In November and December 2025, at the premises of the Center for Youth Activism KRIK in Kisela Voda, Skopje, the youth initiative “Plant Love, Grow Nature” was implemented, aimed at raising awareness about the importance of green spaces and encouraging care for nature within the local community.

The initiative was carried out by Vasilka Nasteska and Almira F. Muarem, through a series of interactive workshops that brought together KRIK beneficiaries and students from SUGS “Shaip Jusuf” – Skopje.

What was implemented?

The activities took place on 05.11, 12.11, 19.11, 26.11, and 03.12.2025 and included:

An introductory educational workshop on the importance of plants, their role in air purification, and how to plant and maintain them;

Two creative workshops for decorating and painting flower pots, where participants expressed their creativity and discussed nature and flowers;

A practical activity of planting flowers in the decorated pots;

A symbolic donation of some of the planted flowers to the municipality on December 3rd – the International Day of Persons with Disabilities – with the aim of encouraging an initiative for more and better-maintained green areas in the Municipality of Kisela Voda.

Results and Impact

Through the initiative: 18 participants aged 16–40 gained knowledge about different types of flowers and their positive impact on the environment;

Creativity and mutual cooperation between young people and KRIK beneficiaries were encouraged;

A clear message was sent to the local authorities about the need for more green and regularly maintained public spaces;

A commitment was received from the municipality for greater care of parks and lawns, including regular mowing and waste collection.

The initiative successfully achieved its goals – it raised awareness among participants and opened the discussion about institutional responsibility toward public green areas.

Challenges and Lessons Learned

The process wаs completed without significant difficulties. All participants joined with enthusiasm and demonstrated a high level of cooperation and motivation.

The experience showed that when young people and the community are given space for creative expression and practical learning, a strong connection with nature and a sense of shared responsibility are created. Small steps – such as planting a single flower – can grow into a powerful message for change. 🌿

This initiative proves that love for nature is planted through knowledge, nurtured through togetherness, and grows through concrete actions.

The initiative was implemented within the project “ZZZ – Together for Green Advocacy for Environmental Protection,” funded by the Government of Switzerland through the Civica Mobilitas program, and implemented by the Center for Youth Activism KRIK, the Center for Social Initiatives “Nadez,” and the Association of Social Workers of Macedonia – ZSRM.