The impact of UPSHIFT on juveniles in Kosovo
Youngsters at the Education Correctional Facility making masks to prevent the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The world is facing difficult time as the coronavirus disease COVID-19 has surrounded all of us. Lot of different ways of prevention of this pandemic has been presented all over the places. One example being using masks when going outdoors. Group of five young boys at the Educational Correctional Center raised their voices and expressed their desire towards sewing masks for all the members of the center to prevent the disease (COVID-19).
It all started from a random conversation between the youngsters at the center. "We all know that we will stay here until our session is over, therefore, we thought that why wouldn't we contribute in our society' s well-fare, since we already have the skills for sewing", says Rron. And this is how it all begun. These boys presented their idea to the officials from whom they got the permission to start their project implementation. At the end these boys reached to produce over 400 masks for the center and other institutions.
However, Rron highlights tha "without UPSHIFT Programme we wouldn't been able to implement this initiative because the core skills learned from the five day workshop have taught us the needed skills for sewing". UPSHIFT, an ADA supported initiative of UNICEF Innovations Lab.
UPSHIFT: Social Impact Workshop is a social innovation initiative which supports youth and adolescents to become a force for positive social change, building transferable skills and creating opportunities for reaching community members with various interventions in the form of products or services.
Learning new working skills and enhancing your knowledge is part of the confidence-building. The aim of UPSHIFT Workshop is to provide young people at the Educational Correctional Center vocational trainings in areas such as sewing, IT, graphic design, barbering and cooking. "Once I get out of here, I can utilize the learned skills in UPSHIFT Workshop, for example, I can sew my own clothes", says Agim. Immediately afterwards Durim, a friend of Rron and Agim enthusiastically shares that he will buy a sewing machine in his home so, that he could utilize it on sewing different products he wants and needs.
"UPSHIFT has achieved its effect on our juveniles", says Fitim Berbatovci, Deputy Director of the Educational Correctional Center. "It has equipped them with the new skills both to socialize and to reintegrate after they will leave the facility. As we can see with self-initiative these youngsters wanted to utilize the skills learned to produce masks for the good of the people".
Afrim Ibrahimi, Child Protection Officer at UNICEF in Kosovo, adds that "UPSHIFT is achieving to transform the life's and behaviors of juveniles placed in Education Correctional Centre". "With increased vocational skills on design and tailoring that they have achieved as part of the UPSHIFT support, they are crafting and producing protective masks to support prevention and protection of population against COVID-19".
The influence of the UPSHIFT has been great in this initiative of these young boys. All in together, ADA has supported more than 41,000 adolescents and youth with competent skills and experience to begin to realize their personal dreams and ambitions. With more than 16 youth-led projects developed through UPSHIFT have become established businesses and the future of these youngsters seems bright.
The lasting partnership between ADA and UNICEF is operating on building sustainable social change in Kosovo by empowering and strengthening young people's skills for life. UNICEF is committed to provide opportunities for adolescents and youth to develop 21st century skills and innovate new ideas to tackle community challenges.
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The names of the children have been changed to protect the family.
