Save the Children Macedonia has been constituted as a youth and voluntary non-governmental organization, in November 1992. Its main goal is the improvement of the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Republic of Macedonia.
The basic aims and goals of SCM are:
- to provide the basic needs of the children, substantial to their very existence;
- to provide a positive psycho-psysical development of the child's personality;
- to protect the children of any political, economic, corporal or religious abuse and exploitation;
- to help children to exercise their right of being directly involved in all decisions that are affecting their lives;
- a right of an efficient educational system;
- a right of free self-expresement.

SCM numbers around 250 members .
It has five local organizations in other towns of Macedonia. The number of active voluntaries varies from 20 to 30. Most of the members are at age from 15 to 27.
The young voluntaries come to SCM, mostly, to take a part in an ongoing activity. Anyone who is interested in what SCM is doing, can come at the regular meetings that are held every Thursday at 7.00 PM

The organizational structure of SCM

The highest governing body of SCM is the Assembly. Of its members the President of SCM is chosen, as well as the members of the Executive Committee, by the proposal of the president. The EC has five members, one of which is the President. It governs the work of the organization between the two assemblies, according to the Program of Work approved by the Assembly. It also approves the proposal for Secretary General of SCM, who is also a member of the Assembly.
A Supervising Committee is made by three members of the Assembly, by proposal of EC. This body is supervising the total work - program and administrative, of SCM.
SCM has no paid staff. All of its work is done by its members on a voluntary basis. We are looking for a change of this, because the plans and the work we have at the moment demand a more professional engagement in some aspects of the organizational work.

Program orientation

The non-governmental organizing, after Macedonia gained its independence in 1990, has developed very quickly. Some new youth organizations were founded, and in this past years some organizations for children as well. Save the Children Macedonia is the only organization that is an youth organization advocating on children rights.

The problems that children from Macedonia face today are numerous and deep. In the social domain, there are problems with children from institutions, children from streets and street children; there is a huge problem with drugs among the children starting even from 11 years of age, and consequently the development of juvenile prostitution. These phenomena do not get paid as near of attention as they should have.

The educational system, on the other hand, is not established on a sound basis. The educational programs change constantly, and most of the teaching staff not trained to be efficiently included in the vast process of educating the children and adolescents. The logical outcome is that the children are traumatized by the school, and their irresponsible and ignoring attitude towards it is growing.
We have noticed that there is a shortage of programs that would enrich the free time of the teenagers. They often complain about it. On the other side, this has contributed to the development of a mass "night-bars" , have-fun, money oriented culture among the young people, and most of the children over 13 (the ones who can afford it) are deeply into it.

These two main topics were the starting impulse for the forming of Save the Children Macedonia. Our program goals have been formed and developing during the time, but the main objective is the improvement of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in our country.
Other program goals can be extracted from this:

- improvement of the social status of the children who live in institutions;
- actualization of the social and educational problems of children in general;
- promotion of the concept of tolerance between the children and adolescents;
- research work connected to the children rights
- advocacy on children rights;
- development of the children's creativity ;
- organization of training on various topics;
- humanitarian activities and individual help whenever possible

What has been done

One of the first activities that Save the Children Macedonia has organized was a humanitarian rock concert, dedicated to children with endangered social status. This was followed by humanitarian and blood-donating actions.

Some of the activities have become traditional. Beginning from 1993, a "Seminar for the Child" is being organized every year. The first one was dedicated to the education and leisure time of children. A questionnaire for 2000 highschool students was carried out, which has shown the big unsatisfaction of the students with what has been offered through the system and the society.

Following were the Seminar on the CRC, then the Training for Young Leaders, the Training on How to Make and Run a Project, and the seminar in 1996 was the foundation of FORUM 18, a Parliament of Children for up to 18 years of age.

Since the beginning, we are constantly (although not intensively) present at the homes for parentless and children without parental care. There are three of them, all settled in Skopje. Every year we organize a New Years celebration for them. They have taken part in the PrepComs for the World Summit for Children, an international project that we have been working on for three years, and which has resulted with the constitution of FORUM 18.

Another project was inspired by the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights - the children from all three homes were making drawings on the subject of human/children rights and the best three of them were printed on T-shirts.

In 1998 we have, for the first time, organized a Summer Camp on Tolerance, for children of Macedonian and Turkish nationality. The camp was very successful. All participants have a beautiful chance to spend their time through creative workshops, to make friends, have fun and learn something more about the different cultures they are coming from. The interest for this type of organized summer holiday was big, so it was organized again next year but this time for children from all nationalities.

SCM has done few things in publishing and propaganda. Postcards with children's drawings, from our art competitions, have been printed. We have also printed some interesting posters, and few brochures on children's rights.
Right after it was established, SCM has become a full member of the Youth Council of Macedonia. Since then, it takes part in many activities organized by the Council, which are always connected to youth issues. We also have a good cooperation with some of the member organizations of the Council.