Learning, growing, leading

Through the Kosovo Generation Unlimited (KGenU) internship programme, that transition is becoming more concrete—giving young people across Kosovo practical experience, mentorship and the confidence to begin shaping their futures.

On a quiet morning in Prishtina, 18-year-old Adonia Donna walks into a newsroom for the first time. The sound of keyboards, conversations and reporters preparing stories signals a world she had once only imagined from a distance. Now, she is part of it.

Her journey began through KGenU, which offers internships for young people aged 16 to 24 in fields ranging from healthcare, media and communications to hospitality, ICT and the green sector. Implemented under the leadership of the Ministry of Finance, Labour and Transfers, in partnership with the United Nations and the German-Kosovo Business Association, and funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation, the programme aims to bridge the gap between education and employment.

For Adonia, the experience has turned curiosity into possibility.

“This internship opened doors to explore media, journalism and translation, and meet so many different people,” she says. “I gained practical skills I couldn’t have learned in school.”

In Kamenicë/Kamenica, 19-year-old Fjolla found her own path in a very different setting: a hospital ward. There, her internship has brought her into the daily rhythm of healthcare work, from preparing infusions and injections to supporting wound care, inhalation treatments and ambulance transport.

“This internship has helped me learn a lot, not only in practice but also in how to approach patients with care and professionalism,” Fjolla explains.

For her, the experience has strengthened a commitment to pursue nursing as a career.

Adonia and Fjolla are part of a much larger story. Since the launch of the programme, more than 3,500 young people have benefited from KGenU internships. In 2025 alone, more than 600 young people accessed internships through the scheme, while over 14,200 registered for opportunities under the programme, helping strengthen pathways from education to employment.

For many participants, these internships are more than a first work experience. They are a first glimpse of what it means to contribute, to build confidence and to imagine a place in society beyond the classroom.

Across newsrooms, hospitals, offices and classrooms, KGenU is helping young people do exactly that: learn, grow and lead.

This story builds on the human-interest narrative presented in UNICEF’s “Learning, growing, leading” feature, highlighting the journeys of young interns gaining skills, confidence and real-world experience through Kosovo Generation Unlimited.