This summer I went to Kosovo with MaK to help run a kids summer club in the town of Podujevë.  The club was run over 2 weeks with 100 kids, 11 UK volunteers, 6 Kosovar translators, 1 duck and the MakMobile. We ran a huge variety of activities from painting t-shirts and making crazy hats to nature walks and sport.

What really struck me was that this 2 weeks was the only time these kids really got a chance to be kids- to be creative, care-free and be able to enjoy simple activities like colouring and Rounders.

The kids attend school in shifts during term-time because there isn't enough teachers  or funding for them to go all day. There are no after school clubs like Scouts or Guides to encourage creativity and team work, and many of the children work late into the night selling cigarettes and nuts to help support their families.

Kosovo is a beautiful, friendly country, but it is still suffering from the scars of a war that ended a decade ago. Although reconstruction is well under way and kids now have access to food, clean water, a basic education and basic healthcare they really are missing out on a chance to be children, with little access to art materials and basic school and sports supplies.

So I decided I needed to do something about it and the Bags of Art Campaign was born!

The Bags of Art Campaign aims to collect school, art and sports equipment and send them out to one of the poorest moutain community schools in Podujevë. Basic equipment like pens, pencils, paper, paint and skipping ropes will have a real and lasting impact on the lives of these kids.

I bet you're wondering how can you help?  Well if you're at YSJ then you can help by collecting equipment and packing bags but if you're further a field and would still like to help out- how about donating here?! The money will be used to buy equipment on your behalf and to cover any unforeseen costs that might pop up.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK tax coupayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now- Bags of Art needs you! :)

THANK-YOU! :)