The next NGO I met with was not what I was expecting! It is a student run newspaper at the major university in MK- Sv. Kiril i Methodi. The newspaper is called Излез/Izlez. They were started 2 years ago, upon the founder’s return to MK from a year abroad. Her grant required her to start a project upon her return. She chose, with a few friends to start a newspaper that is critical of the educational system in MK.
They decided to focus on this because there are many problems with the educational system in MK according to the students in it. This is not the only thing the newspaper focuses on, they also do articles on then environment or other issues that students care about. The newspaper/journal promotes social activism. They will publish articles on local culture or investigative work. They aim to produce 2 issues per semester. This has created a total of 6 issues so far.
When the newspaper started there was no student run media at all (now there are 2 radio stations). People were complaining all the time, but no one was doing anything. They hoped to empower their peers and prove that students can be responsible. There are 8 people on the editorial board, who came together out of a series of meetings about how to best serve the community. (Last year there were 5 editorial board members.)
They have not only worked on the newspaper, but they have also worked on other projects. They helped to digitize the library through a grant they received. They have also donated books to their collection from a grant they recieved. They have applied to other grants, but haven’t heard back yet.
All of the funding sources that they had mentioned so far were foreign, and they stated that finding local sources is very hard. They want to try to stay independent, so that their research and comments are not taken to be one party or the other. They are afraid that if they take money form the university or government or party they will be forced to dumb-down their criticism to satisfy their donors. They want to be able to say what they find or want to say without fear of having their funding cut (a very real possibility here). They are also trying hard not to be labeled in anyway. They want to keep it independent.
Thus, they haven’t attempted to gain money or support from the government or any student organizations (the Student Government in MK is apparently very different than in the US and “un-officially” sponsored by the government.
They want to start engaging younger students as many of the original editorial board members are leaving (aka graduating). The newspaper has had positive results and responses to their reports, but to get anyone to actually take responsibility for the organization will be difficult (and has been up until this point). When they distribute the newspaper, they do so both online and in person. Sometimes leaving it around university hot spots, or physically handing it to people.
Their goals for the future are to keep the newspaper open and sustainable. They want to expand to hosting events for students. They also want to help any student that comes to them with a workshop or help in applying for a project. They really want this to become a force for the students.
Showing posts with label plans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label plans. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
In My World
In My World, an NGO that works for children with Autism, Asperbergs, and ADHD. Their website is only in MK, by the way. They have only been registered about 10 months, and only working less than a year. But in that year, have they been busy! They have averaged about 1-2 events/month since beginning their work. They are the largest organization that works with autism. They have the largest personnel as well as the largest membership of parents and people with autism.
They are working on raising public awareness. They have applied for a 2 year grant that would raise awareness through TV commercials as well as ads online. They want people to start using the new terms and definitions. They want to help throughout MK not only in Skopje. While they think it would be too ambitious to work in all 120 cities, but they want to work near all the larger ones with outreach to the smaller ones. They are currently working with some local kindergartens that have about 1,300 children in them. They are training the teachers on how to respond to children with disabilities. They are hoping to create a workshop for ADHD that will help distribute pamphlets/brochures. They hope to create a booklet that is about 70-80 pages long.
They want schools to allow for children with disabilities and allow students with disabilities to be in regular classrooms. There are many problems, such as money, that they have to overcome to reach these goals in public schools. They work directly with the children to help them integrate into a normal classroom. (There are people that are called “Shadows” that follow the kids around all day in school and help them complete tasks. The goal is to decrease the time needed as a shadow.) Currently they try to help the children out as much as possible, but they often only have one hour a week at the child’s home. This is not enough time to make a quality difference in their life.
In addition to raising awareness in the community, they also help through service to children with these disabilities. There are problems with treatment. Early diagnosis is poor, and many parents don’t want to admit that their child might have a disability. (It is still seen as something to hide in MK.) So when parents do come in seeking help, they try to provide them with the necessary means to help their children. They inform them of the different laws that they have to follow and what services they are allowed from the state . They also inform them of the changes in any relevant laws and provide advice on what the parents can do to help their children.
While their main focus is service to the community, they also work a little in advocacy. They work with other NGOs telling them what problems they are facing in their service, allowing them to lobby more effectively. They also provide information about what works in other countries, and how MK could improve its services.
They hope to expand from their current office into a daily center for kids to come in to like a “normal” school. This center would have a physical therapy area as well as a small classroom. However, they are currently in the second floor of an office building on one of the main streets in Skopje. Their office consists of a large conference room and a few smaller offices.
They, like every other NGO, have a problem with funding. They have received a small grant from the US Embassy for help with a symposium. They are currently working in negotiations with the government to receive more funding as well as searching for international donors They have never received funding from inside of MK. (Although they have only been around for less than one year, so it might not be very representative.) They are negotiating with the government, but it is not a smooth connection. The government is trying to consider a lot. In My World has meet with a few ministers (in related areas, such as MoSLP or Health). They even have the MoSLP interested in opening a daily care center strictly for education.. With the ministry of health, they are working on finding a similar language for their communication in creating this new space. When they do try to work with the government, it varies on which level of government they try to work with. It is easy to get a hold of a minister and get a meeting with them, as long as they have space in their calendar. The problem is the results of the meeting. (Were they able to find the same language? Do they have the same agenda? Is there money in the budget?) It is even easier to set up meetings with the municipality officials, but harder to get results. Every place in the city/town has social workers but it is still a different way to find results. They were able to get a meeting with the First Lady just by asking. There is also a problem with trust in their organization since they are less than a year old. Many donors are not sure if they are a legitimate organization or just trying to gain money off sympathetic causes.
I think that this NGO will do their best to succeed and fill a gap in MK. Those with disabilities are often seen as low class in MK and they are working to help change that.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Interity Alpha Omega
This was the first meeting I had with an NGO not in their office, but for good reason. They are changing offices right now and the new one is not set up. Technically, they are still looking for new office space. They lost their last office due to an inability to pay the bills anymore because of a loss of funding. So we met over tea in a local restaurant.
Integrity Alpha Omega is a varied NGO based in Skopje. According to their website, they aim for the “creation of new opportunities for all people, for development and improvement and for education. This organization invests in people, in their capabilities, interests and in their will. The creation of strong integrity among the people, people who will be independent, fulfilled and with healthy character, is the main goal for this ngo.”
They began 4 years ago when they realized that people were complaining without doing anything about it. They constantly heard people state that “you have to be close to the parties” to receive any help from the government. They had a shared vision to face the problems that trouble society head on. When they began searching for donors and projects that interested the founders, they began to narrow down their ideas from “helping society” to their current specific focus. They focus mostly on healthy living and an active lifestyle. They believe that this is key to a successful future. As part of this, they also help with youth empowerment. When they saw that no one was challenging these kids, they wanted to help them become a better person. They also help with renovation in local schools or hospitals when it is needed. Ideally, they told me, they like to respond to the different problems they see every year.
They have completed many different projects over their four years:
They find it hard to find sponsors in MK because, they claim, many people still have the mindset of “money laundering” organizations. They try to fight this perception by being completely transparent in their use of any money they receive as well as filing timely reports with their donors. In addition, if they (or other NGOs) receive funding it might only be for the specific projects but not for overhead costs. Also, they claimed that due to their local nature it is even harder to get funding for their operational costs. They have run into positions where they are offered services or “things” instead of money for them to provide services.
When asked about the government, they said that in the beginning it was really difficult because they weren’t part of any specific political party and they wanted to keep it that way. Eventually through, according to them, their dedication to their cause and not giving in convinced the locals and government that they were here to stay. Their main issues have been with other city governments (not in Skopje) wanting a cut of the grant; specifically asking as a bribe. (Struga, however, was very supportive and easy to work with.) They haven’t received funding from the MK government, but have had numerous grants from foreign embassies. The US embassy was apparently very helpful in their beginning stage in convincing others that this NGO was important.
They were offered space in the NGO center here by the goverment, but they turned it down. The space is shared with any other NGO that wants to use it. Basically it has free internet and desks, as well as a conference room. But this is not what they were looking for, they wanted a separate space.
They do have big goals for the future. If they can get funding they want to open a day center for youth. They also want to start a program for those youth in an orphanage to provide them with the skills that they will need to live on their own after they turn 18. They want to continue the programs that they have created (such as Weekends of Change) as well as address new problems that they see. But they are currently searching for more funding in order to make these goals come true.
Integrity Alpha Omega is a varied NGO based in Skopje. According to their website, they aim for the “creation of new opportunities for all people, for development and improvement and for education. This organization invests in people, in their capabilities, interests and in their will. The creation of strong integrity among the people, people who will be independent, fulfilled and with healthy character, is the main goal for this ngo.”
They began 4 years ago when they realized that people were complaining without doing anything about it. They constantly heard people state that “you have to be close to the parties” to receive any help from the government. They had a shared vision to face the problems that trouble society head on. When they began searching for donors and projects that interested the founders, they began to narrow down their ideas from “helping society” to their current specific focus. They focus mostly on healthy living and an active lifestyle. They believe that this is key to a successful future. As part of this, they also help with youth empowerment. When they saw that no one was challenging these kids, they wanted to help them become a better person. They also help with renovation in local schools or hospitals when it is needed. Ideally, they told me, they like to respond to the different problems they see every year.
They have completed many different projects over their four years:
- Weekends of Change: They group youth of different ethnicities together to show them the common language of sports. They help form multi-ethnic clubs that are sports related over these weekends. The kids will spend time together and learn new sports together.
- Go Pink: A walk against breast cancer that they host every May
- Run Towards the Goal: A running fundraiser for different charities. They have sponsored special needs and Roma charities, and school/hospital renovations with this money.
- A triathlon in August to just get people out and about in a healthy way.
- Orphanage Sports Camps: A sports camp for those children in an orphanage. They believe that most of the time the orphans are ignored and with this camp they were able to reach out and not only empower them, but teach them more about sports!
They find it hard to find sponsors in MK because, they claim, many people still have the mindset of “money laundering” organizations. They try to fight this perception by being completely transparent in their use of any money they receive as well as filing timely reports with their donors. In addition, if they (or other NGOs) receive funding it might only be for the specific projects but not for overhead costs. Also, they claimed that due to their local nature it is even harder to get funding for their operational costs. They have run into positions where they are offered services or “things” instead of money for them to provide services.
When asked about the government, they said that in the beginning it was really difficult because they weren’t part of any specific political party and they wanted to keep it that way. Eventually through, according to them, their dedication to their cause and not giving in convinced the locals and government that they were here to stay. Their main issues have been with other city governments (not in Skopje) wanting a cut of the grant; specifically asking as a bribe. (Struga, however, was very supportive and easy to work with.) They haven’t received funding from the MK government, but have had numerous grants from foreign embassies. The US embassy was apparently very helpful in their beginning stage in convincing others that this NGO was important.
They were offered space in the NGO center here by the goverment, but they turned it down. The space is shared with any other NGO that wants to use it. Basically it has free internet and desks, as well as a conference room. But this is not what they were looking for, they wanted a separate space.
They do have big goals for the future. If they can get funding they want to open a day center for youth. They also want to start a program for those youth in an orphanage to provide them with the skills that they will need to live on their own after they turn 18. They want to continue the programs that they have created (such as Weekends of Change) as well as address new problems that they see. But they are currently searching for more funding in order to make these goals come true.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Meetings, Meetings Galore!
After this meeting, there was a long string of no contact, while I waited and guessed how long is long enough to give people who “don’t check their emails once a day or once a week” time to look at said emails. When I passed the one month mark, I caved. I contacted Gazmend, who is our main contact at the Embassy, and he put me in contact with someone else at the embassy and within 2 hours I had a list of all the NGOs that the Embassy had funded in 2010-2012 through 2 grant cycles. I had been wary about contacting Gazmend because I didn’t want to use my
And guess what? These people have emails, answer them, and even follow up with phone calls! I was pleasantly shocked! Within 24 hours I had four meetings set up, one completed, and tentative plans for a few others!
These organizations range from business incubators, environmental watch dogs, the Red Cross, women’s organizations, Human right institutes, regional centers for NGOs, and a youth group. I will be chronically these meetings over the next few weeks, but since my notes are extensive, each one will more than likely take about 2-3 hours or more to write. Read: I have over 20 double sided 5” x 7” hand written pages about my meetings. I do promise that I will write about all of my meetings. I promise.
And guess what? These people have emails, answer them, and even follow up with phone calls! I was pleasantly shocked! Within 24 hours I had four meetings set up, one completed, and tentative plans for a few others!
These organizations range from business incubators, environmental watch dogs, the Red Cross, women’s organizations, Human right institutes, regional centers for NGOs, and a youth group. I will be chronically these meetings over the next few weeks, but since my notes are extensive, each one will more than likely take about 2-3 hours or more to write. Read: I have over 20 double sided 5” x 7” hand written pages about my meetings. I do promise that I will write about all of my meetings. I promise.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Change of Plans
Originally I had planned on working towards getting a paper published on my work in Macedonia on women's NGOs and their access to the government.
But like any good research plans change and so have mine. Instead of specifically working towards publishing a paper or condensing all of my research and contacts over this 9 months to a single paper, I will be blogging about my research here- on my website.
In addition to the type of research changing, my content is changing as well. I have been here a month in Skopje and have almost no research to show for it. It has been next to impossible to reach the NGOs here. Even if they receive my email they do not respond until I call and ask if they got it. It just took a bit to figure out how to contact people here (if you have an email you should check it or not list it, ditto with the websites)- by calling only.
I hope to show some insight into my research and NGOs in particular on this blog. I will take any constructive feedback as well as comments or help in research offered.
But like any good research plans change and so have mine. Instead of specifically working towards publishing a paper or condensing all of my research and contacts over this 9 months to a single paper, I will be blogging about my research here- on my website.
In addition to the type of research changing, my content is changing as well. I have been here a month in Skopje and have almost no research to show for it. It has been next to impossible to reach the NGOs here. Even if they receive my email they do not respond until I call and ask if they got it. It just took a bit to figure out how to contact people here (if you have an email you should check it or not list it, ditto with the websites)- by calling only.
I hope to show some insight into my research and NGOs in particular on this blog. I will take any constructive feedback as well as comments or help in research offered.
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