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Think like European – Act locally ESC in Volunteers Centre Skopje January - April 2025 Dawid Kościelniak
Context Prior to applying for this volunteering opportunity, my awareness of ESC started through Erasmus + youth exchanges in Kosovo collaborative process inspired me to look for an opportunity that would last longer than a week. and Denmark. The When I found the opportunity to volunteer in Skopje, I knew I had to apply. It is a place I have been to before which I have thoroughly enjoyed, and the opportunity to volunteer in a city/urban space was particularly important to me.
VCS + Skopje During my ESC project both my accommodation and workplace were located in Kisela Voda, Skopje. I lived in a cosy flat with volunteers from Slovakia, France and Germany. It was an ideal location, only 15 minutes from the city centre, offering us a lot of flexibility with creating content and finding locations to host events.
The main mission of Volunteers Centre Skopje is to promote non-formal education opportunities for young internationally. Being young can be difficult, confusing and overwhelming. Even the smallest push can help to motivate and support others. and to give and people locally The work at Volunteers Centre Skopje provided a good balance between office-based and more interactive activities. Together with nine other volunteers we created collaboratively and independently. content and events
VOICES monthly magazine Together with the volunteers and locals we create a monthly magazine with a simple but clear mission - to share the voice of the youth. The magazine features in three languages (English, Macedonian, Albanian) and creates a platform for young people to share their experiences, emotions or passions within an established medium.
We also have a creative license over our article design and cover, which taught me how to use Adobe Photoshop and InDesign. I was lucky enough to be chosen as co-editor of the May edition, which allowed me to lead and curate the direction of this month’s edition :)
VOICES to hear As part of the VOICES magazine, we also have the opportunity to create podcast episodes based on our interests and expertise. The opportunity to discuss the topic with fellow volunteers, local youth or professionals has been insightful and particularly helpful to practise how to conduct a concise and clear conversation.
Some entrepreneurship and knitting, and I was able to talk to an architecture photographer about the urban changes in Skopje. I also had the chance to edit a previous podcast using Adobe Audition, and it made me appreciate how meticulous of a process it is to try and make the listening experience as smooth as possible. of the topics included specialty coffee,
Events We also hosted a variety of events during the evenings and weekends to integrate Skopje youth and bring them a space to talk to international volunteers and to speak in English. From karaoke to silent book club, starting a youth film society or practising East Asian script writing, there was definitely something for everyone.
Workshops We also hosted internal workshops to tackle certain topics that could improve the wellbeing, knowledge and practises of our volunteers. Discussing things like emotional intelligence and stress management can be tricky, but it is imperative to make sure we also developed as people. I hosted a workshop on cyber security practices
Social media Being part of a youth work organisation required a lot understanding what the local youth need or want, and how to efficiently engage in the process. A large part of promoting our initiative and being consistent with our mission was to spread awareness via social media. This included creating and uploading videos and designs for each event and workshop, as well as promoting exchanges and volunteering opportunities for people in the country. This is something that required a lot of planning and consistency emphasised the communication in virtual settings. of thought into and it need for clear
NGO collaborations What one NGO cannot do, two definitely can. VCS doesn’t work in isolation and the chance to help or understand the mission of other NGO’s was crucial to see the work behind the scenes in other areas of volunteering. We backyard of a school, helped in a dog shelter, supported a food initiative and attended awareness event. Even the glimpse into the work of other organisations showed an impressive breadth and depth that occurs within the NGO space. cleaned the a food waste
Language course As part of my project I also had the opportunity to learn the Macedonian language. I was surprised by how quickly it is possible to make progress in a language, particularly as with each lesson I understood more and more when hearing people talk on the street or in the shop. I was very happy to receive my A1 certificate and I plan to continue learning the language back home!
In my spare time, I had the chance to explore this beautiful country and go on two weekend trips to Bulgaria. On my second to last week, I went on a week-long road trip, covering 1150km around Macedonia
In my spare time I like to hike whenever and wherever I can. Although my ESC project started at the end of January, I was determined to spend time in the mountains as much as possible, weather willing. As mountainous terrain covers approximately 85% of the country, it was not difficult to find the opportunity to enjoy what beautiful scenery the country has to offer.
