Stories about youth workers take us to the northwest of Bosnia and Herzegovina this month. Miroslava Milivojević was born and lives in Gradiška, a town on the banks of the Sava River. In Miroslava’s hometown, she graduated primary and secondary education, and acquired the title of pedagogue at the University of Banja Luka, where she is currently studying for the master’s degree.
She entered the youth sector in her hometown, first as a volunteer and activist, where by participating in numerous actions and projects she contributed to the community in environmental, cultural and humanitarian terms by working with children and youth with disabilities or those who come from families at risk.
“When you are a young person living in a country where the youth unemployment rate is around 50% of the total population, and the rate of the uninformed is probably higher, you have two potential directions ahead of you. The first is to leave Bosnia and Herzegovina and try to get education, business or private in one of the more developed EU countries, and the second is to stay, give yourself and your country a chance, improve your knowledge and competencies, expand your horizons and fight for change. The development of the youth sector in smaller communities, such as my hometown, does not happen in the rhythm as the youth wants, who are looking for a way to spend their free time in a useful way. It is a well-known fact that formal education in itself requires additions in accordance with the personal preferences of the individual, but also the modern needs of today’s society. And that’s where my first steps towards youth work start.”
Miroslava says that during her engagement she had a great feeling that she was making changes, even when they seemed small to her, but she always wanted and aspired to do something more. Youth work, she says, was the answer she was waiting for.
During 2019, she attended and successfully completed the Training for Professional Associates for Youth Work organized and conducted by the Institute for Youth Development KULT. She recalls that she came to the training with the idea of trying to make her job as a teacher informal and to try to apply the mechanisms used by experts in non-formal education in her work with children and youth.
“Guided by the slogan that youth work is not only a vocation, but also a lifestyle, I have been a youth worker for some time, the journey during which I acquired this title began in 2019 when I applied for the Training for Professional Associates for Youth Work. One unforeseen life circumstance, a few clicks, and soon an invitation letter for training introduced me to the world of youth work. Expectations from the training were more than met. KULT’s team of trainers who welcomed us at this training proved to be one step further. These are people who even today, personally, and I believe my young colleagues, are happy to encourage and motivate us to double our efforts in everything we do. It’s a phenomenal feeling to have such a strong support for everything you imagine, and even better if you support another young person tomorrow – that’s the biggest support.”
Miroslava often refers to the one-year training as her educational framework because the training had a comprehensive, yet concise and very practical curriculum. She adds that the training is a good foundation that she is still building on today.
“I did not only learn how to be a youth worker – but also how to instill in a young person an argument that together we can do everything if we really want to. I did not learn how to communicate and use the media as a useful and powerful tool in youth work, but how to be a transmitter of a pragmatic message myself. Not only did I acquire knowledge of the numerous legal regulations concerning youth work in all parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but I also learned about my limits. And now that I know what the attitudes and measures taken by the decision-makers regarding youth policies are, my position is to stay those “five minutes longer”, try again, it’s worth it. Let’s try together.”
According to Miroslava, she learned a lot from the training, but as the most important, she points out the people she met at the training.
“The first are certainly all those young people I met, either in the form of my fellow activists or already established experts in youth work. Still, whenever I look at my certificate, all the great moments spent with these people and the great things I learned even from their small steps pass through my mind. They are a walking motivation for me and a hope that future generations of young people will have time to rely on. The second most important thing I brought with me from the training was the feeling of professional belonging, and at the same time complete freedom.”
Thanks to the youth work, experiences and character of the people she met on her way, Miroslava progressed in a professional sense, but she also built herself in a personal sense into, as she says, a complete personality. Two years later she is still very active in the sector and achieving new successes.
“Youth work has opened the door for me between reality and dream. Goals that were once unattainable are now already part of the fond memories in my albums and memories. I became part of a phenomenal program of the Mozaik Foundation – the Youth Bank program, where I guide and mentor young people with their project proposals by which they improve their local communities. In cooperation with the PRONI Center for Youth Development and through their Academies of Youth Work, I improved my knowledge and title in the youth sector by becoming a certified youth work trainer and then manager of youth organizations. In addition to all my idea to apply all the mechanisms of successful work and action in the informal sector in my formal work, I began to put it into practice. I won’t stop there either. Because as Brian Tracy says, “Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people always ask: “What do I get out of it?“
According to Miroslav, the youth sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina is on the rise.
“An army of great youth workers and youth has done what was unthinkable until a few years ago, and they don’t stop there. We connect with other European youth, their education system, we acquire new knowledge, skills and competencies. And most important of all – networking. The feeling that wherever steps take you across Europe, you will always have a sense of home atmosphere, thanks to friendships as an integral part of the love of all those for whom youth work is not just a job but a lifestyle. Unfortunately, Bosnia and Herzegovina does not participate in all processes and programs concerning European youth, but that is now irrelevant in relation to the effort and results that our youth is already achieving because – who knows where we are and at what stage we will be tomorrow. It will be enough if I mention that we, young people in a small country in the heart of the Balkans: work hard, have a vision and are not invisible, and that is the most important thing and I believe that even closed door will open for us.”
This young woman sees her future in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and she wants to continue to follow the paths of youth work and constantly improve.
“In the future, I see myself continuing to walk this path, and I hope to do so successfully. I will constantly be ready to work on my personal and professional development, so that, despite all the challenges of my vocation, my actions are speaking instead of me. There are special people to whom I am grateful for everything I have already stated so far. On how I built myself and still grow and learn. One day, I want to be a person who will help a young and ambitious person who wants to walk these paths, a name that is synonymous with moving on, stronger and better.”
Her message to young people is to turn obstacles to the realization of their own dreams into motivation towards their goals.
“My message and advice to young people is to fight to live their dreams, not to give up on them. Don’t forget to turn all obstacles on that path into motivation towards your goal. To step out of your comfort zone and overcome your fears and doubts, and thus surpass yourself. Always be yourself, authentic, unique among equals“- concludes Miroslava, another hard-working and motivated youth worker who with her hard work gives hope for a strong youth sector and a better society in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
