From the 10th till the 18th of February, our volunteers alongside young people from Romania, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic and North Macedonia took part in an International Training Course program in Odorheiu Secuiesc, Romania.
The project aim was to develop an understanding of cultural diversity, recognizing the importance of sensitivity to various cultural backgrounds in youth work.
In the following lines, you can explore the experiences that our volunteers gained through their participation.
Eva:
The project I participated in was amazing, to the point and very organized, something that impressed me compared to previous erasmus experiences.
The first day we dealt with the different cultures (we focused on the countries we were there), the next days we focused on discrimination, identity, prejudice and stereotypes. The way the project was conducted aimed not only to understand the topic in depth, but also to have fun. The UIET organization made sure not only to keep us busy for the scheduled erasmus hours, but also in our free time, they made sure to do various thematic evenings, so that we could all spend time together. (Pizza night, cinema night, valentine’s day, treasure hunting in the city)
Therefore, for me this erasmus will definitely be unforgettable, the people I met were excellent, the experience of the facilitator was obvious and the UIET organization exceeded all my expectations. I returned to Greece with a sense of action and mobility. It is a trip that I would be happy to do again in the future and I hope to meet again with UIET organization.
Finally, I want to thank Greek Youth Mobility (GYM), because they gave me the opportunity to participate and they were also very polite with us and helpful!
Ioanna:
On February 10-18 I travelled in Romania and participated in the Erasmus+ project with the title (ID)entity, an opportunity given to me by the organization “Greek Youth Mobility”. The program was organized by the UIET organization and took place in Odorheiu Secuiesc, a small town in Transylvania. The participating countries were the following: Romania, Italy, Spain, Serbia, Lithuania, Czech Republic and Greece. The Greek team consisted of 4 people.
The topic of the program was stereotypes, social discrimination and prejudice and through the program we had the opportunity to participate in interesting, productive and creative activities and discussions organized by our facilitator, Endy, who had a lot of experience. At the same time, the organizing team made sure to keep us busy with intercultural night, movie and valentine’s night. We also participated in a hidden treasure hunt, getting to know the city better.
My participation in the program is an unforgettable experience that helped me develop and learn. Also, I met so interesting people, visited a different place and got to know the culture of Transylvania, and for these reasons these 9 days passed like 9 hours (or even faster).
Eleni:
Erasmus gave me the opportunity to interact with people from other countries and at the same time to get to know different cultures, languages, religions and the politics of each country.
This exposure fosters understanding, empathy, and respect for different backgrounds, which can help combat racism and promote inclusivity. In my everyday life, this increased cultural awareness and sensitivity would enable me to engage more effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and contribute to creating a more inclusive environment in both personal and professional settings.
Also, I would like to pass on the knowledge I gained to the children I work with every year at the summer camps. This can be achieved through multicultural activities (activities that celebrate different cultures, such as food tastings, traditional games, or art and craft sessions inspired by various cultures), storytelling (experiences of Erasmus), group discussions and community projects (such as volunteering at local shelters or organising events to raise awareness about diversity issues). By incorporating these strategies into camp activities, we can help kids develop a greater appreciation for diversity and learn valuable skills for navigating a multicultural world with empathy and respect.
Regarding the organisation of the program, it was excellent, every day there were all kinds of activities (games, skits, videos, discussions, etc.), the food was very good and the location of the program was amazing in nature. In addition, the two organisations GYM and UIET for Greece and Romania respectively were by our side for any help. My favorite moment from the project, I can say, was when we all wrote down on a piece of paper various ways of marginalization and racism that exist in our country and stuck them on the wall and let time pass for everyone to see what is really happening in each individual country and at that time I realised that most of us have some prejudices and misconceptions about some countries. That is why we must broaden our horizons and our critical ability through such programs.
Thank you so much for this wonderful experience, if you asked me if I would go again, I would say 100%.
Giannis:
It seems to me that a short text is not enough to describe my experience in this training course, however I will try my best!
This particular program was one of the best experiences of my life! Besides the less important fact that I traveled alone abroad for the first time in my life, in this trip I gained experiences and lessons that I would have had a hard time gaining otherwise. Through this program I made friends from all over Europe and came in contact with people I would never have had the chance to meet, an example being my roommate for the 7 days that the project lasted, Hugo, a 32-year-old Spaniard, with whom we matched perfectly from the very first moment.
Finally, through the activities, which at the beginning I doubted if they would be interesting, I got to know myself better and I found new activities that I want to start doing in my everyday life. To sum everything up my first Erasmus+ experience was incredible and I will definitely try to experience something similar in the future!
Greek Youth Mobility 