After an extraordinary success in 2023, the Solidarity Action Day not only returned in 2024 but achieved double the results! This year, the Solidarity Action Day was organized in two phases – spring and autumn – bringing a new wave of engagement to our communities.
In the spring phase, the Solidarity Action Day took place in 7 municipalities of Kosovo, where a total of 190 volunteers engaged in 60 local businesses. As a result of their hard work and dedication, €3,343 were collected to support community projects.
In the autumn phase, the success doubled! The municipalities of Hani i Elezit, Peja, Podujeva, Gjakova, Istog, Ferizaj, and Skenderaj were joined by Kamenica, making a total of 8 Solidarity Municipalities. Additionally, the number of members in the organizing teams grew – alongside teachers and mentors, 11 young leaders trained at the Leadership Camp were involved in organizing the Solidarity Action Day in their municipalities.
Their first task was to support the implementation of preparatory workshops. During the autumn phase, 16 preparatory workshops were held, combining fun and informative activities to equip volunteers with the necessary skills for their participation in the Solidarity Action Day.
The results of the autumn phase were outstanding: 328 volunteers engaged in 105 local businesses, raising €5,200.
The flourishing of the Solidarity Action Day within Kosovo also inspired Albanians in the diaspora. 27 OriginAL volunteers participated in 12 businesses in Pristina, raising €320, which was added to the Volunteer of the Year Award from the Diaspora fund.
Each municipality demonstrated commitment and a strong desire to contribute to its community. The overall results for 2024 are impressive:
In total, in 2024, there were 546 volunteers, 139 businesses, 22 teachers, 9 mentors, 15 young leaders, and 28 preparatory workshops, raising €8,960 for community projects.
The Solidarity Action Day has created a new culture of solidarity in these municipalities, where many volunteers and businesses have repeated this experience twice in a year. This has helped strengthen collaboration and refine the skills of young people.
Beyond the experience and networking opportunities, 52% of volunteers received job offers or were informed that the businesses where they worked are open to hiring them in the future. This is a concrete success that proves the power of this initiative to positively impact youth and the community.
This journey would not have been possible without the dedication of the organizing teams – teachers, mentors, young leaders, and high schools in these eight municipalities of Kosovo. A special thank-you goes to the businesses that opened their doors to volunteers, showing that they are active citizens in their communities.
Each municipality will now use the funds collected for an educational-volunteerism project, further extending their impact in schools and communities.
We are incredibly proud of every individual who contributed to this journey and proved to be the heart of the community! The Solidarity Action Day is not just a day – it is a movement that is growing and strengthening every year!
Solidarity Action Day 2024 was an activity organized by TOKA within the “Human Rightivism” Program, supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and implemented by the Community Development Fund – CDF.
This project was also supported by the Republic of Kosovo – Office of the President, as well as the “SMART Balkans – Civil Society for Shared Values in the Western Balkans” program, implemented by the Centar za promociju civilnog društva (CPCD), the Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM), and the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM) through regional and institutional grants, with financial support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA) and the European Union Office in Kosovo. The project was carried out in collaboration with the SAME network of organizations.
Additionally, this project was supported by the municipalities of Ferizaj, Gjakovë, Hani i Elezit, Istog, Kamenicë, Pejë, Podujevë, and Skenderaj, as well as by the Dukagjini Publishing House
These are the latest developments from our programs and activities.
Follow us for the latest
European Union Office in Kosovo is TOKAs most strategic partner, through the support provided by the Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA). This website is maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of TOKA and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
