Secondary school students in Gjilan cleaning the neighbourhood of their school for Earth Day, 22 April 2009. (UNV)

UNV and UNDP’s Support to the Implementation of the Kosovo Youth Action Plan (SIKYAP) Project, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, organized a series of activity to mark Earth Day, 22 April 2009.  All events were organized by the project’s Regional Youth Associates (RYAs), who are national UNV volunteers.

The SIKYAP Project aims to empower and support youth as part of the Kosovo Youth Action Plan (KYAP). It increases youth participation in decision-making processes at central and local levels, as well as in community life through promoting and institutionalizing volunteerism.  The Project has six RYAs who work in cooperation with municipal youth offices.

The aims of the activities were to showcase an event featuring youth participation and volunteerism, taking Earth Day as an example.

Youth should be empowered by making their voluntary contributions to the society visible, the activities should mobilize young volunteers and community networks should be enhanced (e.g. among youth offices, youth centres, student council, NGOs and community-based organizations).

In the Pristina region, in cooperation with an environmental NGO, 50 young volunteers cleaned the town of Podujeva and planted flowers, grass, and saplings in the town centre.

A scout group in Mitrovica North and Zvecan enjoyed the Zvecan hill trail, and cleaned the footpaths. On their way participants learned scout skills, such as how to tie ropes and to use compasses, as well as the importance of protecting the environment by youth voluntary initiatives.  

The gymnasium student council played an important role in Mitrovica South, where they, together with NGOs, mobilized more than 50 volunteers to clean the school yard and to plant trees.

In Gjilan region, the event involved soldiers of the NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR) stationed in the region. More than 70 volunteers from a secondary school and KFOR cleaned the school neighbourhood.

Art school students in Peja region enjoyed painting nature at Rugova Valley, and cleaned the area while appreciating the beautiful nature there.  Four of the best paintings were offered to UNDP and UNV as a token.  Student volunteers also planted flowers in the town centre.

In the Prizren region, more than 20 young volunteers from schools, Youth Centre, and NGOs joined the clean-up activity.

Activities in each region included a short presentation by the RYA on the importance of protecting the environment, as well as about youth initiatives for the betterment of their communities.  In most of the regions, municipal officials or the mayor attended the event to pay tribute to the contribution of young volunteers.

The RYAs in all regions are now working with their partners to make these initiatives by the young volunteers sustainable.