Being Someone ...Being an EVS Volunteer...

06 August 2007

My story begins in 2005 in Bosnia. By the end of high school and first year at the university, I found out that I was addicted to NGO work and the best proof of that are my �several� years of volunteer experience and years of answering to the �proud� people of Western Balkan the questions like: Yes, I volunteer... because I don�t want to work as a waiter in Bosnia.
I started wondering if there is a chance for me to become part of something active, meaningful, constructive and respectful, like a cook in cevapdzinica� (a diner type restaurant serving �cevapi�, oriental style meatballs).

Alen Jusufovic

But my gift was not making good burek and cevapi, I wanted to do less exciting stuff like get involved in NGO sector in some of my neighboring countries. I started writing e mails to many of my volunteer colleagues and NGO employees, asking them if there is a way for me to get involved in some good working NGO in some other country. After many weeks of asking and getting badly informed around I met one dear person which directed me to one address and a right path towards achieving my goal and become useful member of society � No that person was not a priest! It was a friendly EVS volunteer from Poland.

I was looking for a way to improve my working skills by engaging myself in a work of some non-governmental or government organization which is working to promote something that Balkan needs (like a rescue from turbo � folk music) and peace and cooperation. Of course if there will be a need for me to be involved in working in some other country I cant have my Mom sending me burek and sarma by FEDEX , I would need to have some minimal income for food and maybe a place to live in and so on..

..My road to EVS

I met a girl from Poland who told me that there is something called RIVER SEE project and it gives young people from Balkan a chance to volunteer for 420euros in some other countries of Balkan. After listening to her my first deep minded question was: Could I go to Germany? No, that is not a Balkan country.
Really, Germany is not in the Balkans? (My overwhelming surprise!)
So where could I go, I mean I am a Bosnian. It is not cool enough for me to volunteer in Slovenia, and too nice to volunteer in Croatia. A bit dangerous in Serbia...

But after calming down I was given information that there are other countries in Balkan and that if I visit a website www.riversee.org all my answers will be answered. So I did it!

...While doing it!..

Alen with his Macedonian colleagues

My fingers were all around it, the typing board was very friendly to my slow typing even though the internet connection was not kind to me. After typing in the internet explorer www.riversee.org I got this application to decide where do I want to volunteer, how and for whom? After writing what I would like (to end up volunteering with Naomi Campbell) I decided that a country in which I would like to volunteer in has to be in Balkan, where Bosnians are not �unknown�; somewhere where cevapi and burek are traditional meal, a country that has some problematic issues to solve and nice climate. I still can�t imagine that Germany is not in the Balkans. After 10 people told me that, I started to believe it. After less than two weeks from applying on the RIVER SEE website as a volunteer. I got a call from the nice people from UNV who told me that there is a place for me in Skopje in Macedonia, I took it! After ending the informational preparations in Sarajevo I was on my way to, until that moment, hardly known country.

What did I do there....

I arrived in Skopje and thanks to UNV began my work in an international organization which deals with making peace in Balkan and especially amongst Albanians, Serbians and Macedonians. I was included in their project by helping them in the office with organizing field work activities in Kosovo, Macedonia and Serbia. We helped people who have been forgotten by their governments � that means the Youth. By organizing educational workshops on subjects like AIDS/ HIV and Drug prevention to project writing seminars and promotions of multi cultural living and cooperation, we tried to build peace. It gave me a chance to become a part of international community in Macedonia which was really cool I shared apartment and parties with young volunteers from across the Europe. The multi culturalism was something for which I was fighting for � but not in a violent way off course. I was talking multi culturalism and learning from multiculturalism.

How Did I live there....?..

Although I was a volunteer I got monthly payment of 420 euros which was good for me to pay for a place to live in, food to eat and some money was left which I spent to go back to Bosnia for a week in the middle of my EVS to assure my parents that I was not in Russia but in Macedonia and that I was O.K and I liked it there.
I was doing good things there and local people appreciated me for that; I was never lonely never hungry or bored; my life was fulfilled with the joy I got from my new friends and working colleagues.

When the work ended...

After 6 months my EVS in Macedonia ended and I had to return back to Bosnia, although I have felt like I missed some people and things from my home town I also started having a feeling for Skopje as my new hometown and leaving Skopje I left my new family there but with high hopes to return back, one day.

What did I get from the EVS.....

I knew that I was going to Macedonia to volunteer so I never expected to come back home as a rich man. I came back with a great work experience which let me get a job as a secretary in one international organization here in Bosnia; I learned new language and improved my English. I came back with great memories and dear friends and most surprising are the opportunities which I have now all thanks to the EVS and UNV.

I recommend it to ...

I recommend EVS like I would yogurt with hot burek, like sugar with Columbian coffee, to all young people who are active participants in their communities and if you have interest to learn more and meet more than what your respected culture offers. The EVS project is a great way to improve personal skills and knowledge as well as to improve and widen the person�s chances and possibilities.