By Damiano Shkembi, YES 2017-2018, Albania, hosted by AFS in Washburn, WI

One of the things I wanted to do as soon as I came back from my exchange was reach out to my community and find a way to help out. My first project was a workshop on the importance of volunteering. I talked with 20 young people about the importance of community work, volunteerism, and taking the lead in your community. After the workshop, all the participants seemed more motivated and eager to give back, and we have already started working on plans for a follow-up project.

The second project I have started working on is a long-term one. I am teaching English to children ages ten to 13 at the Youth Center of Kucove for one hour twice each week. The purpose of the youth center is to promote youth engagement in community service and civil society. The children participating in my English classes are divided into two groups according to their English level and each group has about ten students. We work on the language essentials, starting with grammar, speaking, listening, and writing skills. We play different games whenever we have breaks and there are also different activities we do together. During one recent lesson, we celebrated Halloween and I gave my students a better understanding of how this holiday is celebrated in the U.S.

The main reason I am doing this project is to give all these brilliant children a chance to learn something that can be really valuable to them in the future. I now realize how simultaneously difficult and powerful teaching can be.  It is such a terrific feeling watching how dedicated, passionate, and hardworking my students are. The enjoyment I get every time I put a smile in their faces can’t be compared to anything else in the world.

I am currently thinking of another project that would leave a mark and make my city a better place! I am planning it to be related to sports, with the goal of developing a sense of “team spirit” among the youth in my community. I am grateful to YES, the people I met during my exchange, and all the experiences I had, for shaping me into the global citizen I am today!