Kosova Triumphs in the Regional Service Learning Awards!

We are thrilled to announce that Kosovo has once again made history on the international stage! The Super Volunteers Club “Yjet” from ‘Rexhep Akllapi’ school has won FIRST PLACE in the Fifth Edition of the Regional Service Learning Awards in Slovakia!

The winning project “Once a Hero, Always a Hero” addressed the needs of the community in the rural village where these young volunteers live. Through the trainings provided by the Red Cross, the volunteers were equipped with first aid skills and then passed on their knowledge to over 200 students, parents, and teachers in their community. The aim of this project was to raise awareness and preparedness for emergency situations, especially for young people living in remote rural areas, where the risk during daily activities is higher.

All of this dedication and impact on the lives of the volunteers and their community was recognized by the regional jury and ultimately rewarded with the well-deserved prize. The aspect that set this project apart, according to the regional jury, was the First Aid Component, which was praised as an innovative approach with great impact. They emphasized the extraordinary dedication of the students and their active involvement in sharing knowledge with the community. The jury also appreciated the well-organized structure of the project, where the school provided the basic knowledge, which was then transferred to the entire community.

In accepting the award, club leaders Arjeta Shillova and Mimoza Bytyqi emphasized the significance of this achievement: “This award is dedicated to our Super Volunteers who tirelessly worked in a small village in Kosovo. It proves that they are worthy and capable when we dare to dream and achieve greatness.

This success is even more meaningful since Club ‘Yjet’ first competed at the national level in front of projects from all over Kosovo and then at the regional level in front of seven countries in Central and South-Eastern Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Romania, North Macedonia , Montenegro and Slovakia, within the fifth Edition of the Regional Service Learning Awards.

This award demonstrates the power of collaboration and dedication, reminding us that real change starts within our own communities.

The Volunteerism of the Year Awards are part of the environmental activities of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), through its Human Rightivism program implemented by the Community Development Fund – CDF; the European Union Office in Kosovo; “SMART Balkans” – “Civil Society for Shared Society in the Western Balkans”  implemented by Centar za promociju civilnog društva (CPCD), Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM) and Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM) and financially supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA) through their regional and institutional grants; and by the European Union through “Erasmus+” Program. And by local businesses: “Dukagjini” Publishing House, Appbites – a part of SIGMA Technology, and Open Cybernetics.