Project weeks are an integral part of the UWC experience and contribute to students’ personal development, giving them a chance to test their skills and knowledge outside the College. This year a group of UWCAD female students decided to face quite a challenge. For a week, Wiktoria (Poland), Laura (Spain), Stephanie (Canada) and Léone (Belgium) chose to explore Kosovo with their Kosovar co-year Diellza for a project week with a social focus. These 5 students embarked on the trip in order to hold a number of sessions on the theme of gender equality in various high schools and youth organizations with teenagers 14 to 19 years of age. In doing so they came across diverse reactions, varying from very informed and participative groups to more polarized and loud opinions, and it wasn’t always as easy to share views and discuss. However, all group members agreed that the experience was most rewarding in that they succeeded in their aim of opening up a space for genuine discussion and all participating groups seem to have enjoyed the opportunity, even if in different ways.
In addition to the gender equality workshops held in schools and youth centers, the group also took advantage of being in Kosovo on March 8th and attended the Women’s March in the capital of Kosovo, Prishtinë, with banners that later appeared on tv news reports. The group also visited a cathedral and got an incredible view of the city from the top of the very windy bell tower. Aside from Prishtinë, they also had the chance to visit Pejë and travelled to Gjakovë to visit the city and make a presentation. Lastly they took the bus to Prizren, to hike up to a fortress and explore the local culture and visit some mosques.
Each city had a unique identity and remains very distinct in the girls’ memory, making this an unforgettable trip. Kosovo defintitely represents a great opportunity for future UWC Adriatic students to visit and run projects similar to this year’s regarding gender equality, or perhaps tackle municipal recycling and waste issues, or even work for animal rights in the area. It is safe to say that this is a trip that none of the participants will ever forget (see from the photogallery below).
