Neka, Achieve
After taking part in our Achieve programme, talented teenage singer Neka has become a confident performer and emerging leader.
Although she has always loved music, Neka, 13, used to be far too shy to perform in public. But after gradually building up her confidence on our Achieve programme, Neka has finally found her voice. Increasingly at ease in front of a microphone and an audience, she is now putting her newfound self-assurance to good use both on and off the stage.
‘I have more confidence to stand up for myself and others,’ Neka explains. ‘I’m not afraid to use my voice to make things right. That’s going to help me in the future.’
Skills for success for Roma students
The Achieve programme, designed by King’s Trust International, is delivered in Serbia through our partner GRUBB – Gypsy Roma Urban Balkan Beats, which focuses on educational and artistic programmes for young people from Roma communities in the cities of Belgrade and Nis.
Roma people face widespread discrimination, and UNICEF reports that less than a third of Roma school students in Serbia progress to upper secondary education. Economic hardship leads to high rates of child labour, with many children leaving school early to start earning.
Built around practical topic-based learning in small groups, Achieve aims to support young people from Roma backgrounds, like Neka, to build the skills and confidence to stay and thrive in school.
Building competence and confidence through rehearsal
With hands-on projects ranging from collaborative choreography to social media content creation, Achieve has given Neka the chance to build her teamwork, communication, confidence and leadership skills, boosting her self-esteem.
Neka is particularly proud of a video she created with other girls from the local GRUBB centre. ‘Our music teacher created a song for Eurovision representation and then I and other girls created dance moves for it, made a video with choreography, and posted it online,’ she recalls. ‘I am really proud of this.’
The video project saw Neka and her teammates blend creativity and communication, practising their teamwork at the same time as rehearsing their dance moves. And Neka can feel that practice paying off. Her growing confidence has seen her become more assertive in group settings.
Voice and leadership
‘Gradually through practice I gained more confidence,’ Neka explains. ‘The more I come here and the more I do these kinds of things, I feel that I am getting better… I like the confidence I now have, so I can gather other kids and hear their views, publish their ideas and be more of a leader in my youth group.’
As an emerging leader among her peers, one of the things that Neka insists upon is that boys treat girls with respect, and she is now comfortable speaking out and stepping in anytime she sees injustice or mistreatment among her classmates.
When she is older, Neka hopes to study medicine or go to law school. Her blossoming confidence, communication and leadership skills will help to set her up for success, whichever path she chooses.