In the last year YMCA Macedonia hosted few EVS projects within the Youth in Action Programme of the European Commission. EVS as part of the Youth in Action Programme provides rare opportunity to the young people from Europe to get actively involved as volunteer in various activities in other European country, staying up to 12 months in accredited EVS host organization. These projects present the European concern on the need of continuous action on local and European level aiming to promote common values Europeans share- such as equality, solidarity, tolerance, non-discrimination, inter-cultural dialogue and co-operation etc. For more details on the Youth in Action Programme please visit http://ec.europa.eu/youth/youth-in-action-programme/

Gosha and Gosha – aware citizens of Europe
In the period November 2008- July 2009 YMCA Macedonia hosted two EVS volunteers from Poland- Malgorzata Czyczewska and Malgorzata Filipiak. This project is result of the fruitful co-operation YMCA Macedonia has developed with Stowarzyszenie ''PARAFIADA'' from Warsaw, Poland.
During their stay the two EVS volunteers presented great motivation and indefatigable enthusiasm in the voluntary work on local level. They took part in various community work and non-formal education activities with young people, Roma children, elders and members of marginalized groups in the society.  The two volunteers also organized activities by which they promoted the culture and traditions of Poland, European awareness, active citizenship among young people and presented the opportunities that the Youth in Action provides to the young people across Europe.
This project that is great example of successful European cooperation in the field of youth and community work was financially supported by the Youth in Action Programme of the European Commission.

ICE-Réseau Francophone EVS volunteers in YMCA Macedonia
Anais Matoua and Clara Flack were French EVS volunteers in YMCA Macedonia in 2008/2009. These two creative young girls coming from the Strasbourg based organization ICE-Réseau Francophone were actively involved in the activities of YMCA Macedonia on local level. By their dedicated work they gave great contribution to the social inclusion activities that YMCA Macedonia and our partners implemented on local level. The activities included but were not limited to: non-formal education activities with young people, social inclusion activities primarily with young Roma and children, leisure and outdoor activities with young people, theatre and music, creative games, promotion of European citizenship, volunteering and youth participation on local and national level. YMCA Macedonia is also very grateful to Anais and Clara for their assistance of the local staff in the administrative central office of YMCA Macedonia. We are also grateful to Clara for her active involvement in some activities of the YMCA Macedonia’s branch office in the town of Bitola. The presence and involvement of Clara and Anais in the activities brought positive feeling of belonging to Europe at the children and young people they were working with and resulted in establishment of long-term friendships with some of the local volunteers and people from the community.

These projects have been funded with support from the European Commission. This report reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein”.

Photos and short interviews with the EVS volunteers will be soon available on our web-page.