In February 2025, Loza Foundation’s Secretary General, Sabina Grubbeson, and Chairman of the Board, Pär Rylöv, travelled to North Macedonia to follow up on the organisation’s new working model in practice. The visit confirmed that the approach delivers clear results for families with children living in extreme poverty.

During the trip, Sabina Grubbeson and Pär Rylöv visited field operations in Skopje, Prilep and Bitola, where Loza Foundation works together with local teams to support families with children living in extreme poverty. The purpose of the visit was to evaluate how the new working model functions in practice, with a particular focus on the combination of humanitarian support, digital monitoring and a coaching-based approach.

On site, they met both families and field workers who work closely on a daily basis with the people involved in the project. A clear picture emerged: the approach differs significantly from traditional aid models and creates a higher level of participation among those receiving support.

“This project differs from all other projects we have worked on before. We now have a way of working that makes things easier for us in the field and strengthens families’ ability to understand their own needs and take responsibility for change,” says field worker Sami Ajdini, who works in Prilep.

Sabina Grubbeson also highlights the importance of the new project and how it functions in real-life settings:

“I was positively surprised by how well the model worked in practice. The purpose of the trip was to evaluate our work, and what we saw in the field confirmed that the method has an impact where it is needed most,” says Sabina Grubbeson.

The new working model is based on long-term commitment and a strong presence in the field, where each family’s situation is mapped and followed over time. Through a coaching-based approach, the focus is on identifying obstacles and opportunities together with the families, rather than only providing temporary solutions.

The February visit became an important confirmation that Loza Foundation’s method not only works in theory, but also in everyday interactions with people, where change takes time but begins with the right conditions.