You do not need to be special. You just need to be curious. That is perhaps the most important message that the SALTO SEE Contact Point network has for young people across the Western Balkans.
Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps are European Union programmes designed for young people between 16 and 30. They offer the chance to volunteer, study, train or work abroad, with costs covered and support provided at every stage. You do not need to be the best student. You do not need to speak perfect English. What matters most is a willingness to learn, to step outside your comfort zone, and to see what happens next.
Through ADP-Zid in Montenegro, young people are given space to shape their own path, in their own way. The philosophy is simple: learn by doing. Mistakes are part of the process, not something to be avoided. The organisation believes that its role is to let young people do what they already know and want to do, which is to drive change, not wait for it.
In Albania, Beyond Barriers focuses on what young people actually gain. Skills. Confidence. Friends across Europe. They describe their work as more than a funding programme. It is a tool for personal growth. Young people who go through their projects do not just travel. They learn how to work with people from different cultures, how to communicate, and how to trust themselves in unfamiliar situations.
In Kosovo, GAIA opens doors to possibilities that many young people did not know existed. Volunteering abroad, meeting new cultures, and returning home with ideas, energy and motivation. Some of them go on to start their own initiatives. The message from GAIA is clear: the impact of volunteering does not stop when the project ends. It continues in the choices young people make afterwards.
The Youth Center John Paul II in Bosnia and Herzegovina offers a safe first step outside the comfort zone. Young people are supported at every stage, from their first question to their return home. For many, discovering the European Solidarity Corps means discovering possibilities they had not previously considered. It is not just about going abroad. It is about becoming more confident and more active in your own community.
For LDA Mostar, equal opportunities are central. No matter your background, you can access learning mobility and non-formal education. The organisation helps young people discover that their ideas can have impact far beyond their immediate surroundings. For them, every first experience abroad is also a first step towards discovering your own potential.
In Serbia, Udruženje Svetlost offers young people a real voice and a practical way to help. Their programmes create a safe space to step outside the comfort zone, learn by doing, and tackle real-world problems alongside people from different backgrounds. They remind us that the future of our communities depends on empathy, solidarity and action.
If you have ever wondered whether this is for you, the answer is yes. These programmes are the beginning of a new chapter, written by you.