PLAY International Kosovo

  Staff Profile #37 Meet Denilda – Our Newest Intern! Born and raised in Prishtina, Denilda has always been passionate about helping others. She pursued her studies in Speech and Language Therapy at “Kolegji Heimerer”, where she discovered her love for working with children and making a real impact on their lives. Over the years, she has gained experience in various roles, from supporting children with special needs to working in education and even client engagement in the United States. No matter where she’s been, her goal has always been the same – to bring positivity and support to those around her. When we asked her what she loves most about her current role, she said: "The best part is seeing progress happen right in front of me. Every little step forward is a huge win, and being part of that journey is truly special." As for Kosovo, Denilda shared that what she appreciates the most is the sense of belonging: "There’s something comforting about knowing that wherever...

  Staff Profile #36 Meet Zana, the new coordinator for PLAY International's project in Kosovo and the Western Balkans!   With over a decade of experience in national and international organizations, Zana is an accomplished psychologist with a master’s degree, making her an excellent fit for PLAY International’s team. She has been working  extensively with vulnerable children, youth, and diverse communities, starting with Students Helping Life Kosova and most recently as a Project Officer for USAID’s "Up to Youth" program. Zana’s notable achievements include designing mental well-being activities for the Peer Support Group, and empowering young people to become leaders in their communities. As a psychologist and mother of three, she fosters trust, respect, and empathy in all her work.   When asked about youth in Kosovo, Zana said , " I admire their resilience and determination to create a better future."   Why PLAY International? "I connect deeply with PLAY...

Staff  Profile #35 Meet Vesa. Born and raised in Prishtina, the vibrant capital of Kosovo, Vesa is nearing the culmination of her studies in Management, Business, and Economics with a specialization in Banking, Finance, and Insurance. Her academic journey reached an exciting milestone during her final year when she participated in the Erasmus+ program in Germany, an experience that significantly enhanced both her professional and personal growth. Alongside her studies, Vesa has gained valuable experience as a content writer and an accounting intern, which has further honed her skills and fueled her passion for the financial sector. Currently, she is expanding her horizons as a Project Assistant Intern at PLAY, which will allow her to explore different roles of pedagogical development and project coordination to further diversify her skill set. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality moments with family and friends, going out, reading, and experimenting with new recipes in the...

  Staff profile #34                 Today, we're excited to introduce you to Lorik Zhubi, our newest Programme Manager! Lorik comes from Kosovo’s northern town of Mitrovica, however he spent most of his life in the United States where he completed his bachelor studies in biology and history. After his studies, Lorik returned to Kosovo to work on child and maternal health in civil society. Thereafter, he completed his master studies in global health policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), during which he observed the theories he was learning in the classroom play out in real time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once he completed his studies, Lorik worked as a freelance policy advisor for both the public and private sectorin Kosovo before returning to the UK to work in policy communications for one of Europe’s leading dementia research charities.   Outside of work, Lorik is known amongst friends and family...

  Staff profile #33                                               Introducing our new Project Coordinator, Bleta! Born and raised in Prishtina, Kosovo. Bleta completed her bachelors degree in Speech and Language Pathology at “Kolegji Heimerer” in her hometown. During the last year of her studies, she undertook an internship in a private clinic, where after 6 months she became a full time Speech Therapist for the following  four years. During that time Bleta also started worked with a non-governmental organization in a public school project that had the goal to include more logopedic and psychological sessions in schools.      When she’s not working, she likes to cook, but she doesn’t like to take care of the clean up  after cooking. She also likes exploring new places to travel and reading during her free time.   When...

 Staff profile #32 Introducing our new Head of Mission: Vlorian, originating from the lively small town of Decan in Kosovo! Armed with a Master's Degree in Public Health Science and Health Economics from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, Vlorian's journey has been nothing short of an adventure. From working with sickness benefits at Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan) in Gothenburg, contributing to the Swedish National Institute for Institutional Care (Statens Institutionsstyrelse), and serving as the Executive Director at Action for Mothers and Children in Kosovo for 5 years, Vlorian's professional journey has been rich with diverse experiences and impactful contributions. When he's not working, you can catch him immersing himself in cinematic worlds, orchestrating epic game nights with friends, or perfecting his table tennis skills! Despite being the fresh face at PLAY International in Kosovo, Vlorian feels right at home thanks to the warm welcom...

 Staff profile #31 Elira  Today, we're excited to introduce you to Elira Hashani, our newest Pedagogical Manager.🌟 Elira is a passionate and experienced education professional who plays a crucial role in our organization's mission to transform education in Kosovo. Originally from Prishtina, Elira's journey in education has taken her from the classrooms of London to auditing education processes in the public sector. Armed with an MA in Education Policy and a BSc in Public Policy, she brings a wealth of knowledge and a unique perspective to the PLAY team. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a culinary enthusiast with a penchant for cooking. However, she admits that her passion for creating delicious dishes is best enjoyed when someone else takes care of the cleanup! Elira's current role at PLAY has brought her immense joy, primarily due to the hands-on approach the organization takes in fostering positive change among children, youth, and teachers in Kosovo. She...

 Farewell, Julien🌟and thank you for everything.  While we are saddened by Julien's departure, we are thrilled for his future endeavors and the exciting opportunities that await him.🔜   Julien has served as a dedicated service civique and head of mission assistant with our team, and his contributions have been invaluable to our organization.  He has played a crucial role in supporting the Head of Mission, primarily in fundraising efforts. However, his involvement extends beyond that, as he has also provided valuable assistance to other team members in various capacities, including communication, report writing, and translation.  Notably, Julien has been deeply engaged with the youth component of the "From Ferizaj to Gravelines" project, offering unwavering support throughout its entirety.  His commitment and unwavering dedication have left a lasting impact. We will deeply miss Julien's valuable contributions, and he will forever remain a cherished mem...

                                        New year, new service civique!  Introducing our newest addition to the team, Julien Pruvost - our Project Development Officer. Hailing from Roubaix, a city in the north of France, Julien brings a wealth of experience in project management and intercultural relations to the table. After earning a Bachelor's degree in Applied Foreign Languages, Julien went on to complete a Master's in Intercultural Relations and International Cooperation. He has had the opportunity to work on European projects in France and gain hands-on experience while participating in a European Solidarity Corps project in Tirana, Albania. Aside from his professional acumen, Julien is an avid sports enthusiast, with a love for football, basketball, table tennis, and biking. A passionate supporter of Olympique de Marseille, he never misses a game. What sets Julien apart is his ...

Edona Bllaca , our newest peda team member, started this new year as our pedagogical coordinator and trainer.🌟 She is originally from Gjilan and has completed her bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She’s currently enrolled in a master program at the University of York, studying Cognitive Neuropsychology and working on a research study that examines the difference in dopamine activity between bilingual and monolingual individuals. 📚 Alongside this beautiful student journey, she has a diverse background of experience, including working with various NGOs, both nationally and internationally, in Kosovo. Specifically, she has worked with US Kosovo Force peacekeepers (KFOR) and P2E, an American-Kosovo non-profit organization, as a Local Youth Peacebuilder. Through this role, she has developed skills in using sports as a tool for teaching critical thinking, communication, team building, violence prevention, and gender equality to teenagers.💪 She also adds: ‘My experience includes men...

The PLAY International Kosova team has grown with the arrival of Qëndrim Shehu as Finance and Administration assistant.📔🖧 Qëndrim's laughs and jokes are so far having a good and positive effect on the whole team.★ Since it has been 2 months since Qëndrim joined us in our journey, it is our turn to introduce him to you; Qëndrim comes from the Municipality of Kaçanik. A graduate from the University of Prishtina as an Industrial Manager, he also completed the first level as a Technician Accountant. His passions  include cooking, watching TV shows, boxing matches and music. On the other hand his hobbies are walking, reading and entrepreneurship. 💪 His experience over the past years is related to entrepreneurship, business consulting, finance, marketing and scientific research.   "Considering the enthusiasm to work with people on new ideas and current challenges, I have tried to contribute both in formal and informal form to socio-economic aspects with the main purpose of proac...

  We are happy to announce our newest staff member, our Head of Mission-  Bérangère Dailly Bérangère  has studied History and Political Science and completed master’s degrees in International Relations and International Development in Paris and in New York. She was previously engaged in different NGOs in Kosovo and France, and has been working in the field of Regional Cooperation, Peacebuilding and Reconciliation for more than five years. Prior to joining PLAY, she notably worked for the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) in Tirana and Youth Initiatives for Human Rights (YIHR) in Prishtina. Besides her work interests, she is passionate about cinema, exploring foods and discovering new cities. "Even though I started very recently, I am eager to jump into this position and explore new challenges. I am looking forward to the richness and diversity of the work, as well as the chance to collaborate with a team of motivated and talented professionals". She is already exci...

 After almost 2 months of working at PLAY, it's time to introduce our newest staff addition-  Vedat Syla!  Coming from Vushtrri, a city in the north of Kosovo and finishing his bachelors of Economics in the University of Prishtina, Vedat is our new Financial Assistant!  His first job was Accountant and he continues to be related to the numbers world to this day, since in his words:  "It’s the profession that I like the most to be working on in the future, and I hope that one day I'll have my own Accounting company".  But until he becomes a founder of his own company he is willing to spend a long time working for PLAY International Kosovo because aside from loving what he does here he finds PLAY a peaceful place to work with a very positive, friendly and professional team. He states that he is learning new stuff every here and he loves that our offices are located in Prishtina, which it's his favorite city in Kosovo!  Vedat likes to be working for a NGO...

  It's time to announce our newest addition! This amazing girl called Zeneta Nishori🌟 Zeneta's story is one of the most interesting to us! She started her "Service Civique" as Pedagogical Assistant at PLAY's HQ in France and moved to the PLAY mission in Kosovo after just one month! Originally Zeneta is from Kosovo, born in Ferizaj but her family moved to France before she was even two months old. She grew up in France and studied in Lyon. Just last year she graduated with a degree in foreign languages (no wonder she speaks French, Albanian and English fluently). This girl is passionate about a lot of things, whether it is art, sport, cooking, or cinema. She is always eager to learn new things.  When asked why she decided to do her "Service Civique" at PLAY International she answered:  "I have always wanted to work with children or to just be involved in the education system. The fact that PLAY international is an organization that educates p...

NEW PLAYER ANNOUNCMENT! It’s time to introduce you to Fiona Furacao; our newest Pedagogical Manager!🌟 Fiona is an Irish but has spent most of the past ten years living in the North of England.  After completing an MA in Human Rights, she has worked and volunteered in the children’s education sector both inside and outside schools – supporting children with additional learning needs, international students, and unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors. She spent the last three years of her career at the British Red Cross, assisting reunited refugee families in their first few months in the UK. As a pedagogical manager at PLAY International Kosovo, she will direct the pedagogical aspect of the organization.  When asked what she likes most about her current position, she answered: " So far what I am enjoying most about this role is how varied it is. I have been spending my days working on such a broad range of topics that affect children’s lives, from bullying to climate change. We...

NEW YEAR, NEW PLAYER!  It is time to present our two French girls; Lise and Carmen which have decided to do their Civic Service in PLAY International Kosovo.  The perfect place to turn some months of their life into an unforgettable story! Lise Bouchet is from Lyon and she will be working for PLAY as a Pedagogical Assistant until the end of March.   Even though she studied Literature for three years and Communication for another two years, her interest to work for PLAY is the way this NGO tackles social issues with sport activities, which Lise finds fascinating.  Her love for Sport started on her teenage years, when she would play basketball and found out that sport is a great way to better connect with other people. Now Lise enjoys a variety of sports such as hiking and skiing. When asked why she chose PLAY’s mission in Kosovo she stated: "I was really interested to discover the needs of Kosovo in terms of education and sport." Carmen Flores who comes from...

Afë rdita Shala Kadrija, a teacher from "Mihal Grameno" primary school in Fushë Kosovë, was officially certified last December by Play International, after being trained in our pedagogical method, Playdagogy. During the period of May to December 2021, Af ë rdita was trained on how to conduct sports games and implemented regular activities with her pupils to make them aware of the benefits of schooling. She would like to share a few words about her collaboration with our organization, on behalf of all the teachers who have been trained with her. "I want to share our experience during the implementation of the sessions we have learned from Play International. Everything we have learned was welcomed by our pupils from the beginning of wearing the jerseys to the interpretation of the session. They were very excited while learning something new that they haven’t done before. Each time for us (teachers) is a good experience with new things and new information. All the Playdago...

Today, it's Albion's turn to be enhanced, our administrative and financial assistant who joined us two months ago. The first things that come to mind from all of our team members when we think of Albion are his humor and good mood. It is always with a smile that Albion carries out his financial tasks. His interest in numbers and calculations is matched only by his desire to connect with people he meets. Indeed, when Albion was asked what he loves most about his job, without thinking he answered " the team ", as one of his driving forces is to communicate and have a good time with people as much as possible.   Let's discover together a fun fact about this funny character that is Albion! He confessed that even though his job requires him to be responsible, he wasn't always like that in the past. When he was a kid, Albion always forgot his backpack at school.   We all love Albion at PLAY! Help us show your appreciation of her work by liking this post! ...

It’s time for us to present Erëza, our great program coordinator who has been by our side for 2 months now. In joining Play International Kosovo, Erëza has managed to combine two things that drive her deeply: her passion for sports and her desire to contribute to positive social changes. Erëza works as a programme coordinator but also as a social media manager for our mission in Kosovo. This multi-faced job reflects this enterprising young woman who likes challenges and undertaking many projects. When Er ë za was asked why she choose to work with Play International in Kosovo, she answered: “Play International's goals and mission echo one of my life goals which is to help people and especially children in vulnerable situations, such as children with disabilities. I feel concerned about their situation and I would like to help them in some way.” “Working with Play is also a great opportunity because it is the only NGO that uses sports in its methodology. Moreover, Play Intern...