By Sara Aleksieska (YES 2017-2018, Macedonia, hosted by PAX in Yelm, WA)

Living in a country such as the U.S., or rather in a town with which I absolutely fell in love, returning home was a little bit of a challenge - not because I didn’t adore my own hometown, but because now I was being weighed down by the realization of how much more beautiful it could be… if only. From the moment I set foot in my hometown, Struga, after my exchange year, my eyes followed all the trash settled next to my feet instead of in the garbage can ten meters away. Now I knew something could be done about this - a cleanup, for example. But who’s to say it won’t happen again? That’s why I decided, maybe just a clean-up wasn’t exactly the way to go.

At the re-entry seminar organized by American Councils shortly after my return to Macedonia, I found motivation and was reminded of how everything is better when we do it together. On July 14, in collaboration with the American Corner in Struga, I had a chance to try and make a change. I organized a discussion about why environmental protection is important and how each of us can contribute. A group of 15 elementary school-aged boys and girls carefully soaked in all the information given. They asked questions upon questions; they were so curious about the meaning of environment, the importance of a clean environment, and how they can help keep the environment clean. It was astonishing to witness the genuine interest and initiative that these students had.

After the discussion, I engaged the group in a cleaning action. With gloves and black trash bags, we left the American Corner yard spotless. We all promised that in the future, we would not only stop throwing our own trash on the ground, but also encourage our friends and family to do the same.

After the cleanup, to incorporate a little bit more of American culture into the day's activities, I taught the participants a new American game: Capture the Flag. They made their own flags, one displaying the earth and one displaying the symbol for recycling, and had a lot of fun.

After all the hard work and even more laughter, we sat down for a refreshing drink and the conversation about America continued for an hour. One topic the children were eager to discuss was fairy tales. I shared how in the U.S. I learned different versions of the fairy tales we grow up hearing in Macedonia. I even saw Disney on Ice!

The young participants concluded the experience showing gratitude and sharing ideas of how they are going to stop the pollution of the environment, one heroic action at a time! Encouraged by their enthusiasm for working together to improve the world we live in, I hope to organize a volunteer club for slightly older participants, middle and high school students. I hope that with the help of the American Corner and other organizations in and around my town, we can keep the youth engaged in their own future!