Adolescents in action!
Kukës Youth Transform Their Community with UPSHIFT
Who would have thought that a group of teenagers would spend their free time serving 200 children of the Kukës in a preschool learning center? Often, youngsters are seen as wasting time in coffee shops and on their phones and as socially apathetic. Today, however, we are witnessing youth initiatives that are taking hold thanks to youth participation in the Upshift Program.
UNICEF staff arrived early in the morning. The first stop was at the preschool learning center. The town of Kukës had just started to wake up, and the sun was coming into the windows of the center, where the winning Upshift youngsters had worked to brighten the lives of these kindergarten children. The atmosphere there was electrifying, as the children were smiling from ear to ear and playing with one another.
“I cannot believe we made it!” Rosela says excitedly. She cannot be more than 17 years old and is a “Little changemakers” group member.
The youth group used the money won from the Upshift competition to purchase items that the kindergarten needed and for which they had previously agreed with the teachers and parents. Some of the group members focused on purchasing story and fairy tale books, while others bought eco-friendly teaching materials. Some traveled with their parents to Kosovo, where the prices for some of the items were more reasonable.
The Little Changemakers, launched their project in the presence of children, parents, and local authorities (Directorate for Youth and Projects and the Directorate for Pre-School Education in the Municipality of Kukës).
There is nothing better than seeing these youngsters coming here once a week and having reading time with the children. We have been very open to cooperating with them on any idea since the start and have done everything to support them. It is quite unusual to have such committed teenagers helping the youngest in the town.
Touched by the initiative, UNICEF Representative Murat Sahin said: “I have had the chance to visit many kindergartens because of my job, but this kindergarten in Kukës is special because the initiative of these youngsters involves three generations, toddlers, teens, and parents/teachers. Amazing! Finding out what motivates these youngsters to show such commitment is truly a draw for other youngsters that may feel at a crossroad. I am very thankful to these youngsters for their initiative and for being excellent in mobilizing the community.”
Marsela and Erjona are the two mentors who accompanied the youngsters on this journey. “From Upshift, the youngsters learned the skills that any young person needs to make it in life. We see a bright future ahead of each of them,” they said excitedly.
“If youth are supported, they can truly become a role model for their peers, as well. With just a little effort to motivate them, they will surprise anyone. Their parents should be very proud of them.”
Rosela, Enri, Brusela, Amarda, Saimir, and Kaltrina, the proud Kukës Upshifters, in unison, tell us, “If you want results later in life , start with children.”
Kushtrim, from ICTLAB, the implementing partner of UNICEF for the Upshift program reminds us that we are in Kukës, a town nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize during Kosovo crisis, and that the youth could be nothing else but the real game changers.
UPSHIFT is an innovative programme response that blends leading approaches to youth and adolescent development, social innovation, and entrepreneurship to empower marginalised youth and adolescents to become social innovators and social entrepreneurs. The programme combines social innovation workshops, mentorship, incubation, and seed funding, to equip young people with the skills and resources they need to identify problems in their own communities and design solutions for them. Supported by UNICEF Albania’s Qëndro project from the Italian government.
