Tim za socijalno uključivanje i smanjenje siromaštva

Author: Dejan Marković (Social Inclusion Blog)

The alumni club Youth Achievements in Serbia started its sixth year. New doors are open to the club today, and beyond lies the basic task of stimulating youth to think outside the local framework, to become aware of their potential, and thus contribute to positive social change. Alumnize.RS (Alumni Club Youth Achievements in Serbia) is directing students on the road to creating a link between the school, student and business life.

When I decided to become part of the entrepreneurial programme Youth Achievements in Serbia, when I started a student company in secondary school and when I was invited with my team to the national finals of the competition for the best student company in Serbia held in Belgrade, I didn’t know there was more to it. All of the effort invested from autumn to spring, every minute dedicated to personal development and education, every word said to motivate members of the team of our student enterprise, all the time spent understanding the advice of the teachers who were the mentors of the entrepreneurial programme, was worth the experience gained in a single school year. From our first gathering, through defining the activity, dividing the roles, and the first activity and congratulations by the teacher, the school management and our fellow citizens, we knew we’ve become part of something special. (…)

There are young people among us who are getting educated, who feed on knowledge, curious young people wishing and able to positively impact our reality, and this network holds the largest concentration of such people. This is witnessed not only by various European statistics on the business success of former alumni of entrepreneurial programmes, but also individual examples of Serbian members who have started to build careers in large international corporations or conquer markets with companies they founded individually, or with people from the alumni network. Last year, when Serbia was struck by the terrible floods, support came from all over. The call for help to Serbia also found its place in the main publication of the European alumni network, used to communicate with all members. Yes, that’s the alumni spirit – community, support, keeping the flame and sharing knowledge, capacities and resources as a sign of the care we give each other. Smiths and knights in one, current and future entrepreneurs.

Young people in Serbia need to understand that the winners are not always those who raise the cup at the end of a match. It’s not important how slow you move, how uncertain or unstable your step, the important thing is to always move forward, towards your goal. Whatever you do in life, the entrepreneurial spirit will give you the strength to persevere doing what most people here do not want to do, in order to do tomorrow what most people cannot do.

The text in its entirety can be found on the Social Inclusion Blog.