A team of 12 people (teenagers and adults) from the Czech Republic came to Skopje on 12 March to donate their time and labor to improve the Butterfly (Peperutka) sections 1 and 2 of the 8th of March Kindergarten in Drachevo, Skopje.

This project, which Young Life Czech carried out in cooperation with LinkAcross, a Macedonian NGO, was designed to brighten up the immediate surroundings for the children, exercise creativity, and encourage volunteer work.

In one weeks time, the volunteers repaired swings, see-saws, and slides, built a wooden climbing frame in the children’s playground, and painted murals on the walls of the kindergarten. This project made a visible and lasting difference in the community, not only because the yard of the kindergarten received a completely new, more beautiful look, but also because the volunteers inspired a spark of gratitude among local Macedonians and sowed the seed of increased volunteerism here in Skopje.

The municipality of Drachevo, Skopje, also invested in this project by placing trash cans, benches and additional reflectors in the yard of the kindergarten. The team left on 18 March, taking with them a trove of pleasant memories and the quiet satisfaction of a job well done.

Welcome to Macedonia provided logistical support for this project. For more information on how we might help you plan your next project, please contact Welcome to Macedonia.

Pictures courtesy of LinkAcross.