Hello and welcome to the November edition of VOICES, This month, we sadly say goodbye to two long-term volunteers at VCS. I’m Cassandre, also a long-termer, and watching volunteers leave is always bittersweet, especially Terry and Chloe, the last ones from when I first arrived. In this editorial, they share their final thoughts and reflections,…
As the air grows cooler and the leaves begin to fall, I’m reminded that my time here is also slowly but surely coming to an end. Indeed, while it still does feel surreal to say it, I’ve been here for almost 11 months already. Living in Macedonia is something that I would have never believed…
Since I arrived in Macedonia, I have felt a small shift inside me. It might be the way people open me their doors without hesitation, or how a shared drink can turn strangers into something closer. The welcome I’ve received here has been more than politeness, it feels like a real invitation to belong, to…
I was certainly aware that the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF), held in Skopje from July 20-26, would teach me something as an Olympic volunteer, but it went beyond my expectations. I spent the entire week at the venue with competitions in taekwondo, which allowed me to see a world I hadn't previously been aware…
In April, I was sitting on campus in Ankara, just thinking about summer internship plans. I had no idea that in just a few weeks, everything in my life would change. While browsing through the university’s programs, I came across a three-month volunteering opportunity in Skopje, Macedonia. At that moment, I realized that something important…
Hope is a dandelion – and a dandelion is it. The story of everything takes its course with the smallest, tiny-tiniest seed of it getting carried and carried away by the early summer breeze. Despite its completely inconspicuous looks, the slender seed possesses a secret super-power: It can take a hold even in the most…
Dawid: As my time in Skopje slowly nears the end, I find myself naturally becoming more reflective about my volunteering journey. Stumbling upon the opportunity, struggling to write an application, accidentally missing the interview (thanks to my poor judgement of time zones) and arriving at the airport, all of this seems like it happened a…
Dear reader, birds chirping on the trees, water rippling down the mountain, the wind is brushing through the trees and you feel the warmness of the sun shining on your face. Spring is starting and with it a new Voices edition full of inspiration and ideas. Spring for me is a time to reconnect with…
初春風 無常迅速 春終わった Hello reader, another spring is coming. I bet you are surprised to read this beyond a word document. We haven’t talked that much lately, have we? Life has been a whirlwind of ever-changing circumstances. Although it was always like this. Change is a constant. Change is never changing. Next time we will…
One year ago, in February 2024, I was at the Montpellier Caribbean Carnival, celebrating the start of Lent. Totally immersed in a Caribbean environment. Who could have predicted a year later that I wouldn't be able to go to the carnival because I'd literally be in ANOTHER COUNTRY? A country that is completely unknown to…
“Trust yourself, everything is just going to be ok” This is what I kept saying to myself on the plane coming to Macedonia. And, I have to admit, I lied, yes… Everything is not just “ok”, everything is INCREDIBLE (I know, I scared you). If I’m not saying that when I return home then I’ll…
I remember when I got my first email with an invitation to write for VOICES. I was still at home, in Poland, impatiently waiting for my visa. Now I'm on the other side of the screen, a few published articles later. What about my home? Well, it's been 3 months since I started to call…
Disagreements often start from differences in opinion, whether at school, home, or social gatherings. These differences can lead to conflicts that, if not managed thoughtfully, may harm relationships. For me, discussing important topics is necessary, especially when they address big issues. However, for these discussions to be productive, it's crucial to listen to others’ perspectives…
Sharing… What is sharing? Before I came to Macedonia I knew that one of the main tasks is writing Voices. It’s not my main hobby to write articles but when I found out the importance of writing I was thinking deeply about what sharing is. According to Cambridge dictionary, the definition is “to tell someone…
Once we were an earthling. Cherishing the simplest moment came together with breathing. We would open our eyes and smile to the sun tickling our cheek through the window or greet the rain knocking gently on the windowsill. Having a coffee with a tint of milk or a fruit tea in the cosiest place at…
Since you are reading these lines, I congratulate you because it means you are reading "something". Increasingly, people have renounced themselves from reading books. It has become a complicated movement for people to pick up a book and read it. People prefer to watch short videos instead of reading written sources such as books, magazines,…
Holiday privilege; is what summer vacation truly is. Not everybody has the chance to rest that long or to plan a two-week vacation on an island in Yemen or a road trip in Eastern Europe to discover the Circassians’ unique ways of life. Holiday at home; is also a luxurious option. Not for Parisians this…
Time is passing so fast. I feel like it’s speeding up. I don’t know if it's the same for you, but sometimes the world seems to change faster than before. Maybe it’s because I’m aging. Maybe it’s also because information systems work faster, social media are always more instant and you can be connected with…
“They look here” or “They would look here” (in Turkish: buraya bakarlar) is a poster you could only find in underground metro stations in Ankara back in the 2000s. It was a red poster that had one big eye and an eyebrow as if it was watching you on your way. Very dystopian at first,…
With April being the second month of spring, flowers start blooming and trees start turning green. Mother nature slowly but surely comes back to life as plant buds open. That’s also how the name of the month April came about, because in Latin ‘aperire’ means ‘to open’. April is the month of the birth of…