Association for rural development Local Action Group AGRO LIDER (LAG AGRO LIDER) is an NGO founded in 2014 with aim to improve quality of life of people in rural areas. This organization attempts to increase opportunities for people from rural areas in field of the socio-economic development, education, culture and sport. LAG Agro Lider acting as an association of CSO’s in partnership with Local Government on Municipalities of Krivogashtani, Krushevo, Dolneni and Prilep. Since its founding in 2014, LAG AGRO LIDER is a bridge between local government, public institutions, business entities and civic sector, actively working to encourage all relevant actors to work together for benefit of the whole community.
The organization uses a holistic approach to undertake development initiatives to cater to the protection of human rights, attainment of sustainable livelihoods and empowerment of the young persons in rural areas. Young people from rural areas often have limited opportunities (all the action is happening in the cities) and lack of access to non-formal education.
LAG AGRO LIDER aims to get an opportunity for equal access in all areas that affect young people, be in education, employment, health, social security, social inclusion, recreation and human relationship. It focuses to motivate, unify and empower young people with their capacity and energy to show their knowledge and creativity and take an active role to leading the change in the community.
In organization are included 4 employed person and 20 volunteers as active members who with their project ideas and activities participate in the planning, preparation and implementation of projects designed to create a strong link between youth work and the benefits for whole community.
LAG AGRO LIDER is divided in four sectors – economic development, education and training, social and health care, and culture and sport.
The services offered by the LAG AGRO LIDER have expanded to cover a wide range of areas: for example, it has programmes for: strengthening tolerance and soft skills in young people, program for youth employ ability, program for youth participation in environment and climate change actions, it offers agricultural extension services, access to finance and farm cooperation model particularly focus on young farmers and women, program to increase awareness and knowledge of Europe Union and its values, etc.
Services offered by the LAG AGRO LIDER include:
– Vocational training: The LAG AGRO LIDER already supports students with planning their career paths.
– Work and activities: The LAG AGRO LIDER offers a large range of offers and services to people who are unable to begin a career due to a disability or as a consequence of various other problems.
The main goal of this is always lasting integration into the primary labor market. In integration companies, in employment projects or in workshops for disabled people, there are opportunities to pursue a meaningful occupation and to work, but also to obtain qualifications and further education for people with disabilities;
-Health and social care – In field of social and health care, the LAG AGRO LIDER engages sports trainer and child/youth educators (from different fields) who works with children/youth, their parents and educators on development of creativity plan focus on physical and mental health on the children/young persons; on providing services for people in rural communities to raise awareness for healthy habits. Taking into consideration that lack of available services as nutritional consulting or sport centres in rural areas in North Macedonia, the LAG AGRO LIDER focus to link healthy lifestyles’ consultants and facilities with the local public bodies as kindergartens, daily centres for earlychild development, schools, in order to create learning environments that covered the key areas to a healthy lifestyle.
— Others – youth participation training;
The LAG AGRO LIDER is constantly expanding its services, especially in order to provide education of young people and care to people who receive no other assistance. Accordingly, LAG AGRO LIDER staff see themselves as ‘creators of opportunities’ for people in rural areas.