NedĹľad Kamenica, intern at the Institute for Youth Development KULT
In the beginning of September 2016, I got some great news: I was accepted as one the 20 participants of the first SHL Academy for Young Leaders in the civil sector. It was a long-awaited opportunity, a chance for me to achieve more. I started a new adventure of learning new things. The Academy had 12 modules and one specialist module that I selected, all offering a wealth of knowledge.
Plenty of knowledge, skills, new experiences and friendships. During the Academy, I visited successful BiH companies, the Central Bank of BiH, I talked to members of Parliament and successful activists and learned from peers whose initiatives worked miracles all across BiH. I wanted to get on that list of miracle workers. I wanted my own miracle.
I launched an initiative in cooperation with ASuBiH called “Copies Will Do” and soon, with advocating efforts aimed at government representatives, we finally achieved our goal – the rule that potential freshmen can now apply to more than one faculty was included in the new Law on Higher Education in Sarajevo Canton. Emboldened by the success of this initiative, I decided to contact the Institute for Youth Development KULT and ask for an internship as part of the Academy, which would allow me to work on my personal development.
The answer was yes. Another door opened.
My internship lasted 200 hours, and the experience I gained at the Institute is invaluable. I was particularly encouraged and motivated by the fact that from the first step I took at the Institute, to my last hour there, I was treated as an equal and my voice was heard and it actually mattered!
I had the chance to work on preparing and implementing the “Learn, Think and Act!” training, the “Training for Youth Work Associates”, where I was in contact with people who will be directly working with youth everyday, giving them the encouragement they need.
I was able to share my motivation and drive with others, show them that our fight isn’t in vain and that we can be the change we want. Working at the Institute allowed me to continue with the initiative, and engage the Zenica-Doboj and Tuzla Cantons.
The impossible became possible!
In these 200 hours of work, I realized that saying “it’s better to do nothing than work for nothing” is senseless and that systemic, concrete changes do happen. During my internship at the Institute, I learned how to change things in the system, and I realized that it’s possible to work together with the government, and that there are people who believe in youth. Recognition will come and so will opportunities. In the meantime, we need to constantly work on improving ourselves and our skills, and that’s the best investment you can make.
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