Nikolina Maksimović and Vladana Jovanović,  two inspiring young women from Ugljevik, actively participated in a project by the civil society organization “Korijeni” titled “Positive Stories Under the Open Sky.” This project, implemented under the Regional Programme on Local Democracy in the Western Balkans (ReLOaD2), aimed to unite and engage young people in their local community.

Their story begins with their participation in a soft skills development training organized by the ReLOaD project, held in Sarajevo. The training was designed to empower young people in local communities, and it inspired them to recognize the needs of the youth in their surroundings and initiate change.

Vladana noted, “Participating in the training in Sarajevo was a true revelation. I realized that, even if we are few in number, a small group can make a big impact.”

Vladana, a 20-year-old student at the Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation, has dreamed of working on youth inclusion since childhood. For her, trainings and camps are an important step toward that goal. Nikolina, also a 20-year-old speech therapy student, dedicates her free time to volunteering and sports activities.

The idea for the project “Positive Stories Under the Open Sky” stemmed from the need for more opportunities for socialization among young people in their community. Nikolina explained, “We noticed that there were not many events that brought young people together. An open-air cinema seemed like the perfect solution because it offers a chance for socializing.” The project’s goal was to educate young people on how to create short films and express their creativity through social activism.

In the end, we celebrated our work under the open sky, all together, happy and smiling,” added Vladana.

Though this was the first major project for the Korijeni association, they faced challenges, especially in administration. Vladana highlighted, “The biggest challenge was the paperwork. Although I had worked on projects before, this was a big step for me. With the support of the ReLOaD team, we managed to overcome all the obstacles.”

The project brought together a large number of young people who participated in various activities, including an open-air cinema, a volunteer filmmaking school, and a motivational speech by Tomislav Cvitanušić. As a result of the project, Korijeni’s social media pages published ten short films on the topic of activism.

“Through this project, we managed to bring together young people who previously felt excluded from social events,” said Nikolina, while Vladana added that despite the challenges, they were able to motivate young people to actively get involved.

Participation in the “Positive Stories Under the Open Sky” project and ReLOaD2 program activities helped them develop skills such as adaptability, public speaking, and communication.

Vladana and Nikolina plan to finish their studies and continue contributing to their community. Vladana hopes to establish a non-governmental organization focused on the inclusion of young people with disabilities and autism, while Nikolina plans to continue volunteering and working with youth in her community.

This initative was supported through The Regional Programme on Local Democracy in the Western Balkans 2 (ReLOaD2) is funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP.