News & Events

The Story of the “Place to Grow” Project: Child-Friendly Municipalities – is long, but it has a happy ending! From the first steps and consultations with children to the shared visions and achieved results in Kisela Voda, Debar, Gostivar, Vinica, and Veles – together...

One picture is worth a thousand words... and children’s artwork is worth even more! Explore the exhibition “Gallery from a Child’s Perspective” – where the voices of the youngest are transformed into works and messages! Children from Kisela Voda, Debar, Gostivar,...

Inspired by the “Place to Grow” project, the team from the Municipality of Kisela Voda created the children’s song “A Happy Place to Grow” – an honest and creative expression of their love and vision for a happy, safe, and carefree childhood. The video presents the...

How can a small municipality become a big example? In the Municipality of Debar, through genuine engagement and cooperation, we created an environment where children are heard and active participants. Dzhevit shares inspiring practices that show how a local community...

The Municipality of Gostivar proved that where there is will – there is change! Aferdita talks about best practices, challenges, and successes that made this municipality committed to children. Watch the video and discover how Gostivar laid the foundation for...

The Municipality of Kisela Voda showed that real change is possible! Vesna shares how dedication and openness created opportunities for children to become active participants in local planning. Watch the video and get inspired by Kisela Voda’s example....

When institutions and schools join forces with children – real changes happen! Verica and Elenche guide us through the success story of the Municipality of Veles, where children gained space, attention, and importance. Watch the video to see how Veles is building a...

The Municipality of Vinica showed that even the smallest initiative can have a big impact! Vale and Viki share inspiring examples of how a shared vision can create a municipality that listens to and involves children. Watch the video and see how Vinica became a model...

Today, the last official meeting of the Place to Grow project took place – marking the conclusion of an important journey dedicated to creating supportive environments for children in the five municipalities: Veles, Vinica, Kisela Voda, Debar, and Gostivar. At the...

In Debar, children speak bravely and openly! Listen to their honest views on what it means to grow up in their community, the changes they wish for, and why their voice must be heard. The little ones say big things – it’s time to listen!...

The children of Gostivar speak from the heart – about their everyday life, their community, and the culture that shapes them. In the episode Our Voice, you will hear voices that unite, inspire, and call for change. Discover Gostivar, the Place to Grow, through the...

In the second episode of “The Architecture of Childhood”, the children from Veles once again share powerful ideas! They talk about topics that matter to them, such as child participation, safety, the environment, and more spaces for play and learning. Listen to how...

Children from Veles are building their world and telling their story! In “The Architecture of Childhood”, you will hear their unique thoughts about life in Veles and their dreams for a better childhood, presented from their perspective. Discover their honest messages...

The creativity and energy of the children from Vinica shine like terracotta under the sun! In the Terracotta episode, they shape their story about childhood, school, and the future. Discover the world through their eyes and listen to their inspiring ideas and sincere...

Different in interests, united in the desire to change the world! In the episode Same but Not in a Frame, you will hear the voices of children and their inspiring stories from Kisela Voda. Let their ideas and messages inspire you and encourage the creation of a more...

Piloting and training on using a platform for digital monitoring of children's rights! Within the framework of the project “Place to Grow: Child-friendly municipalities” a new platform for monitoring the implementation of local strategies for children's rights was...

New from the project Place to Grow: Child-Friendly Municipalities! We successfully completed the piloting and training for the new Digital Platform for Monitoring Children’s Rights! We designed a unique and intuitive tool that allows transparent, visual, and regular...

Within the project “Place to Grow: Child-Friendly Municipalities”, a unique digital platform was developed to monitor the implementation of local strategies for children’s rights, accompanied by a training session for its use. The platform is an interactive and...

The place to grow up through children's eyes and local experiences Within the framework of the project “Place to Grow: Child-friendly municipalities”, KMOP Skopje implemented a series of activities aimed at increasing visibility, in order to strengthen the voice of...

What does it look like when municipalities REALLY listen to children? Discover through video testimonies from the local authorities of the municipalities: Kisela Voda, Debar, Gostivar, Vinica, and Veles - partners of the project “Place to Grow: Child-Friendly...

Within the project “Place to Grow: Child-Friendly Municipalities”, children and youth representatives from the partner municipalities -Vinica, Gostivar, Kisela Voda, Veles, and Debar- took the microphone into their own hands and shared their truth! In their own words,...

Final conference: "Growing together: achievements, experiences and future steps" Within the framework of the project “Place to Grow: Child-friendly municipalities”, the Family and Child Care Center – KMOP Skopje, and the First Children’s Embassy in the World –...

On 25 June, at the European House in Skopje, the final conference of the Place to Grow project was held, titled: “Growing Together: Achievements, Experiences, and Future Steps” This conference marked the culmination of a 30-month process dedicated to creating...

Representatives of five municipalities – Kisela Voda, Veles, Vinica, Debar and Gostivar – together with children and young people, institutional representatives, civil society organizations, and international stakeholders, took part in the final conference of the...

Within the project “Place to Grow – Child Friendly Municipalities”, children from the five partner municipalities (Kisela Voda, Vinica, Veles, Debar, and Gostivar) had the opportunity to create video podcasts in which they openly discuss issues that matter to them....

We are pleased to announce that the Municipality of Vinica has adopted the Strategic Plan for Children’s Rights! On May 27, 2025, the Council of the Municipality of Vinica held its 42nd regular session, where the Strategic Plan for Children’s Rights 2025-2029, as well...

This day is dedicated to the rights, protection, and well-being of children worldwide. Its purpose is to remind us that every child has the right to life, education, safety, and a carefree childhood. But today, more than ever, we must speak out loudly against violence...

We’re preparing something new and inspiring! As part of the project “Place to Grow - Child Friendly Municipalities”, we have started filming video experiences through which municipalities share their experiences, successful practices, and challenges from the project....

On April 15, the 5th Steering Committee meeting of the project “Place to Grow – Child Friendly Municipalities” was held. Together with representatives from the municipalities of Debar, Gostivar, Veles, Vinica, and Kisela Voda, we discussed the progress in finalizing...

The ninth monthly newsletter provides an overview of the March activities with representatives from municipalities, educational institutions, psychologists, special educators, and members of parents’ councils. We organized a workshop on holding meetings between...

On March 24, within the framework of the project “Place to Grow”, a workshop was held to strengthen the capacities of representatives from local municipalities, kindergartens, primary and secondary schools from Vinica, Debar, Gostivar, Veles, and Kisela Voda in...

👉 Eighth Newsletter

The needs of children are the foundation of local planning in Veles. On December 12, in the municipality of Veles, the third local strategic planning panel for children was held, focusing on the development of the Children's Rights Strategy and Action Plan....

Common steps for children's rights in the municipality of Vinica On December 12, the Municipality of Vinica hosted the third working meeting with representatives from the local municipal panel, which included the municipality, the education sector, civil society,...

Municipalities demonstrate strong commitment to developing children's rights strategies! On December 10, the third meetings of the municipal panels for strategic planning were held in Debar and Gostivar. These panels provided an excellent opportunity to assess the...

European experiences as a guide for child-friendly municipalities. In the process of developing strategic plans, let us remember the importance of incorporating European best practices and experiences from Greece, Austria, and Germany in shaping strategies for...

The local panel for strategic planning for children in the municipality of Kisela Voda, held its third working meeting! At yesterday's meeting (December 2, 2024), specific activities were defined to become part of the Action Plan for the Strategy to Advance Children's...

On 28.11.2024, we held the fourth meeting of the working group for the project "Place to grow – Child-friendly municipalities." At this meeting, alongside representatives from the First Children's Embassy Megjashi and KMOP Skopje, participants from the municipalities...

We are releasing the 7th newsletter from the Place to Grow project. In it, you will find more information about the consultations with children and local panels, their goals and participants, which were held over the past two months. The activities were carried out in...

On October 25, 2024, a consultative meeting was held in the Municipality of Kisela Voda as part of the project "Place to Grow: Child-friendly municipalities." The meeting was attended by 30 students from primary and secondary schools, and the youngest representatives,...

Children in Gostivar Involved in creating the strategic and action Plan for children's rights. Consultations with children were held in Gostivar as part of the initiative "Place to Grow: Child-Friendly municipalities." The goal of these activities was to encourage...

On October 22, consultations with children and a meeting of the municipal panel were held in Gostivar, both events aimed at creating a strategic and action plan. These consultations are part of the initiative "Place to Grow: Child-Friendly Municipalities". One of the...

A little reminder and encouragement: Well done to the Municipality of Vinica and all the children and adults who participated in the consultation meetings and the municipal panel! Well done also to the municipalities of Veles and Debar, who have gone through the same...

MUNICIPALITY VINICA TOGETHER WITH CHILDREN, STUDENTS, TEACHERS, PROFESSIONAL STAFF IN SCHOOLS, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE SOCIAL WORK CENTER, POLICE, HEALTH CENTER, AND CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS... showed that they want and can create added value to everything they have as...

15.10.2024, Vinica The consultations with over 100 children from Vinica and the meeting with 22 members of the municipal panel have just concluded! The consultations with children and meetings with members of the municipal panels contribute to the creation of...

On 15 October, students from the school OOU Kocho Racin-Blatec, municipality of Vinica and the team for consultations with children from the school actively participated in a session for presenting the results of the consultations with children in the Municipality of...

On October 9, 2024, a consultative meeting was held within the framework of the project " Place to Grow: Child friendly municipalities". 30 students from primary and secondary schools in the municipality of Debar participated in this meeting. The consultative meeting...

Today in Debar, consultations and a municipal panel were held as part of the initiative to create Child-Friendly Municipalities. A child-friendly municipality is a community that places the interests of children at the forefront of its municipal policies, creating...

The children had the main word, and the attendees listened attentively! On 7th October 2024, about thirty children from primary and secondary schools in Veles openly expressed their views and needs during the consultative meeting for the strategic plan. In an...

On October 7th, a consultative meeting was held at the European House in Veles, attended by about thirty children from primary and secondary schools in the municipality, as well as the municipal panel with representatives from the municipality and educational...

In October of last year, we marked a significant moment for the project by exchanging ideas and good practices with UNICEF and municipalities from several European countries implementing the "Child-friendly cities" initiative. The "Create your place for growth"...

On September 17th, the project team of "Place for Growth" in collaboration with the local facilitators of the five municipalities involved in the project, held a coordination meeting. The focus of the meeting was on reviewing the methodology for consultations,...

Let’s remember the importance of asking children for their ideas on how their municipality can become a better and safer place for them to grow. Young minds from Veles, Kisela Voda, Debar, Gostivar, and Vinica channelled their creativity and energy into creating...

Conducting research and consultations with children is crucial for gaining insight into their opinions. These activities enable the creation of municipalities that reflect the needs and visions of children. In this post, we focus on the key ethical aspects that must...

In our E-library, you will find numerous useful resources on children's rights, conducting consultations with children, and local planning. In this video, we show you how to access them in a few simple steps. Do you have additional resources that you would like to see...

We are pleased to present the results in numbers from the local conferences and panels held in all 5 municipalities. During May and June, five local conferences and five local panels were successfully organized in the municipalities of Debar, Kisela Voda, Gostivar,...

Introducing the Place to Grow e-Library, which offers educational resources and materials designed for capacity building within the project, as well as relevant materials developed from other sources. Our e-library is intended for local authorities, educational staff...

One of the main activities in the project "Place to grow – child friendly municipalities" is the establishment of municipal panels for children's rights in Kisela Voda, Veles, Vinica, Debar and Gostivar. These panels will be a permanent structure that will promote and...

👉 Sixth Newsletter

Local authorities, representatives of the educational staff, representatives from institutions, NGOs, youth organizations, students, youth and children from the municipality of Vinica were the main speakers at the local conference "VINICA - Child-friendly...

On 25 of May within the framework of the project "Place To Grow: Child Friendly Municipality", a local conference on the topic "Veles – Child-friendly municipality" was held at Europe House Veles. At the conference, representatives of local self-government,...

The conference aimed to promote an inclusive and supportive environment for children by sharing already existing positive practices for children's participation in the municipality of Gostivar. The Municipality of Debar as guest municipality, participated with its...

The local conference in Kisela Voda is realized under the motto "I decide, therefore I exist", which clearly shows its purpose: to strengthen the capacities at the individual and institutional level in the context of the promotion of children's rights through the...

Local authorities, representatives of the educational staff, youth and children from the municipality of Debar were the main speakers at the Local Conference "Debar – Child friendly municipality". This conference aimed to promote an inclusive and supportive...

👉 Fifth Newsletter

👉 Fourth Newsletter

As a part of the project, a three-day training of trainers was conducted from January 22 to 24, 2024, intended for representatives of the local self-government and educational staff from schools and kindergartens in the municipalities of Veles, Debar, Gostivar,...

In the period from November 2023 to January 2024, a series of trainings were held aimed at strengthening the capacities of representatives from local governments in Veles, Gostivar, Debar, Vinica and Kisela Voda, in terms of children's rights and children's...

In the period from November 2023 to January 2024, a series of two-day trainings were held to strengthen the capacities of the educational staff from the municipalities of Veles, Gostivra, Vinica, Debar, Kisela Voda, focusing on children's rights and the realization of...

  👉 Third Newsletter

📣On October 25, the International Conference "Create your place to grow" was held 🎯Leading experts, policy makers and advocates from Europe who are dedicated to children and who have many years of experience in local planning for children together with local...

Leading experts, policy makers and advocates from Europe who are dedicated to children’s wellbeing and who have many years of experience in local planning for children together with local authorities, academics, civil society organizations, youth and children from the...

  👉 Agenda

🗓️October 25 I 📍 Hotel Holiday Inn, Skopje 📢It is with great pleasure that we announce the International Conference: Create your place to grow, organized within the framework of our project Place to grow: child friendly municipalities. 👥🗣Our primary goal is to...

  👉 Second Newsletter

The second meeting of the working group of the project “Place to grow: Child-friendly municipalities”, implemented by the First Children's Embassy Megjashi and KMOP Skopje was held on 03.07.2023, it included representatives from the municipalities of Vinica, Veles,...

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the institution of the Ombudsman, the EU Delegation in cooperation with the First Children's Embassy MEGJASHI, the Family and Childcare Centre - KMOP Skopje and the Foundation for Educational and Cultural...

  👉 First Newsletter

One of the main components of the project "Place to grow: child friendly municipalities" is strengthening the capacities of local self-government representatives, as well as educational staff from early school education and care, primary and secondary education in the...

Children have the right to be heard and the right to influence issues of importance to them. They are directly affected by decisions made by local leaders in education, environment, child and social care and urban planning, but are often excluded from decision-making....