Meri Jancheva

I had a great time learning and collaborating with the team of the UK-funded Media for All programme in the past years, working on the implementation of projects. All of the knowledge, the exchange of information and experience that I gained help me in my further development as a person, as well as BidiSvoj.mk as a medium. For that reason, I applied again and I am thankful for being part of this project and I am also certain that with the help of the Western Balkans Media for Change team I will make another successful media story. The mentor Orkidea Xhaferah, as well as the whole team of Western Balkans Media for Change, are a great support and motivation for me to successfully realise the project.

The full confidence in us as applicants and in our ideas, the way in which the workshops were carried out, with interaction and real examples, the dedication to every participant in the trainings is what impressed me when it comes to the Western Balkans Media for Change team. I had some pieces of advice from the presentations and workshops not only for the current project, but also for the medium work altogether. The improved, perfected approach towards the audience, guests and all the parts (stakeholders) has been the benefit from the workshops and mentorships so far. I believe in the successful realisation of my idea.

A successfully recorded, produced and launched first episode of the series of podcasts ‘Women’s World’ is a result of the support of the Western Balkans Media for Change. By making this podcast, my goal is to raise awareness on equal opportunities between men and women. Guests such as Nela Masalkovska in the first episode, prominent persons in this area, successful women, but also women from rural areas will share inspirational stories and specific examples about how women can be active and contribute to the social development. I am trying to encourage women to make their goal come true and overcome obstacles which they come across.

I expect that this project shall contribute to the creation of positive changes in the society and shall inspire a lot of women to be active and to contribute to a better and more equal future.

The co-ordinator for equal opportunities between men and women, the first guest in the podcast, was impressed by my idea and expressed the opportunity for collaboration and mutual realisation of forthcoming projects as well as a financial support, which is a great success for the beginning of the podcast.

For small media like us, it is very important to have a safe place and a place where we will feel comfortable to work with the topics related to society – gender equality, marginalised groups and their rights, youth and their challenges and so on. Thanks to the support of Western Balkans Media for Change, we managed to realise podcasts in which topics from the women’s world are openly discussed – and in a gender-sensitive manner – as well as raise awareness of gender equality. We will enable greater visibility for successful women in order to motivate youth, also providing media space for the voiceless in order for their better integration into society, as well as space for a public call for strengthening institutionalised support.