SFERA INTERNATIONAL – Bitola is an NGO from Bitola, North Macedonia which was first formed in 2007 as an informal group and in July 2009 it was registered as an NGO.

The general goal of SFERA INTERNATIONAL – Bitola is to educate the population in North Macedonia, using different non-formal methods, about the protection of the environment, cultural and natural heritage, with the purpose to raise the awareness of all age groups about the importance of healthy lifestyle and the benefits that come with it.

The main goals and objectives of the association are:

*Protection of the environment, cultural and natural heritage;

*Promoting sustainable development and the usage of alternative sources of energy;

*Promoting healthy lifestyle – sport, healthy diet;

*Development of professional and leadership skills among young people;

*Education of youngsters in the field of crisis management (floods, earthquakes, fires, erosion and other natural disasters);

*Promoting non-formal education and encouraging the creation of systems to support young local, national and international level;

*Promoting youth activism and active citizenship among young people and informing youth about all the opportunities they have;

*Raising the awareness of equality, tolerance, democracy and the introduction of human rights to the youngsters;

*Support and facilitate the process of Europeanization of the country.

*Providing primary free legal aid to citizens from vulnerable categories

We are focusing our work to contribute towards achieving all of these goals on a national, but also on an international level.

On national level we are member of National Youth Council of Macedonia, Union of Youth Workers, Platform ZEMI ZDIV and Centre for Environmental Democracy FLOROZON. While in international we are part of European NGO World at our home Latvia, EPA Network Germany, INTERALIA Youth Network

Greece and Informal network of Associazione JOINT Italy.

We have been active in the youth field for over 13 years. The projects we have been working on address a large variety of topics such as: environment protection and recycling, sport and health, art and creativity, youth work and counseling, fighting youth unemployment, social inclusion, discrimination and prejudice, leadership and democracy, digitalization and developing digital skills. (ITC topics). We have successfully implemented over 100 projects on a local and international level addressing the above-mentioned topics, which aim at improving the youth on a professional and personal level. On a local level we organize different types of activities such as: cleaning actions, workshops for creating art from garbage in the primary schools and high schools, educational workshops, hiking and biking activities, painting events  (Artattack), movie and music nights, photography workshops and exhibitions.

Our activities contribute towards raising youth awareness about protecting the environment, ecology, outdoor activities and sports, which we have proven with our last 10 Erasmus + project organized by our organization. SFERA had participated on more than 600 Erasmus/youth in action projects like partner and send more than 5000 young people in youth projects in Europe, also receive around 586 EVS/ESC volunteers and send 86 members/volunteers from North Macedonia.

Another big part of our work are projects addressing different topics, financed by the Europe for citizen’s program, Creative Europe program, Erasmus plus KA2 strategic partnerships and IPA Cross-border Cooperation projects.

The experience that we have gained in implementing the above-mentioned youth projects, on a local and international level, will be brought to the implementation of this project and all its activities. We have a very good cooperation with the local TV and radio stations which will use to promote the project during all the stages of its implementation.