Young people are drivers of change, and their engagement in the community is of great importance. For this reason, the Association for Addiction Prevention NARKO-NE is implementing the Preventeen programme – Addiction Prevention in Leisure Time – with the aim of educating young people about addiction prevention and health promotion, as well as encouraging their active involvement in the community.

Young participants from six communities (Sarajevo, Goražde, Mostar, Livno, Tuzla, and Zenica) gathered in Sarajevo from August 26 to 29 to work on promoting healthy lifestyles and addiction prevention. More importantly, they were provided with tools to help them actively contribute to improving their local communities.

During the training, through interactive workshops and practical exercises, participants learned how addiction develops, what risk factors in their environment may trigger addictive behaviours, and which protective factors contribute to prevention.
The training was led by Andrea Mijatović, Deputy Executive Director of NARKO-NE, along with project coordinators Azra Halilović and Anisa Čelik Raščić. They emphasized the importance of giving young people opportunities to actively participate in their communities and highlighted the need to provide them with practical tools and support so they can become agents of positive change.

The training represents only the first step of Preventeen. In the coming months, trained participants will work on developing the concept of a City Rally in their respective communities, creatively showcasing the local potential for healthy development. In this way, they will directly engage their peers as well as the broader community in promoting healthy lifestyles.

Special focus was placed on developing life skills and strengthening social connectedness, which participants identified as the most valuable part of the programme.

Ilijan, a volunteer from Livno, shared his impressions after the training:

I really like the idea of connecting young people from different cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina. I believe that in every community there are issues that could be addressed through programmes and trainings like this, especially by involving young people in community work and volunteering

Volunteers highlighted the importance of their role in shaping a better future.

According to Lejla, a volunteer from Tuzla, Preventeen delivered a very important message: that young people are the ones who drive positive change.

*The project is implemented with the support of the Federal Ministry of Education and Science.