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Above: YES Abroad students made Halloween masks with elementary school students.

By Arshia B., YES Abroad 2016-2017, Macedonia

Coming abroad, I knew some of the most difficult times would be during the holidays. While most people probably associate this with Christmas or Easter, I was thinking of the “American” holidays which are not recognized abroad: namely Halloween and Thanksgiving. As the autumn season kicked off back home, I watched my friends and family participate in classic fall festivities, such as corn mazes and Pumpkin Spice Lattes, from afar, yearning for a way to enjoy my favorite time of the year in a place where nobody even acknowledges the difference.

I have been living in Skopje for just over two months now, and it feels like home. In the community where I’m from, volunteering is something everyone actively participates in. It brings us together as a community, and we enjoy doing it. In Skopje, community service is not something that people really think about. Volunteering is extremely rare, and many do it out of obligation more than choice. Since opportunities to volunteer here are rare, the YES Abroad students in Macedonia are always looking for opportunities to give back to the community that has welcomed us with open arms, and continues to give us experiences and memories we will have for a lifetime.

When Vesna, our local coordinator, told us about a Halloween craft activity that was organized by YES alumni at a local elementary school, none of us even hesitated to say yes, especially me. I love working with kids; their excitement and enthusiasm for the little things that most of us take for granted never fails to bring a smile to my face. And of course, as I was looking for ways to bring Halloween here, I could not pass up this offer.

On Halloween Monday, bags of craft supplies (including masks, markers, and loads of Halloween stickers and decorations) in hand, we ventured out to the Braka Ramiz i Hamid Elementary School. This school is in Shutka, a Roma neighborhood of Skopje. The Roma people, part of the community of migrant Balkan people, are a separate ethnic group from Macedonians, but many reside in various parts of the country and all throughout the Balkans. We met with the head of school, who took us to a third grade classroom, where we were greeted by the excited 8 and 9 year old students.

For the craft activity, we decorated masks. We allowed the students to decide how to make their mask spooky and fit for Halloween. Watching them work so hard and appreciate us coming to do such a small thing was an amazing feeling and a great way to celebrate a holiday I thought I would miss out on.