Our partnership with HP in the West Balkans enables the acceleration of digital equity in the region, by creating digital hubs in the communities, enabling young people, youth workers, teachers, and disadvantaged groups to access certified courses and experience the marvels of the STEAM opportunities. Learn more.
In this article, we want to share some of the stories from the Digital Community Hubs in Kosovo, run by the incredibly committed YMCA team in 3 main cities – Prishtina, Peja, and Gjakova.
YMCA Kosovo’s partnership with HP has been an exciting collaboration over the past few months, taking into consideration that YMCA here collaborated also last year with HP, where the project was piloted in Gjakova Municipality.
In Gjakova alone, more than 330 young people finished more than 400 HP LIFE courses. The team experienced a smooth transition from digital labs within the centre to community hubs, empowering and reaching out to more young people with their unique digitalisation and certified HP LIFE courses, delivered in a safe environment.
The courses offered include 3D printing, Effective Leadership, Success Mindset, and Effective Presentation. So far, 178 young people have completed more than 209 courses in these areas.
The reason why YMCA in Kosovo is offering these particular programs is that the team saw the interest and the need of young people from our last year’s pilot project with HP, therefore they wanted to offer also young people from other municipalities the same chances to develop in these areas.
YMCA Kosovo’s programs like “Effective Leadership” online course matched our YMCA youth program curriculum, and young people could expand more on the topic of effective leadership, after finishing the course by joining the activities at the local centre.
They also had the chance to understand principles of inclusion, digital equity, STEAM policy and overall they are getting the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
For the upcoming months, YMCA in Kosovo will continue to offer HP Life Course to young people, reaching also young people from small cities such as Junik and Deqan, and offering the safe space and digital equipment needed to enrich their CVs and complete HP Life Courses.
But now, let’s hear some testimonials from the participants at the HP courses at the YMCA Hub.
One of the participants Hisen Fifaj, 18, who attended the “Effective Leadership” course in Gjakova, stated: “During this training, I learned how to use Microsoft, Drive & Skype, I also learned how to manage small, medium, and large businesses, and I enriched my CV more by completing this course.”
Another participant in HP LIFE courses, Agon Berisha,18, from the Digital Community Hub in Peja said “The HP Courses have made my critical thinking more open towards many situations around my community. Even when it comes to working in groups or taking decisions on your own. Being a part of this program has shifted my way of thinking and working towards my goals.”
For Ledijana Nikqi, 16, which is also a volunteer at the YMCA in Peja, says “Being a volunteer and holding such accountability towards your peers is a duty that requires a lot of work being done by you personally so you can be well prepared to make the sessions more attractive to your groups, and HP has shifted us to another level of being the best we can.”
