Azra Maksuti and Erin Kupina have been classmates since elementary school. Now high school students at Kuvendi I Arberit school in Ferizaj, as part of the community youth mapping initiative, supported by USAID’s After School Support for Teens, Azra and Erinhave embarked on a research project on their community’s perception of volunteerism.
After substantive training on research, analysis, and policy, Azra and Erin developed a self-administered online questionnaire for their community. They found a stark divide between younger generations, which have a stronger sense of voluntarism, and older generations in their eagerness to volunteer and their perception of its capacity to achieve lasting results. Azra and Erin look forward to comparing data over time and sharing additional findings with their fellow students. The results promise reaffirmation that young people in Kosovo are an untapped resource in building their communities and fostering stronger connections across communities. Through partnerships with secondary schools in 16 municipalities, USAID’s After School Support for Teens is helping build youth skills and promoting greater youth civic engagement across the country.
Kosovo Education Center (KEC) for USAID Kosovo