At a time when news about young people is mostly about emigration, Prilep offers a different story. The municipality set aside over a million denars in awards for its most successful pupils - those who stood out at national and international competitions, along with the top students of their generation.

The awards are tiered: for national competitions the sums range from 5,000 to 7,000 denars, and for international ones from 7,500 to 9,000 denars. The ceremony was held in the park by the Monument to the Undefeated, and Mayor Dejan Prodanoski called the young people „ambassadors of knowledge" and said their successes are the city's brightest future.

Gestures like this are worth more than they look on paper. The amounts aren't huge, but the message matters - that a pupil's effort is noticed and valued at home, not only once they've left for abroad. The question that stays with all of our municipalities is simple: will the reward be just one day for a photo op, or the start of a serious policy that keeps the bright minds here, instead of seeing them off at the airport?