Author: Marija Vasilevska

MAAA continues its efforts to promote and enhance community and volunteering initiatives. Through the project “Alumni Support of Volunteer and Extracurricular Activities”, a series of initiatives has been implemented across Skopje, Gostivar, and Stip. Numerous young individuals and students from state universities across North Macedonia took the lead in these initiatives.

In Stip, the American Corner Shtip together with Scout Group Equinox Shtip marked Earth Day by planting flowers at the NU - Library "Goce Delchev" - Shtip.  The purpose of the event was to improve the library's exterior surroundings and to raise awareness about environmental care and preservation, as well as to promote and foster a sense of community engagement and collaboration.

The members of the Club for Sustainable Development at the University St. Kliment Ohridski in Bitola initiated and were involved in many volunteering activities. The students volunteered in the regional competition "Children's Traffic Light 2024," organized by the Municipal Council for Road Traffic Safety Bitola, all primary schools in Bitola and other stakeholders. They collaborated with the Rotary Club Bitola to assist in organizing and providing logistical support for an event, which featured a lecture by Professor Janez Koželj from the University of Slovenia. The lecture focused on "Urban and traffic solutions and transforming Bitola's center into a pedestrian zone." Additionally, they participated in an event titled "Volunteers Today - Leaders Tomorrow."

The members of the Volunteer Club of the Youth and Community Center in Gostivar, supported by MAAA, were part of the humanitarian action aiming to provide monetary donations. The humanitarian action was carried out by Red Cross Gostivar as part of the "Solidarity Week". The gathered funds will be used to buy food packages aimed at assisting the vulnerable members of the community. These packages will then be distributed to those in need through the Red Cross Gostivar.

In Skopje, a series of volunteering activities involving young people by engaging them in different types of actions for the community. As part of the club for creative students, professors Sanja Šankovska and Nadica Arangelović from the High School Orce Nikolov from Skopje, together with their students visited the primary school, H. T. Karposh" and carried out a volunteer activity (teaching basic steps in Latin dances). At the event, the students from the Orce Nikolov High School introduced the children to the benefits of dance through a conversation and then showed them and practiced the basic steps of Cha-Cha-Cha.

Students from the Journalism Club, from Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, visited Alsat TV. They were hosted by MAAA`s distinguished member and successful journalist Nazim Rashidi, an editor at Alsat Television who has 13 years of experience in this media house and many years of experience as a BBS reporter, who showed the students how television works on a daily level in terms of reporting, recording and editing news and TV shows, and then shared tips for successful journalism, with special reference to credibility in reporting, structuring news and interviews. 

Kumanovo Theater visited the Primary School with "Idnina" resource center, Skopje with their play for children "Red Riding Hood". This initiative was part of the MAAA`s cooperation with the Association "Education for All" from Skopje.