Ten days, four countries, one shared idea – young people becoming ambassadors of the rural spirit. The “Rural Youth Ambassadors” project took us to Brajchino, a village that at first glance seems frozen in time, yet quietly holds answers for the future.

Brajchino welcomed us with stone paths and houses carrying the weight of generations. But it was there, in the heart of silence, that the loudest conversations began: how to keep life in rural areas alive, how to encourage young people not to leave the village, but to transform it into a place of new opportunities.

Our daily walks became lessons. We saw Lake Prespa – majestic, yet receding, like a mirror reflecting our responsibility. We learned that nature does not disappear on its own – we are the ones pulling it away. And it was there that we felt the weight of our role as young people: not only to be witnesses, but also to be actors of change.

From those discussions came visions – festivals to revive the cultural pulse, green initiatives to restore balance with nature, ideas for social enterprises to keep the spirit of youth alive in the villages. Every proposal felt like a small seed planted in fertile ground.

And that is where the essence lies: the rural is not the past, but an untapped resource of the present. Brajchino showed us that the future is not measured only in tall buildings and fast streets, but also in clean water, an open sky, and in young people choosing to stay and create where others see only silence.

“Roots do not pull us down; they give us support to grow upward.” Perhaps this thought best describes our experience: that to stay in a village, to invest in the place where you were born, is an act of courage. And courage always moves history forward.

The group that took part in this project is proof that there are young people with a voice, with a desire for change, and with the strength for achievement. They are not just participants in an exchange, but an example of a generation that believes every step – no matter how small – can leave a mark. “Rural Youth Ambassadors” was not just a project, but a testimony that young people can be the driving force behind great stories.

Compliments to the Association Brajcino 2011 for the excellently organized project, and the Volunteers Centre Skopje will continue to be here for any help and support in the future.

Anastasija Gjorgjievska