[Challenge:Future] Changing tradition

8
CHANGING TRADITION •Project status: FINAL SUBMISSION •Name of project: Changing Tradition •Team leader: Elena Nikolovska •Impacted underprivileged group of youth: abused young people •Number of people in the team: 1 •Volunteering hours spent: 30 •Number of youth impacted: 2 •Period of project/action: 1 month

Transcript of [Challenge:Future] Changing tradition

Page 1: [Challenge:Future] Changing tradition

CHANGING TRADITION

  •Project status: FINAL SUBMISSION    •Name of project: Changing Tradition   •Team leader: Elena Nikolovska   •Impacted underprivileged group of youth: abused young people   •Number of people in the team: 1   •Volunteering hours spent: 30   •Number of youth impacted: 2   •Period of project/action: 1 month

Page 2: [Challenge:Future] Changing tradition

As I walked down the street last night I saw a young girl sitting on the sidewalk in tears. It was late night and freezing. I sat down next to her and asked if she was ok. When she turned her face at me I noticed that she was all bruised and bloody. “I’m fine” she answered quietly. I just hugged her and covered her small shaking body with my jacket…

Page 3: [Challenge:Future] Changing tradition

When she had enough strength to tell me the whole story, I ended up in tears. You see, she was only 15 and yet her words sounded like she was 60 with a terrible past and no future ahead. Her father was beating her every single day. She thought it is normal for a father to hit his child violently if the child does not act the way it’s supposed to…

Page 4: [Challenge:Future] Changing tradition

In this century of modern technological inventions, Macedonia still has a huge problem with family violence. People are traditional and the old tradition says that you have to obey your parents or suffer the consequences. This is why our society hasn’t moved an inch and it’s still stuck somewhere in the dark ages….

Children and young people that suffer abuse don’t recognize it as such, simply because the society they live in teaches them to hide it. Most of these young people end up at some low pay job, not having the confidence that they can do more, or they end up committing suicide. ..

Page 5: [Challenge:Future] Changing tradition

Youth is the fuel and the future of any society. Together young people can drive our society and force it to change so things like these never happen and abused young people can get a fresh new start at a violence free future…

So what can we do?It is my opinion that abused children and youth better accept advice from people their own age, not having to view them as an authority but as a second opinion coming from a peer…

Page 6: [Challenge:Future] Changing tradition

THE FIRST STEP opening up a center where

abused children and youth can call to report this violence without the fear of being judged. The young volunteers that work there would then inform them of their options and rights. They will convince the victim to come down to the center for a talk.

the volunteers will also try to work with the family. Trying to get them to see what their behavior is doing and looking for ways to change it.

There will be a place in the center where victims can come down and talk with people their age, share their problems and opinions and look for a solution together.

The volunteers will then work with the victims every day to discover what they are good at, tell them about the opportunities that are out there, and help them pursue the same.

Page 7: [Challenge:Future] Changing tradition

THE SECOND STEP Youth volunteers will

teach about family violence in schools and inform other young people like themselves that they are not alone, and that this kind of behavior is no longer considered normal in civilized societies.

informative leaflets will be distributed amongst people of all ages to let them know that our tradition has become obsolete and old and has to change.

Social networks will be involved in a public discussion on how our society needs change in this direction.

Page 8: [Challenge:Future] Changing tradition

Only WE can make old traditional society values change…Only WE can help fragile young things survive… Only WE can shape our world the way we want to…