Hi there,

When I arrived in Albania I told to my family and to my friends for the beautiful days I have passed in Macedonia. And I hope I will return again. Thanks for everything!

Denisa Balla, student, Albania

Hey I'm SMILEING :):):):)

So. First of all I want to thank EVERYBODY for making this exchange happen and all of you who were in Ohrid. I mean I had a lot of fun, I HAVE NEW FRIENDS that I will never forget cause I have a part of you all IN MY HART. And about the education???? I've learned a lot about Albania, their culture, teen night life, their religion, the people there and other stuff. And it will take at least 3Giga Bytes of text for me to describe the experience that I had back there. I'm sorry that I have to be so short cause I have a lot of work here. Gotta go the 3D Studio is waiting for me.

PEACE to you ALL and See ya LATER Okay:)

Jane Kacanski, student, Macedonia

Hi I’m Emal. I past a beautiful weekend in Macedonia. I enjoyed it a lot. I returned home a little bit exhausted but I did some hours sleeping and everything was Ok. It was a perfect organization. Macedonian people offered us hospitality and it was great.

See you soon

Emal Konomi, student, Albania

It’s difficult to believe, well, that’s how it happened. Well, my desire to study in Harry.T.Fultz has been so great, but I must confess that the possibilities to pursue this school didn’t lack me. Telling the truth I speak and write English very well. But one thing that hurts me so much was unknowing how to use the computer. Till I participate in this exchange, working with computers seems much little interesting and never concern me. But this workshop gave me the possibilities of learning more about computers. Passing the time, the curiosity of learning more about this machine with a ´´ superhuman´´ capacity, revived in me. Really I learned many necessities things, for example: how to work in Internet, how to search for required information, how to open or to attach a material from Microsoft Word. But the most beautiful part is coming now…, now that my teacher gave me the opportunities to participate in an exchange during those three days in Macedonia (Ohrid). Everything was a miracle, the warm welcome, the organization, and the help giving. Everything happened there is fixed in my mind and it’s going to be harder to forgot them. One of the most important part on this exchange was the Macedonian contemporary accompaniment. We can’t deny their high-level preparation even their friendship and collaboration they offer to us during those days in Macedonia. I realized, independently the Nation we descended, the language we speaks the life we did, our ideas and our opinions are the same. I have to say that this workshop gave me a lot of satisfaction, but in the same time it was really rewarding because it gave me the possibilities to improve my work with computers. It also help me improving my speaking English (from conversations) and my writing (during the work in groups). I have to say that between us born a close and sincere friendship. At the end, I must say: This magnificent experience means a lot for me. It offers me a greater possibilities thanks of, my collaboration and my responsibility. Once and for good the exchange verify, not only the Albanian and Macedonian youth, but all the youths around the world share the same opinions, wishes, even we believe in different faith, even we belong other nations, other continents. They will be always together and nothing can hurdle them. Indeed they will sweep all borders and show the politicians that borders didn’t make a place ´´strong´´ and ´´healthy´´.

Respectfully,

Artemis Progri, student, Albania

My name is Gledia. I'm one of the girls in the Albanian's group. I think that now you remember me. In this e-mail I want only to thank you. I want to thank you for inviting us. You all were so kind and so friendly. You made to us a friendly reception. I remained very impressed by you. You all did a very good work. Being patient and kind with others is sometimes difficult but is the best. This was the first time for me to have an experience like this and a passed a very good time that. I'm not going to forget anymore. Also we were informed about Macedonia life in general. And it’s so good to know how our friends of another country live, what they do in their life, what are their aims or goals, etc…. We learned new things and especially we learned how to enter in new friendships and what kind of behavior should we take. We also improved our English and why it was a little barrier for us. To know new things, to create new friends, or to learn more is what the youth want, and they are very interested in this fields. I hope I'm clear in this e-mail. I write it because I had e very good time there and that now makes a part of my present lifetime.

Gledi Shehu, student, Albania

When we first started the trip to Macedonia I was a little worried about my communications skills. I had a bad feeling that I would be not able to communicate with my new friends. When we arrived there I was more relaxed. When the time to meet them arrived I was preoccupied but thanks to the program breaking ices it was very easy to know them. It was a very fanny thing I enjoyed it very much. When we new each other it was very easy to communicate with them and everything went OK. When we were working together in the group works I so that we had the same music preferences and the same ideas about the problems. One thing to say is that they were very friendly and I passed a very good time there and I hope to participate to another exchange because it was a beautiful experience.

Student, Albania

I think this is the best international experience I’ve ever had. There are so many things I would like to talk about in this project. We met a lot of new people (cool) that had the same ideas with me. People I didn’t now that in Macedonia would exist. All of the guys in the project are like European teenagers. We like the same music or movies etc. I enjoyed also the e-mails. Most of the e-mails were very interesting. But there were also a lot of formal writings. There were guys that took the information directly from the web and send it. This was something I didn’t enjoy. And the best experience surely that is meeting the Macedonian guys. I really enjoyed staying with the Macedonian guys. And I enjoyed playing guitar with all those people.

Something else I didn’t like was diverting talking about religion or symbols from our countries. I think there is no problem talking about all these things that can’t make us one against the other.

Joni Alicka, student, Albania

The first exchange was great. It was a perfect organization from the Macedonian side. People were very friendly. I improved my English and this was my first experience. I enjoyed it. I made a lot of friends and had lots of fun too. I want to take part in the second exchange.

Emal Konomi, student, Albania

Participating in the project “Building bridges over borders” was a great experience for me. This was the first time I participate in such workshop, and I think we should organize many other workshops and meetings like this one. Thanks the organizers every thing was well organized almost perfect. The Macedonian’s people were so kind and gentile always ready to help us. This workshop also helps me in improving my English. Now I feel more comfortable with it. Participating in this project gave me the possibility to meet new friends, to know more about their nightlife, their culture and tradition, customs. More or less we share the same lifestyle and traditions.  I think that this project has realized his goal, to build bridges over borders. And this is too nice.

Student, Albania

In the following section will be given some answers on questions that are asking what are the things students learnt, shared, gained from the project. This can be the easiest way to present their attitude towards project activities, and the achieved outcomes.

-I have learnt some new words, some facts about their educational system, their culture and ways of behaviour.
-Their country is alike ours.
-We’ve learnt about their religion, hobbies, customs and traditions.
-I learnt that if you want friendship with your neighbors you have to accept the difference of cultures.
-I known that people from Albania don’t like borders like me too.
-We have many common things. We are interested in many some isues. I realy did not expect to be like that.
-They are full with life and they look forward to make friends.
-We all want to create, and we had the same teen problems.
-Being from different countries doesn’t mean that we should be different. We are at the same age and we have same ideas.
-In the beginning we were shy but with the passing of time we became more friendly.
-I have gained new friendship and many points of views.
-Experience. Friends. Knowledge – things that I belive are very important for our future carier what ever it is.
-I have gained new information about ICT.
-Lots of friends.
-We can build Bridges over borders very easily with our neighbours through communication.
-I relised that teenagers in the world are the same.
-Some words at Albanian and Macedonian language.
-That nothing is like you imagine it.
-Positively, because it has opened some doors of my future, and I’ve gained experience on project work, and explored possibilities of ICT.
-It make me happy.
-I belive that one day people in the Balkan will live in country with out borders.
- I want in the future to cooperate with other representation of all the Balkan countries and the learning program must be more vital.
- The next topics in on-line collaboration may be OPEN  BALKAN or BALKAN  WITHOUT BORDERS.
- Topic: We young people are the future of this world please gather us together. We all can make world better.
- I want to go on holiday together.
- There can be organized summer or winter camps somewhere on the mountain or sea.
- Initializing a debate forum. First with subject that will be discussed on the Internet (e-mail or programs lake mIRC32) and then gathering participants from many Balkan countries together in order to debate “in live”.

IECs provided young people with all necessary resources they need for research and on-line collaborative project work. Additionally, IECs are very convenient to be used for preparations for everyday school obligations students might have. Now, there is no need for them to use their personal computers. They have possibility to use the IEC for communication with other project participants, and remote peers. IECs are open throughout the day. Teachers are using the IECs for their professional development, preparatory work for teaching, as a communication tool, for training, for project work, and for research purposes. These centers are opened for parents and NGO community, so they are becoming resource centers for youth.

When considering the impact of this project on life of youth, parents should not be neglected. What is their attitude towards project and their perspectives can be seen from the following statements.

We are Blagoja and Miroslava Torteski. Nikola told us nice things about the project. We look forward on this project, because Nikola is learning many things about ICT. On the first exchange Nikola made a lot of friends. His culture is now on a higher level. He is very interested about the project and he follows the communication, which goes over the e-mail address: bridges@imor.org.mk.

Now he is looking forward on making more new friends. He is using his free time on reading e-mail messages and writing messages for the project Building Bridges over Borders by using ICT and Project Based Learning. He is very happy about the second exchange. We hope that everything will be perfect just like you imagined the exchange.

Good luck and have a nice time.

Blagoja and Miroslava Torteski, parents, Skopje, Macedonia

Hi,

I’m parent of Aleksandar Nikolovski. My son is included in the project “Building Bridges over Borders by using ICT and PBL”.

As a parent I’m pleased too because his pleasure is big. I want to stress that all his free time he is passing in making new friendships as in the country as from neighboring countries. Enlargement of the awareness for similarities and differences with other cultures in countries, the way of using ICT, parties, and the way he make friends.

Youth is the one who should show how to live together, how to create friendships and respect, how to cross borders.

I will be happier parent if this kind of cooperation and projects will continue between more and more neighboring countries.        

Ljubica Nikolovska, parent, Bitola, Macedonia

We as parents of Goran Nikolov want to say something about our son’s participation in the project “Building Bridges over Borders...”. We, as a parents are very satisfied of this project because Goran acquired a lot of preferences participating in it. As example we will mention the learning. He learned a lot of things, so we will count some of them. As first he enlarged his knowledge about computers. He improved his working with e-mail, his Internet surfing even and his web design. He improved his English. He is studying English at school, but practicing he learned it better. Except this he learned a lot of words in Albanian and a lot of its history, culture, tradition…

And at last, he met a lot of people and he got a lot of new friends, what is great.

So, we agree with pleasure our son to participate in this project and in other similar projects.

Metodi & Olgica Nikolovi, parents, Kocani, Macedonia

Our son Jane Kacanski told us that he and his friend Dejan Boskov are going in Ohrid to be a part of some project from iEARN - Macedonia. We didn't know what for is he going in Ohrid. So when he returned he had some other opinion for the neighbouring countries. He told us what was going on in Ohrid. As far as we know, he was working in groups together with his new Albanians friends. He told us about the tasks that they worked there. Told us about the dictionary.

He now knows more about their religion, culture etc. He knows about these things, because he was together with his fellow Albanians. He has a different opinion about the Muslim religion. He knows that it doesn't matter in what we (or them) believe. What is important is our and their future to be the guiding light.

Vladimir Kacanski, Blagica Kacanska, parents, Skopje, Macedonia

I would like to say that my daughter has really gained a lot from this project. It has influenced her in many ways. First of all her English has really picked up during the training in Macedonia. Also using the Internet and the online communication is very important for her and her future career. Furthermore, making friendships outside the country have influenced her way of thinking.

Bahri Musabelliu, parent, Tirana, Albania

I’m Gledia’s mother and I’m going to tell you something of my opinions of the Macedonia activity. At first this is the best project that my daughter has assist in. Building Bridges Over Boarders has a lot of positives effects. Youths of different countries meet new friends and in this way they don’t hate each other. Because they say that I hate Albania for example and I hate the Albanians too. They say it without basing in something, without knowing Albania and create a bad image, only by listening what the others say. I think that this is eliminated because they know better each other, and then they don’t have reason to hate each other. I think so. They are youth and they have approximately the same ideas or problems like all the youths have. I saw this thing at my daughter. She returned very energetic from Macedonia and very happy. She talked a lot about Macedonian people, about the staff of the training, how well did she passed the time there, etc… . She sometimes says some Macedonian words as dobro vecer, dobro utro.

She also has made a new experience, has improved her English and has known how to be adapted in a new friendship, or how to communicate with other people. In general this activity has improved my daughter’s life.

Gledia Shehu’s mother, Tirana, Albania

I think that Building bridges over borders is a good project and I am very happy that my child took part in it. Because it improved his communication skills and he learned many new things about the neighbour country that in this case is Macedon. Another positive thing is that they made an exchange and learned many things about the 2 countries. A very important thing that makes me very glad was that they were exchanging their opinions throw Internet by using e-mails and I think that this is very positive because they learn new things about computers and Internet. So I think that in the future they have to make more projects like this because they help Balkans countries to have a future without war and to live in peace.

Parent, Tirana, Albania

I think my son has changed since he came from Macedonia. He spoke me about everything he did there. Surely he was so exciting about this new project. I think it’s very difficult to take the responsibilities of this project. Of making friends from a nation that yours is in war. I really appreciate this project and everything your doing not only for making friends between to nations but for what your doing for my son. Now he knows what does it mean to be from Balkans. And he knows very how difficult is your mission. I see that my son is being very interested in this project not only because there two different nations but he’s making a lot of friends. I really like it that my son has several friends and I like it that my son is being engaged in a project that has big responsibilities. And that’s all I think about this project.

Joni Alicka’s father, Tirana, Albania

Since December I saw some changes in my son Belind. Since he participates in the project “Building bridges over borders” now he cares more about his computer and his English. Also he has learned more things about computers and now he speaks English very good. I participate in the meeting in Albania in “Harry T. Fultz” school. I am very proud that he participates in this project. I saw the hard work that the students and their teacher did and it was very big. I hope that in the future these schools will continue this project and start other projects.

Belind Kellici’s, parent, Tirana, Albania

Watching my girl being so involved with this project makes me happy. Even before the first exchange she was enthusiastic and after it she was really looking forward for the next one. I think that this gave her something and took a good place in lots of things…after it I would really say that she has improved a little English and her way of expressing and presenting herself to others, she came with different opinions after getting to know more about the neighboring countries, and a great think for her...she made new friends. Now she has new views and thinks more about the future... I think that this experience changed something in her. In my opinion this kind of events should be realized more often, that is for the good of the youth, of the ones that are the future of this world to be prepared in making changes for the best, for finding that way that’s the one that could surround this world full of peace. So let those children feel better in cooperating and working together with no differences between them in walking to the future …TOGETHER!!!

Andrea Andoni, parent, Tirana, Albania

Something that was not planned, but it is achieved is the awareness raising of school administration and management of the idea of this project, its importance and importance of using ICT in achieving it. In favour of this speaks one experience shared from one of the trainer teachers.

Hi,

I just wanted to report that thanks to the training I am conducting in my school "8-mi septemvri" within the project "Building Bridges over Borders by using ICT and PBL" I got several computers, modem and Internet access. It was not planned at all. This is very big step for us, not only within the project, but also for other teachers who have shown interest in computer and Internet literacy. I started pessimistically, but now I have hope. Something like this have never happened before.

Regards from Natali.

Natali Trajkovska, teacher, Macedonia

I'm working on the project "Building bridges over borders" from the very beginning as a coordinator for on-line project "Teen life". I love my work on this project because it gives possibility to learn more about the neighbor country, Albania, and its culture and habits, to visit the neighbor country, to create friendship and to take part in making our world a better place to live.
During the work we have had many meetings when we have had activities that made us too close. All of us have spirit of humanity among each other and we both want to build bridges between the two nations.
The teachers and youth from these two countries keep in touch all the time working on-line projects "Teen life" and "Communication technologies". We share our ideas and improve our knowledge for computers and communication technologies.
I had a chance to meet a colleague who teaches physics like me. We have exchanged our experience in work, teachers’ books, which we use, and we stay all the time in on-line contact.
There have been many pleasant events in this collaboration over borders that makes us understand each other, build tolerance and love among each other.

Rada Mazganska teacher, Macedonia

From this project indirectly benefited NGO community. They are now a bit more aware about the importance and power of ICT. Therefore, agreements for collaboration between iEARN Macedonia and NGO community are about to be drafted. That will be mainly in the field of providing ICT services, and training to other NGOs and schools in the country and in the region.

Very interestingly, discussions that were taking place on forum created for this project, intrigued participants from other countries. For example, subscriber in the list is The Federation of Environmental and Ecological Diversity for Agricultural Revampment and Human Rights - (FEEDAR & HR), from CAMEROON. This was very interesting experience for us and probably for them too. It can be concluded that, this project crossed not only borders in Balkans, but also crossed over sees and oceans to reach remote peers.

Our idea was to bring in the project more countries. Youth also expressed interest in inviting more countries to join in. Therefore, project team made efforts and bring in one more Balkan country. At the second exchange participants from Bulgaria were present speaks for itself that project is not ending after the ending of financial support. It is expected that participants from other Balkan countries will join our discussions taking place on our forum and share their perspectives with us.

When assessing sustainability of the projects there are many aspects that can be addressed. One is that equipment installed in IECs is insured. Next is that initial network extension within the NGO community is established. But the most important thing is sustaining of network. Fact that, students are now very much keen of further co-operation so, they are exploring possibilities to organize gathering during summer in Albania or in Macedonia. This speaks how much youth is empowered and how significant follow-up activities can be done, or network extension expected.