One of the great things about this particular consultancy is the chance to work with so many different organizations in Macedonia. As democracy continues to take root, the social profit sector here is striving to find its footing. History is happening as many of the “Leader NGOs” that I am providing technical assistance are the ones who are helping to pass the critical laws—the legal framework—which will define this sector's work for years to come.
This trip is particularly exciting because I'll be spending a lot of my time on the road, visiting the programs where they're located. This means I'll be seeing almost every region in Macedonia with the chance to explore beyond just the capital city.
On my first day after arriving, Jeton, Christophe (a new full-time ISC program specialist from Geneva), and I jumped in the car heading to Bitola, Macedonia's second largest city with about 90,000 residents. Driving southwest first up into the mountains and then back down the other side, I was really struck by just how important agriculture still is here in Macedonia—lots of vineyards, wheat, corn, apples, peaches, cabbage, peppers, potatoes. You might remember that I worked closely with the Federation of Farmworkers here on my last trip. This two-hour drive really helped to bring home the necessity of their important mission.
Arriving in Bitola, we jumped into the first of what will be nine individual consultations I'll be doing. This one with the Youth Cultural Center in Bitola (MKC), a terrific youth program working with USAID funds to establish itself as Macedonia's national center for volunteerism. This is a program near and dear to my heart because it really takes me back to my days working to help establish national service and AmeriCorps in the U.S. They're having tremendous success attracting young people who want to make a difference in their communities while developing new skills and uncovering their unique passions, talents, and skills.
Our conversation focused primarily on how they can create more volunteer opportunities for these young people, specifically enhancing their relationships with other NGOs, schools, and the the public sector. I came back so excited about their potential that I've already written a draft of their STrategy, Action and ResulTs (START) Report.
