Activities in the life-cycle of the project from were running
according foreseen dynamics in the Work Plan and Time Frame.
There were minor delays encountered in the months October and
November as a result of big interest of beneficiaries and delay
in transferring of second instalment that impacted pace of
activities.
Web site
containing general information about the project is published
on:
www.imor.org.mk/programmes/youthempowerment.
Compared to
first phase of the project where our efforts were focused on
achieving diversity and richness of forms in the electronic
space, matching with the interests of the young people, in the
second phase the stress was set on the selection of information,
on boosting its impetus and force and on uplifting the results
and the impact.
In this manner
continuity of the achievements from the first phase of the
project was secured. After “planting the seeds” big range of
diverse seminars and workshops for many disadvantaged young
people closer to the computer technology and to the rich
opportunities of the Internet we have concentrated on spreading
the idea and information. Now, large part of the young people,
who finished the courses and mastered initial computer
proficiency, have become the object and the subject of the
information that directly influenced the maturity of their
social way of thinking and acting.
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In Macedonia
established close cooperation with the
-
National
Employment Agency in Macedonia and its Employment centres in
cities Skopje and Bitola
-
Centres for
Social Welfare and Social Security in Skopje and Bitola
-
NGO
community in Bitola and Skopje
-
Local
authorities in Bitola and Skopje continued in the second
half of the year too.
Initial pool of
20 young people on age up to 26 years identified to be young
trainers was enlarged to 50. They were key actors along with
other professionals, experts, and specialists in working with
other young people.
Now, youth trainers identified from the pool of
disadvantaged youth were identified and took the mastering of
training in their hands and continued to work with many, many
more young disadvantaged people from their communities and
wider.
Groups were composed from diverse scope of
disadvantaged youth - youth from rural areas, displaced youth,
youth with long-time no-first employment, orphans. Youth that
was participating in this training was/is suffering social
exclusion and/or poverty and can not afford self-development
activities. In the whole project more than 850 young people had
upgraded their skills.
Along with Centres for Social Welfare and Social
Security in Skopje and Bitola young trainers planned and
conducted many activities in the line of working with
approximately 130 young people that has problems in their
families. Experts from these institutions were invited to join
these training sessions. They actively joined these activities
as experts and provided assistance to young people.
More than 170
young people from student boarding houses, especially from their
final year of secondary education, or university students, were
working with young trainers and specialised personnel from these
institutions on gaining skills important to their navigation in
the educational system if they are continuing their education,
or successful navigation on the labour market.
Displaced
young people from the area of Tetovo city that are currently
living in Skopje were also targeted. Having in mind that these
young people had completely changed their lives they were one of
the most vulnerable groups. Therefore, special and sensitive
approach was used in working with 50 young people from these
communities.
Roma
communities were also targeted with our activities. Such
communities are in great demand of awareness raising and
concrete and continuous support not only to young people, but
also to adults. In the frame o these activities only young
people were directly involved. Some of the activities besides
working with them on their life skills and topics linked how to
be employed and self-employed we were collecting school
textbooks, purchasing notebooks and accessories for young Roma
students, so they can in a first place regularly attend schools,
at least.
Established
links with employers associations in Macedonia were extended
into cooperation with them. They are acquainted with the
activities we are/were doing and were encouraging us in our
efforts. Some of the employers were supporting us by providing
some products and services to direct project beneficiaries.
These empowered young trainers who completed more
than 60 days of training and work with other disadvantaged youth
from different groups. These young people became not only
trainers, but highly skilled resource persons.
The most
important thing is that from our pool of young trainers already
4 are employed, 2 of them became our trainers or responsible
persons in other our activities. From the pool of disadvantaged
young people there are also employments encountered both –
part-time and full-time.
In Bulgaria
some of the key actions were channelled in avoiding and
restricting the addictions of young people; preventive measures
to curb the spread of the AIDS; upgrading professional
qualifications and job hunt.
In order to
have professional assistance, talks with experts in the various
directions, sociologists and analysts were attracted to the
Coordination centre – all of them people of experience and
expertise – who prepared and released on Internet appropriate
materials.
In this
connection within the period of October 15, 2006 -November 15,
2006 four courses, embracing 10 students each, were organized.
The attending students were taught to develop web sites on
themes of the social realization of the young. The duration of
each module was 15 hours and the students were given the chance
to publish specialized texts and trace on-line the impact of
themes like prevention of addictions and the AIDS, street
criminality, etc.
Lectors were
students from the Electro-technical University; upon graduating
the course participants were awarded a Graduation certificate.
The graduates
gathered on a round table talk on November 22, 2006 to discuss
the subject-matter and effectiveness of future education
programs. The round table, which took place in the Ministry of
Youth, got a wide coverage in the press.
In early
December 2006 a 15 day National Internet Forum was held on the
topic: “New Internet possibilities for enhancing communications
among young people”. The Forum’s goal was to initiate a dialogue
on the opportunities in front the young and the role of the
Internet for their realization. Participating in the event were
tens of individual partakers and many national institutions.
The Forum was
organized together with the Bulgarian Internet Society and
attracted great number of young people between the age of 18 to
22. Two key discussions were held: on the social realization of
the young and on giving equal chances to the underprivileged
young people to meet the challenges of the computer world.
Partaking in the Forum were the Internet clubs from three Homes
for deprived children from the cities of Vidin, Plovdiv and
Pazardjik.
In its
endeavours to raise the quality of the materials, the Foundation
touched the problem of the level of information as an element of
the young people’s behaviour.
In this
connection during the last holidays and the months of September,
October and November sets of specially prepared materials
referring to the level of information on professional
qualification and job finding were distributed in the largest
Internet clubs in the capital city. In the course of the 6
days-off, when the Internet clubs were overcrowded, discussions
were kicked off on the distributed materials referring to
forthcoming events and labour exchanges, presentations of
students and professional centres. The discussions arose
tremendous interest.
The risk
groups were another task during the second phase of the project.
The Coordination centre prepared a collection of specific
methodological materials addressing the various risk groups. A
new Centre for handling risk groups was opened in Varna on
24.09.2006. On the inauguration day scores of young people
demanded information and advice and were consulted on matters of
the AIDS, drugs and other forms of addiction.
Special
selections of materials were disseminated in orphanage centres with
a view to raise the level of knowledge of the parentless
children, to provoke their attention to topical problems of the
young people’s life.
Activities in
Serbia in the period after July 2006 were narrowing down to
their final cease, due to circumstances in Serbia and the
communities where this project was operating. These were the
reasons why regrettably this project lost one of its partners.
This was additional stimulus to Interactive Education and
Resource Network – IMOR and Education, Science and Culture
Foundation – ESCF to engage extra forces and efforts to
successfully complete this important project for young people.
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