At the end of August, 7 greek boys and girls travelled to Romania, in Corbeni, to participate in a project called “Econnecting the World”, along with four other nationalities, in order to be a part of a group that would work towards a more sustainable future. Each one had their own unique experience -which will be described below- but we all shared some unforgettable memories and connected with youngsters from all over Europe while living and learning as an amazing group.
Rania:
It was my first project regarding ecology and sustainability and through the presentations and the information that each person had to share, I learned interesting things about waste management, the mindset of recycling and how the environmental consciousness must be strengthen through education. We started conversations that kept us talking without realizing how the time passed because each phrase sparked a new topic that we wanted to share opinions about. I met people with amazing backgrounds and minds that have definitely left their mark on my mentality.
Some of the memories that will stay with me are the intercultural nights with all the traditional dances that we learned, the Italian gestures, the amazing advertisements about ecology, the hard debates, the company of the bears (gladly from the notifications from our phones that warned us about them) , and overall the people that made this project special.
Iro:
During the last 10 days, I took part in a youth exchange in Romania funded by the Erasmus+ programme. The topic of the project was about Ecology and the purpose of the whole thing was to come up with ideas to help prevent climate change, protect our environment, learn new ways of recycling, decrease our waste and our pollution and ensure prosperity for all by planting some small ideas like seeds which will later grow into flowers and flourish the planet.But it was so much more. At first, I would like to start with the people – they were indescribable- If I could try to describe them (even though it wouldn’t even come close to what it really was), I would use words such as the kindest, the smartest and the most compassionate human beings I have ever seen. We shared unforgettable moments together. In the course of 10 days ,we managed to grow so close that everyone felt like one big family. We learnt a whole bunch of new information about ecology which completely blew our minds and changed the way we think. Each and every one of them was thoroughly discussed and we managed to think of ideas in order to come closer to reaching our goals.
Alexandros:
On my way to the program I had little expectations towards learning new stuff, and getting motivated to act in favour of the environment on a daily basis. Luckily I was disproven through many activities , workshops and conversations with my fellow participants . A pleasant ten day program came to an end, and I have very enjoyable memories to remember now. Combined with new knowledge ,derived from data I didn’t possess ,and my newly made acquaintances’ experiences I became wiser and able to act towards a better future for all. Apart from that I am able to share this knowledge so that more people get motivated to act . Moreover my acquaintances network expanded and I have made many friends across all Europe ! Lastly I would like to note again the cliche with a slight difference “whatever doesn’t kill you ,simply makes you wiser”. Learn from all.
Petros:
In this project I was able to learn new things about food waste, sustainability and recycling throughout daily activities, conversations and games with people with the same concerns about the environmental crisis. With the constant fear of bears appearing we had a great time meeting new people, making new friends,learn about their own cultures and creating memories all together!
Elina:
This 8-days project was my first one about recycling and environment. The participants were from Greece, Romania, Poland, Latvia and Italy. We started the workshops by presenting the recycling situation in our countries and we analyzed the common problems we all have. The activities were dedicated to find ways on changing our mindsets, like cleaning the local area and making videos for recycling. We had five different nights dedicated for the intercultural nights, where we had the chance to learn interesting things about the other countries, have a taste of their local food and to enjoy some traditional dances with them. For me, this is one of the parts I enjoyed the most in this project because of how we organized it. The most important thing is, after all these productive conversations and bonding activities, I gained lots of new friends and new experiences.
Yiota:
This project was the 2nd one I’ve been in and of course it’s been an amazing experience, as I expected. Project’s topic was really interesting! We’ve got familiarized with different topics regarding ECO but, at the same time, made some good friends as well. Youngsters from Romania, Greece, Latvia, Poland and Italy, we all became a united group that shared our ideas and thoughts about the environment. Intercultural nights were also really fun, as we got to know each others cultures (and also personalities!) more. Lastly, we met Damian and Victor, the facilitators of the program and I have to say that they are amazing guys. Guys, thank you for everything! I hope to see you again in the near future!
Despoina:
From the very first time when Ι saw the topic of this specific project I was really interested to be part of this whole idea and I have to say that all the expectations I had became reality during the participation. Specifically, in these 8 days we had the opportunity to share our knowledge about a variety of subjects regarding ecology and mostly our passion for the protection of our planet. I think that the most important outcome of this exchange was the understanding that all of us united we can create a better future firstly for us but mostly for our Earth. I would like to thank each one of you guys for making this youth exchange such a unique experience and I’m sure that we’ll meet again soon! Love & light 💜
