Funda Alicov from North Macedonia
In 2019/2020, Funda Alicov joined the Creative Fellowship program as one of our bright young participants from North Macedonia. During a year shaped by unexpected global challenges, she immersed herself in the full cycle of Fellowship activities — from English and Art History classes to multi-disciplinary creative workshops. While the pandemic prevented our fellows from traveling to Salzburg for the traditional opera camp, we ensured that the spirit of cultural exchange continued. In Skopje, Funda and her peers experienced guided visits to the State Opera and the Museum of Contemporary Art — moments that became stepping stones on their journey of artistic growth.
Today, just a few years later, Funda’s path is an inspiration not only to her peers in North Macedonia but to young people across Europe. From her village of Konče, she has gone on to become the first optometrist in her municipality and was recognized as a Young European Ambassador. Her story — originally published in Ženski Magazin — shows how determination, community values, and creativity can truly change lives. We share the translation below.
The Inspirational Story of Funda Alicov from Konče — a Girl from a Rural Area Who Is Changing the World: The Only Optometrist in Her Municipality and a Young European Ambassador
Funda (Redžep) Alicov is an ambitious young woman from the smallest municipality in the country, Konče, who proudly walks the path she carves for herself. Born and raised in a rural environment, she greets all life’s challenges with a smile and easily breaks down prejudices. Although she lives in a village, Funda sees no limits — on the contrary, the village is her inspiration, tradition is her guide, and ambition is her strength. She is on the way to becoming the first optometrist in her municipality, adeptly drives a tractor — as she says, part of everyday life in Konče — writes poetry, and holds the title of Young European Ambassador. Proud of her Turkish heritage, and even prouder of her family, Funda shares her story of how it is possible — and beautiful — to live between tradition and the modern world. Although she comes from a rural area, Funda Alicov’s journey from the small village of Konče to the academic benches in Štip has never been an obstacle — on the contrary, she experiences it as a personal challenge and opportunity for growth. From a young age, education was her priority, and the transition from a village school to a city high school, and then to university lecture halls, she traversed with the same passion and determination. Although it was not always easy, especially when she traveled twice daily to Radoviš, Funda demonstrates that neither distance nor prejudices can stop a young person who knows what she wants and believes in herself.
“The educational path was and still is full of challenges. I often faced prejudice, but I achieved recognizable results. It was truly not easy for me to climb the educational ladders because I come from a rural background and I am a Macedonian of Turkish nationality. But I would gladly do it again, because who I am today is my choice and I am proud of it.”
In many rural areas, parents have not had the opportunity to complete primary, secondary, or tertiary education because they have worked their whole lives on the land or with livestock, but they support their children in getting education and having successful careers. Sometimes people are unaware that in villages there are schools up to the fifth grade. After that, students must transfer to the municipal school or one in a nearby town to complete the ninth grade. Unfortunately, because of migration from village to city, there are fewer children in rural areas in Macedonia, so it happens that in the same classroom teaching is done to children from first, second, and third grade together. A few years ago, a kindergarten opened in our village, which is really a great help for parents engaged in agriculture or livestock. I was fortunate because in my village, Konče, there is the central municipal primary school “Goce Delčev,” where I finished 9 years of schooling. The program in the school is offered both in Turkish and in Macedonian. I always remember the school days with joy because everyone in the village knows each other, respects each other, we grow and live as one big family (regardless of nationality or religion). Even in school days I developed a love for studying English and writing poetry. I accepted the educational transition from village to city as a challenge, finishing high school “Kosta Susinov” in Radoviš with a general (gymnasium) track. Sometimes I had to travel twice a day from Konče to Radoviš and back, in the morning to school, and in the afternoon to complete some courses. While my classmates went for coffee in free time, I was a member of the Red Cross, the Youth Club, the Kruna Plus association, etc., completing trainings and skills that helped me later in the educational process. Now I am near the end of my studies in optometry and eye optics at the “Goce Delčev” University in Štip. The desire to help people and make the world clearer — both literally and symbolically — has guided this young woman to choose optometry as her life profession. She showed curiosity for medicine from an early age, eagerly following doctor visits and veterinary procedures. But what made the difference was a deep understanding, instilled by her parents — that the world becomes a better place when we look with open eyes and heart, without distinctions based on nationality, religion, or gender. That vision — both literally and figuratively — inspired her to choose the path of optometrist, especially witnessing daily the challenges rural residents face regarding eye health.
“Since childhood I loved medicine. I went with curiosity to doctors’ checkups, and eagerly awaited visits from veterinarians. My parents taught me that beauty is all around us and within us, and that if we look well into ourselves and into each other, there will be no differences among people — national, religious, gender, or political. From there comes my desire, if possible, to help people see better, more beautifully, and of course, healthy first of all.”
Growing up in a village, she daily witnessed the hardships villagers face and that vision issues and their treatment are one of the main challenges. While many young people after finishing studies seek their path far from home, Funda is one of the rare ones who, with conviction and heart, decides to return and stay in the place where she began — her native Konče. Although she had offers for further advancement and career abroad, for her home is not just a location, but a feeling of belonging, peace, and authentic freedom. Village life offers her everything she needs.
“During my studies I got opportunities for further improvement and work engagements outside our beautiful Macedonia. But here are home and family. I don’t believe that freedom when you are your own and surrounded by loved ones can be easily replaced. Here I breathe freely, nature is in my yard, I see what I eat and drink because food is produced here in the village.”
After finishing her studies, she will become the first optometrist in the municipality of Konče — a role she doesn’t view merely as a profession but as a mission. Her goal is clear: to offer quality eye care to her neighbors, to recognize and treat common vision problems, and to serve as an example that young people from rural areas can be educated, return home, and make a meaningful difference.
“First, with visual examination and treatment of conditions such as myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, and astigmatism. Then, also by prescribing diopter glasses and contact lenses.”
Because she wants to enroll in specialization in contact lenses (contactology), she hopes to be successful in her work and believes that it will be of great importance to the municipality if there is at least one optometrist originating from this region, one who knows her people and their problems, and has decided to stay here to work on improving and treating their vision.
“I hope to be a good example for future generations in our village and the municipality of Konče so that we have more doctors, teachers, engineers who stay here and do a lot for their neighbors…”
Behind every successful young person stands a solid foundation, and for Funda that foundation is her parents. Their love, effort, and dedication have left deep roots in her personality and life vision. From them she learned the most important lessons — how to love the land, to respect people regardless of differences, and to value everyday labor. For Funda, home was the first and most important school, and her parents — her greatest teachers and life guides.
“I truly love my birthplace and am proud of my roots. I feel I got the best schooling from home, from my closest ones. I greatly appreciate my parents’ hard work, who taught me and my brother Abdullah to love the land, to respect all people, to help someone, to know ourselves how to grow food (because milk comes from a cow, not from a store).” (laughs)
Proud of her roots and raised in the spirit of traditional values, she believes that the labor on the fields and caring for livestock are foundations upon which an honest and healthy person is built. She comes from a family which for generations has worked in agriculture, and from her father she learned the most important lesson — that there is no shame in working. For Funda, village life is not just a choice, but a lifestyle that must be respected and valued. “To be honest, diligent, hardworking — I learned from my father. Not to be ashamed of work on the field or with livestock, for from there everything begins. If there’s no one to cultivate the land, there will be no food. Farmers and livestock breeders are very important for every country, but unfortunately in our country they are only mentioned during elections. If we ourselves aren’t aware how important it is for villages to live, then we will lose much.” Despite obligations around her studies and professional development, she never distanced herself from her roots and rural daily life. Every chance she gets returning to native Konče she uses to actively engage in domestic and agricultural work — with the same dedication as she studies or works.
“Every free opportunity when I’m in Konče I use to go with my family and in-laws to pick from the garden (pumpkin, tomatoes, peppers), to plant, harvest and string tobacco, or to feed domestic animals (cows, chickens, dogs, cats). I know how to go to my uncle, grandma, and grandpa who live near us and keep more than 200 goats, and besides the healthiest goat milk they make the best goat cheese. So I also learned how to turn milk into cheese, kashkaval, urda …”
Although she lives in a multicultural environment, with pride she preserves the traditions and customs of her Turkish people. For her, cultural heritage is not just part of the past, but a living part of daily life and family life.
“I’ll share some wedding customs we honored: preparing sherbet drink (for engagement), drawing hands with henna (kna), breaking a pot during the wedding dance, wearing traditional clothes embroidered with silk thread, giving gifts and decorations, etc.”
In Funda’s home, the aroma of tradition always comes from the kitchen — thanks to her mother Sultan, a woman who is not only the pillar of the family but also a true master of traditional dishes. With love and devotion, she passed on secrets of Turkish and Macedonian cuisine to her daughter, who today prepares the same flavors with pride, remembering home.
“My mother Sultan is a wonderful woman full of wisdom and life experiences. She cares for all of us on the property (people and animals). She is most responsible for the love she passed to me for cooking food. Thanks to her, I became skilled in making all kinds of sweet and savory specialties from Turkish as well as Macedonian cuisine.”
She loves to make: kalburabasti (urmašica), asure (which among Muslims is made in a certain period of the year called the Month of Asure and contains various nuts, dried fruits and several types of cooked grains), baklava, šećerpare, ravani, tulumba, hoşmerim (halva with cheese)… while among savory dishes she often makes karniyarik (eggplant stuffed with minced meat), manti (similar to dumplings filled with meat), japrak sarma (stuffed vine leaves), içli köfte (stuffed köfte with bulgur and meat), kısır (bulgur salad), su börek and kol börek (boiled börek and börek with minced meat, onion, and spices). These specialties could also be seen in the show of the famous Chef Mark, who last year visited our village thanks to the production “Zlaten Zab,” which constantly carries out wonderful projects for our Konče. In her life, the support of her husband Erdal is invaluable. They have known each other since childhood and live in the same neighborhood. Erdal not only works as technical support, he is her greatest support in all areas. Thanks to his work engagement (he works online for a foreign company) they have the opportunity to live together in Štip during her studies. He also encouraged her to continue with specialization. She is happy that together they like to travel, enjoy nature in Macedonia and in Turkey. The title “Young European Ambassador” for Funda Alicov represents a great honor and confirmation of her efforts and dedication as a youth leader from a rural area. As the first Macedonian with roots from Konče to receive this title, Funda uses her experiences and acquired skills to promote cultural diversity, encourage understanding between different communities, and work on important projects for environmental protection and youth participation.
“This title is very significant to me because I am the first Young European Ambassador with roots in Konče. The activities that I had through various trainings, courses and projects, as well as my completed education, enabled me first to be nominated and then selected as youth ambassador, and from 2021 to 2025 I became a Young European Ambassador.”
Projects she has realized include: cultural differences and similarities between Turkey and Macedonia; differences between Christians and Muslims; support for developing and valuing diversity; socio-emotional skills for resolving conflicts in early childhood education; how to be better youth ambassadors; developing projects; preventing and mitigating consequences of disasters; environmental protection and more.
During her mandate, she was able to meet ambassadors from many countries, and all of them love to visit some rural place in Macedonia, to learn a tradition from villagers or to try something they had never tasted in their own countries. Funda Alicov is an example of how with proper organization and love for one’s work, one can achieve harmony between education, family obligations, and personal passions. Alongside her studies, she actively participates in numerous seminars and trainings organized by prestigious domestic and international organizations, where she expands her knowledge and skills in different areas.
“Parallel to my studies I had the opportunity to complete some projects organized by local and international organizations and centers such as Youth Council, USAID, UNSHM, Macedonian Civic Educational Center, Salzburger Festspiele, American Embassy, British Embassy, European Union, Erasmus+, OSCE, CHRCR, UNICEF, ACCESS etc. So besides sharpening my English, I educated myself in many topics in social issues, education, culture, ecology, diplomacy, and more.”
She balances schooling, projects, and family through poetry and imagery. She really loves to write. Her thoughts and emotions she often turn into poetry. So far she has gathered sufficient material (around 200 poems written in Macedonian, Turkish, and English) for a poetry book which she hopes to publish soon. When possible, she participates in poetry competitions both in the country and abroad. Because she grew up in a natural environment with many beautiful landscapes, she often likes to capture them in photos or short videos so that others can see the natural beauties of this region. Thus, often on her Instagram you see field flowers, various butterflies, natural weather phenomena, domestic animals, and food. I am literally inspired by everything: the beautiful sunrises, the rain, the clouds, even the cakes made from recipes from my mother and grandmother, with some artistic decoration. I enjoy spending time decorating our home, and so I joyfully create our shared space. Funda successfully builds a bridge between the traditional and the modern, combining the best aspects of both worlds. “
While staying in the city, my husband and I try to go to concerts, theater, ballet performances, cinema, and visit cultural events. When we are in Konče we enjoy walks to Lake Mantovo, Mount Požar, Ederlezi Park or other excursion places where nature with all its splendour tempts you to stay longer than planned.” While for some the village life and working in the fields becomes a modern trend and escape from urban routine, for Funda it has always been a reality — sincere, challenging, and full of valuable life lessons.
“The village has special magic especially in the summer; nature there is truly magical. Golden-yellow fields of tobacco and wheat, vegetable fields, orchards and vineyards, natural springs of water, the sounds of animals make you forget problems and obligations for a moment. I value and I am proud of my origins, birthplace, roots because they are the foundation for everything I later became. I believed in myself and every step I took by my own choice brought me closer to realizing my idea, dream, desire. The path you walk is not always easy, but it is much easier when you know that your parents, family, friends, neighbors, and even the environment you live in are a huge support. I worked on myself and learned for myself so that I can later with my effort and knowledge help someone.”
At a time when many still see machinery and agricultural equipment as “men’s territory,” Funda breaks that stigma — and from a young age. Raised in a village where the tractor is everyday life, she became one of the few women who not only know how to drive it, but do so with pride.
“In the village you drive a tractor from a young age. Our village was once known as a place where almost every family had a tractor or two, then it turned into a village with many jeeps, cross motorcycles, and now thanks to younger generations I think it’s a village with many electric scooters.” (laughs)
“In our area it’s very normal to see a woman behind the wheel, especially driving a tractor, because all family members help in field work. My grandfather Mehmet Ali and my father encouraged me a lot, so I learned quickly. It was complicated but certainly anything can be mastered with good will. But due to the needs and obligations I have with frequent travel from village to city, at first I replaced the tractor with an electric Vespa, and then a car.”
With love deeply rooted in her homeland, Funda Alicov dreams of a rural future filled with youth, life, and progress. Looking back to the once vibrant village of Konče, she does not regret but firmly believes that with the right support and awareness, villages can again be places where young people want to stay and build.
“I’d like to mention that our village Konče used to have much more than it does now. It was a village with several mills, a police station, food shops, tool stores, clothing shops, a bakery, a dairy, restaurants, sports clubs, a folklore and music ensemble, a promenade, horse races …” “I wish young people to be proud of their roots. And villages to come to life again, rich with young people who will not forget that in the village you’re never alone, there the air and food are healthier, you are constantly physically active (which is good for health and figure), parking is no problem, and you can see all the stars in the sky at night, even Elon Musk’s satellites.”
The original article can be accessed here
