Trains youth leaders in creating and managing giving programs designed by young people for young people.
The Youth Bank is a unique method of engaging young people in philanthropy and community service activities. The Youth Bank is a grant-making committee run entirely by young people that showcases the youth perspective in philanthropy and supports youth projects within a locality (city, municipality).
“We support young people to realise their ideas and keep dreaming.
Youth Bank Kyustendil is one of the last established in the country, but we have the self-confidence of people satisfied with the goals set and achieved. This makes us feel “leaders” in the field of volunteer initiatives in our city. All the members of the Youth Bank are from the Debut Association. United by the idea that through our common passion-dancing-we can raise funds and support our peers to bring their ideas to life.”.
Why is it important to have such an organization in your town?
“In Kyustendil there are many organizations that raise funds, but what makes the Youth Bank different is the idea that young people help other young people to realize their ideas, even dreams. There are many young people whose projects are unique and will reflect well on our town and the only obstacle to their realization is the lack of funds. The Youth Bank is working towards something new and useful for young people in town, and the idea itself is innovative and well worth the time and effort on our part.”
What are the areas where you have approved projects for funding?
“So far we have five project proposals in the three areas of sport, culture and ecology, which we have identified as priorities. For this purpose, we conducted a survey in four schools in the town of Kyustendil in order to select the areas that are important according to the young people in our town.”
Tell us about the work of the Youth Bank?
“Every time we are together, it is interesting. Every day is a new adventure for us. Besides being a group, colleagues, we are also friends. One of the important moments in our work was during the training, which took place in July 2014, then we understood the importance of thinking and working as a team. It was also interesting to organize a show to celebrate 20 years of Debut Studio, through which we raised funds and promoted the activities of the Youth Bank to the public. Our satisfaction was great because we managed to raise 2 280 BGN. Apart from the motivation to continue working in the same direction, this also makes us extremely responsible towards the implementation of the projects we will finance.”
How does the work of the Youth Bank reach the general public in Kyustendil?
The ways we use to promote our work are many and varied from the traditional – media, social networks, posters and brochures to personal contact with our classmates and conducting surveys. In our opinion, once the organization accomplishes its goals and it becomes visible to the people of our city, it is the best advertisement for our work in the future.
Currently there are 13 youth banks in Bulgaria, located in the following locations: Vidin, Montana, Lom, Burgas, Shumen, Gabrovo, Sofia, Pernik, Kyustendil, Dupnitsa, Pazardzhik, Stara Zagora and Sliven.
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