Bardh Mustafa is an inspiration to many in his community. He is always ready to offer a helping hand, pays attention to details, and likes to solve problems efficiently. Bardh Mustafa attends “Xhavit Ahmeti” High School in Gjilan, where he is a member of his school’s Career Club. Ever since the USAID program After School Support for Teens partnered with his school, Bardh has been motivated to stay after school to work on various creative projects. He explains his enjoyment stems from being able to question, witness, and create projects. He also observed that after participating in USAID’s program students are now finding it easier to pose inquiries in class, question what they are taught, or provoke thoughtful discussion.
"I believe that to be a good researcher, you must have the ability to think critically," Bardh states.
Bardh spent a month and a half working together with a group of friends on a project for the “Design Challenge 2020” Competition, an activity supported by USAID. Bardh and his friends stayed after school every day in their school’s Makerspace to prepare their project for the competition. It was, as he described, a very enjoyable period. Bardh is devoted to always doing his best and directed this devotion toward careful fulfillment of the competition’s criteria. He hopes his team’s perseverance will lead to success in the competition.
Driven by this same sense of responsibility and persistence, and bolstered by his experiences in the after-school program, Bardh has become one of the lead members of his school’s Career Club and active member of his local community. Prior to the pandemic, Bardh began acting as a liaison between his school and several small businesses in Gjilan to set up internship opportunities for students in his school. With current social distancing guidelines in place, the plan is to connect virtually the local businesses with these students. As a volunteer, Bardh is actively involved in inviting different guest lecturers to talk online with students about their professions. Even with the additional responsibilities of this role, Bardh has shown resilience in adapting to the new circumstances to ensure students are better informed regarding their future career choices.
Kosovo Education Center for USAIDKOsovo