When we started the school canteen renovation project, I thought it would be just physical work – painting, restoring tables, decorating. But very quickly I realized that we were changing much more than the colour of the walls and the physical appearance of the room. We were changing the atmosphere, relationships, and the way we experience school.
Today, our canteen is bright, warm, and full of life. It has become a place where we gather, talk, exchange ideas, plan, and feel that we belong. Every detail – from the mural celebrating the humanity of the medical profession, to the shelves we installed ourselves and the tables we restored – carries a part of us. The feeling that I contributed with my own hands to something that will remain even after I finish school gives me a sense of satisfaction and pride I had never felt before.
The educational workshops were another dimension of this project. They brought the biggest personal change for me. I learned how to build my personal brand, how to communicate clearly, and how to be a leader. These were topics I hadn’t thought much about before and couldn’t understand their importance. The workshop on self-confidence was especially meaningful to me – I started believing in myself more, expressing my opinions, and taking responsibility. I realized that by taking responsibility, you sometimes have to be a leader. And that was a completely new experience for me.
The workshops on communication and organization taught me how to express my ideas more clearly and how to turn them into concrete steps. What is most valuable to me is the feeling that I am part of a team that is changing the school for the better – and that I have changed myself. I am no longer afraid to speak up, to propose an idea, to stand up for what I believe is important, to be a voice that is heard. This project showed me that young people can initiate big changes and that through working together and supporting each other, we build both ourselves and our community – in this case, our school.
The change we initiated is visible and lasting. The canteen will serve generations to come, but what is even more important – the change remains within us. We learned that we can be initiators, that our voice has power, and that working together brings results. This project didn’t just change the space – it changed us. It showed us that young people are not just observers, but builders of the community. And that is a change that stays.
Elvira (17)
The initiative “Creativity Zone” was implemented within the project “Connecting the Dots 2 – Advancing Child Participation in Decision Making for Enhanced Child Rights and Democracy in B&H” carried out by World Vision BH Foundation and the Association “Naša djeca” Sarajevo, in partnership with the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of BiH, and funded by the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
