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…
Hey everyone! I’m Narjesse, I’m 19 years old, I come from France and I’m proudly half-French, half-Moroccan (team couscous and baguette). I love adventure, blasting music in my ears, volleyball games with friends, and I’m (very) curious about everything related to South Korea. This is my very first volunteering experience, and I’m super excited to…
Exactly one year ago, I gave all the documents to the Macedonian embassy in Poland and was waiting to receive temporary residence to go to Macedonia. I felt contradictory emotions about moving abroad for one year and volunteering at Volunteers Centre Skopje (VCS). On one hand, I felt excited to change my life, meet new…
If you told me five years ago that I’ll live in the Balkans for a year, I would probably assume you’re joking. Not only Balkans, but Macedonia out of all places – a country I never really heard much about, maybe apart from the characteristic red flag with yellow sun and location on the map…
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…
Bonjour! My name is Cassandre, I’m 21 years old and I come from the French mountains. I’m always thrilled to have some great conversations and to learn from everybody. If you like jazz music and life philosophy, it's sure we will get along. I love drawing, playing piano and photography, especially in the sun. I…
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…
Cześć! My name is Dawid and I’m 23 years old. I come from southern Poland but since early childhood I have lived in the United Kingdom. In 2023, I completed my bachelor’s degree in Geography and since graduating I have taken a break from studying. I decided to join VCS because it stood out to…
Cześć! My name is Karolina and I come from Poland. I’m 19 years old. Now I’m taking a gap year after graduating high school with a literature/humanistic degree. Punk rock, mountain expeditions, folk, cats and playing with time are my thing. For me the most important thing in life is expressing myself in every way,…
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…
Hey there! I am Lucia, but you can also call me Lucy or Lucka. I come from Nitra, a city in Slovakia. I am 24 yo and I studied Applied Ethics in Human Resources. But who am I really? If you want to get to know me, talk to me about travelling, specialty coffee, plants,…
Hello! My name is Dáša, and I come from Slovakia. Ah, it’s always at the moment you are asked to introduce yourself, that you forget everything you have ever known to be true about who you are. Nonetheless, I remember that I enjoy basic things like watching movies and series, listening to music, reading books,…
“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…
My name is Mathieu and I'm 19 years old. I'm French and I really like photography, videos and video games. When I have time, I do at least one of three things. My schooling stops with the obtaining of my baccalaureate, and directly after I have taken the decision to get out of my comfort…
Hi :) I’m Maike from Bonn in Germany. I recently graduated from high school, but before going to university to maybe study interdisciplinary science, I wanted to make new experiences, especially intercultural, interpersonal and personal ones, as well as learn things outside of school. So that’s what led me to VCS and Skopje :) As…
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…
Hello, my name is Nina. I come from the beautiful island of Aruba. I love going to the beach and hiking with my friends and family. While I enjoy spending quality time with others, I also value my alone time. I like to keep myself busy but find that some solitude is necessary. I can…