By Rinë Fetahu (YES 2013-2014, Kosovo, hosted by American Councils PO in Baton Rouge, LA)

This is the third year that YES alumni in Kosovo celebrated the end-of-the-year holidays with a Secret Santa activity, and the second year I have organized it. This activity was a celebration of all the successes alumni achieved as a community and individually in the past year, a chance to reflect on the year we are leaving behind, and a time to talk about our goals for 2017!

Before the event itself, alumni got to sign up for a secret friend to buy a gift for, which was a fun way for alumni to get to know each other better. A week later, the American Councils’ office in Prishtina was packed with seventeen alumni talking to each other and trying to figure out who their Secret Santa was. The evening continued with a game of charades, and finished with opening our gifts while sitting under the tree.

It feels safe to say that this activity has already become a very important tradition for the YES alumni in Kosovo, and it is one of my favorite activities to organize because it is a great way to create new friendships and strengthen our community, which will continue its contribution to society in the New Year, 2017!