It always starts with a question. Often from a child, curious, maybe even a little impatient: “Why not?”
For the MaNaBu Movement, it was exactly such a question that sparked the flame. In the summer of 2022, nine-year-old girl, Maya Gerdes was watching a BBC report about young people without prospects. She saw teenagers with dreams but without the tools to make them real. And then she said the words that would ignite something far bigger than anyone could imagine:
“Why not let them work where they are, with what they already know, through their computers?”
That moment, a child spoke up. And the adults around – entrepreneurs, teachers, parents, dreamers – listened. This was where the seed for what is today known as the MaNaBu Movement Youth Virtual Assistance Program was planted.
A name that carries weight – and playfulness
The Japanese word manabu means “to learn.” But here, it’s more than a word – it’s a philosophy. Learning not just to pass the next test, but for life itself. Learning by doing, by failing, by daring. Learning together.
The MaNaBu Movement is not a traditional school. It is more like a living network – a weave of people, ideas, and opportunities. From Bansko in Bulgaria to Tirana in Albania, to Kosovo, Malta, and beyond. A movement that believes learning must be alive – connected to nature, to technology, to society, and to the heart.
The vision: a different future for the young
It’s easy to speak about the future with big words – innovation, sustainability, globalization. But MaNaBu’s vision is more grounded. It believes youth should not only be prepared for the future but also shape it.
On their website, the vision is clear:
“Empowered youth take the world into their hands, live their dreams and beliefs, and accomplish ideas that help propel our humanity.”
In practice, this means trust. Giving young people the confidence to see their ideas as valuable. Letting them create instead of just consume.
A pilot that grew beyond expectations
When the Youth Virtual Assistance Program launched in Tirana in spring 2023, only twelve teenagers participated. The idea: teach them digital skills – project management, marketing, social media – skills that open doors to global remote work.
The results were immediate.
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Alba Shala landed her first client before the program ended.
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Arbias Shahini, a former goalkeeper, moved into coding and found two clients straight away.
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Alkid Shuli, an artist, grew into digital design and social media.
Soon it wasn’t just a project – it was a model. Backed by the German government and GIZ, the program expanded to Kosovo, with 25 new young adults accepted.
Local roots, global reach
This is MaNaBu’s uniqueness. It doesn’t apply a one-size-fits-all model but builds locally.
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In Tirana, they partnered with TUMO, a center for technology and design.
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In Kosovo, they worked with municipalities and employment initiatives.
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In Bulgaria, they organized film programs, AI workshops, and nature activities.
Every place has its own flavor – but all carry the same DNA: learning that is alive, practical, and meaningful.
The people behind the movement – different paths, same goal
Looking at those who drive the movement today, what strikes you is the diversity.
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Andreas Wil Gerdes, a remote-work pioneer based in Malta 🇲🇹, spending summers with his family in Bansko ⛰ Bulgaria. He represents the perspective of the digital nomad – showing that work doesn’t have to be tied to place.
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Tihana Pavic Smitran, an entrepreneur from Croatia, today based in Switzerland, with global education experience. She is often the one to highlight sustainability and long-term perspectives.
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Lumjana Shehu, with a background as a refugee from Albania, knows firsthand what it means to be given hope and opportunity at a young age.
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Enes Petromilo, a creative communicator from Tirana, who sees the power in blending storytelling with civic engagement.
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Hannah Dixon, CEO of the Virtual Excellence Academy, brings the experience of over 30,000 students worldwide and contributes her expertise in digital entrepreneurship.
It’s a diverse group, but that is its strength. When they speak about MaNaBu, you don’t hear the language of power – you hear engagement, almost bordering on activism.
i Tirana, Albanien,
Bansko, a small mountain town in Bulgaria, has become a hub. AI workshops for kids, film mentoring programs, creative youth projects – all within the backdrop of the Pirin mountains. A place known for skiing and digital nomads is now also a laboratory for the future of learning.
When Bansko became a stage
For me personally, it’s fascinating how Bansko, a small mountain town in Bulgaria, has become one of the movement’s hubs. Here, AI workshops for children have taken place. Here, film mentoring programs for youth have started. Here, local children meet peers from Germany and Australia to tell their stories through the lens of a camera.
Bansko, long known for skiing and digital nomads, now takes on a new role – as a laboratory for the future of learning. It’s hard not to see the symbolism: in the shadow of the Pirin mountains, an idea is growing that wants to travel far beyond the valley.
Learning that spreads like wildfire
Listening to the young participants themselves, it becomes clear that something more than education is taking place. They talk about courage. About community. About finally having someone say: “You can.”
Perhaps that is where the MaNaBu Movement makes the biggest difference. Not in curricula or certificates, but in changing self-image. From passive receiver to active creator.
Looking ahead – dreams and realities
The question, of course, is what happens next. MaNaBu has already established itself in the Balkans. But the ambitions don’t stop there. The dream is to build a global network of youth learning together – online and offline. To create a generation that does not get stuck within borders, whether geographical or mental.
At the same time, the vision is also concrete: more partnerships, more programs, more local movements. Not as a top-down initiative, but as a living fabric of ideas that spread wherever there is need.
When learning becomes a movement
It’s hard to write about MaNaBu without comparing it to traditional education systems. Where grades and tests often become the measure, MaNaBu offers something else: a sense of meaning.
Yes, young people gain skills. But they also gain something bigger – the belief that their ideas can change things. And perhaps that is where the movement truly lies: in the shift from waiting for the future to building it yourself.
A final reflection
We live in a time where we constantly talk about crises – the climate crisis, the democracy crisis, the education crisis. But perhaps it is in movements like MaNaBu that we find the answers. Not as finished solutions, but as reminders that learning is not something you complete. It is a way of living.
And perhaps, when we look back one day, we’ll say it all began with a child’s simple question:
“Why not?”
Link: MaNaBu Movement
By Chris...
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