DO YOU KNOW THE HEROES AMONG US?

Iskra Doneva has been fighting a battle against cerebral palsy since the day she was born, but her story shows that no medical condition and no situation is an excuse to succumb to challenges.

What is it that you, personally, and your family had to give up to be as successful as you are?

First and foremost, I think that it was the members of my family that were carrying the heaviest burden, since they had to give up and sacrifice all their desires, and even their career potentials, free time, and of course, their finances, simply because my family was the most important investor in what I have managed to become today.

How much energy and sacrifice does it take to be part of the winning team?

I usually joke with my friends when I say that the physical energy I use every day equals the energy a person would need to climb Vodno and go back. I just got used to such pace, and it has become a part of me. I can’t imagine doing things in any other way, because I use my entire energy to go through the day, a day which is filled with activities from the very morning to the very evening. Usually, my day consists of going to work, and then, depending on my personal schedule, I go to the gym and or do some fitness exercises to stay in good shape, or I attend a cultural event, meet with a friend, or just do some additional activity. I spend significant amount of time in the organization (NOVA ISKRA) or I simply try to help wherever my assistance is needed. As I already mentioned, where there’s a will there’s a way. Einstein also had only 24 hours a day at his disposal, and we are all aware of his accomplishments. All you need is a desire and an inspiration to act.

Have you ever had to face some moral or physical barrier on the way to your integration and socialization?

When it comes to moral challenges, I do not recall facing any, since my parents and my family have always supported me and helped me feel completely normal and have taught me to act normally in any given situation. Therefore, I feel so proud of myself, because, in a way, so far, I have managed to accomplish much more than my peers. I believe that the positive energy I try to transfer to others, my genuine desire to work and contribute, and the passion I share with people, have helped me reach all of this.They recognize this and “repay” me to the same extent.I have never put myself into a situation in which I had felt to be morally restricted.

From a physical stand point, yes, I have been in such situations, but as I already said, in my life I have had to overcome many physical barriers; however, I have been lucky enough to have all of my wonderful friends who are not afraid to literally lift me up and carry me in their hands, so we can all together overcome those obstacles and just enjoy our time together.

Has the educational system managed to respond to your needs, starting from the earliest age, and now, as a young person, in terms of ensuring environment which fosters equal development of all, irrespective of their disabilities?

I have fought hard for everything I have accomplished in my life. For example, before starting primary school, due to a postoperative rehabilitation, I was advised to start school later, but I was very curious and I did not want to lose a second of my education. Please allow me to mention Ljupka Pajkoska, who in addition to being a teacher, was also a pedagogue, a mother and a family to all pupils in our class and she managed to create such a nice and positive educational environment, but one which was also competitive and stimulating, so all my peers actually have been very successful in their lives. She managed to accomplish this because she knew how to draw the best of our potential, being in arts, mathematics or writing, like in my case.

Are there enough seminars, trainings, courses and workshops which have helped you attain your goals?

Definitely, yes! I believe that every day brings a new experience! I’m always kidding that even when I’m 99, if my eyesight is still good, I will keep upgrading my knowledge and I will keep reading, because it is my wish and dedication in life. I try not to miss on anything that could improve my knowledge, whether it is a person that I have met just randomly, or an event, training or any ordinary experience in life. I’m deeply proud of the fact that I have always managed to find my own reading material because I’m very curious and you simply don’t know when you might need something. I would like to point out the School for Young Leaders organised under the auspices of Mr. Gjorge Ivanov, President of the Republic of Macedonia, as well as Pivara Skopje Educational Center, and I sincerely hope that there will be many other such opportunities.

Have the training at Pivara Skopje Educational Sector, the employees and your peers helped you overcome yet another obstacle on your way to success?

Absolutely, first and foremost, team members of MOTIVA have attracted me with the level of readiness and the dedication they have demonstrated in respect of everything that they do, which is very rarely seen today. I was also attracted by their intention to model each and every one of us, just like we were a pile of clay, and have managed to turn us into beautiful figurines we all feel proud of.  Although I had certain prior knowledge in certain areas, it was a great challenge for me to see all that knowledge being compiled in one place, which has also led me to think about where I stand and what are the areas I need to improve myself in.  You have opened many windows and doors in terms of the pathways I would like to walk on, how to get there easier, but at the same, I have managed to make many strong friendships. We have always tried to encourage each other and we have all taken an obligation, on purely partner grounds, to work on accomplishing our personal objectives, and that is why I sincerely believe that this will be the beginning of many beautiful things.

Are there conditions and career areas allowing you to completely realize your intellectual capacities?

Surely, I believe that I am able to accomplish much more than I have accomplished so far. I think that each individual should work permanently on their personal development and to be more aware of how he or she can contribute, because both my personal experience and the environment I work in have taught me that everybody is capable of contributing. On the other hand, we should all invest significant efforts into building our spiritual capacities, so we can rely on them to overcome our physical disabilities.

Can you share a moment you are especially proud of?

I feel very proud of the fact that I constantly work on improving myself, I never stop exploring and increasing my capacities and knowledge.My education, and especially my master’s degree, have played an important role in my life and I’m especially proud of it.

What motivated you to persist and succeed?

My ideas and my dreams. I firmly believe that if you set clear objectives and dreams, there is nothing that can stop you from making them a reality, even if many years have to pass and even you are bound to change the course of your journey. The idea is not to change your objectives, but the ways getting you there. If you are persistent and strong enough, there is nothing that cannot be achieved in life.

What are your future objectives and plans?

My objectives definitely relate to all those things that any young person would like to reach, such as starting my own family, having my own home, publishing many of the books I’m currently working on, and finally, having them translated into many languages so they can be launched internationally. In addition, I would like to continue my humanitarian work and making the lives of other people much more beautiful, through the mission of the NOVA ISKRA Association for Motivation, and I happen to be the proud president of this Association, as well as contributing to happier and fulfilled lives of all people, especially of people with disabilities.  Moreover, I would like to continue meeting new people, new education, visiting new countries, so I can show the world what Iskra is capable of. Then, I would like to bring all that knowledge and experience back here, and assist my wonderful country.

Can we expect any important achievement of yours that we can all feel proud of as citizens of our country and which will serve as an inspiration for generations of young people to come?

In addition to writing my books, as I already said, they are all going to be translated into several languages and will get to be published internationally; I will also continue helping everybody and sharing my experience with the Association with a single purpose of improving the conditions and enabling people with disabilities to enjoy fulfilled and happier lives. I will continue inspiring others and I will use my personal examples to prove others that anything is possible.