinovci” and “Vlado Tasevski” from Skopje, students participating in the Roma Rock School organization and Red Cross volunteers.
The goal of the youth camp was to provide a creative and fun space for building long-lasting relationships among students from different ethnic communities through socializing and participating in various activities and projects.
Through fun games and exercises, the young people were able to get to know and learn about each other. They were part of group discussions and creative and interactive workshops, learning about such topics as music, social values, different cultures, volunteering, youth activism, and so forth.
”It was an exceptional experience. This was my first camp and my first time to associate with people from other ethnic communities. I learned a few sentences in Albanian and Romani and discovered more about their cultures”, said one of the students.
As part of the joint activities, they danced and sang together in the spirit of interethnic integration. In order to encourage greater cooperation and communication among the participants, each activity was attended by different groups of students who shared their experiences and opinions.
”I learned many things. I learned more about volunteering and I also learned some words in other languages of instructions. Although I was hesitant at first, I am glad I came. It was not a mistake”, added one of the participating students.
To the great satisfaction of the participants, they were also joined by the young artist Young Dadi, who enhanced the camp with even more music and entertainment and contributed to developing the creativity of the youth. During the camp, the young people also had the opportunity to write, play and record a song that will remain as their joint effort and a memory of the good times they have had and their mutual friendship.
This activity is part of the Youth Ethnic Integration Project, supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
This article is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of MCEC and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) or the United States Government.
