Check out some memories and shots from the Erasmus+ Youth Exchange “Europe Goes Rural”, in Samobor, Croatia from 11th to 19th of July 2022 on which we have sent 6 representatives. You can read the impressions and stories from the participants in the text below:
Galena Chavkoska: The place where the project was held, the surroundings and the rural environment were well connected to the project theme, and practical. The participants and the group had a connection, the facilitators were flexible and adjustable towards our needs during the project. The theme about social entrepreneurship was well worked through, the techniques that were presented to us were helpful and easy to understand and implement. The YouTube videos that were shown, also the few presentations that we had were interesting and fun to watch and easy to understand. The reflection technique that we used each day, also the personal diaries, were a great way of analyzing and rethinking the activities that were held during the day, reflecting on the things we accomplished individually and as a team, we had a better view on the obstacles that were there and ways to solve them. The few group games that we played were creative, fun, and educational. The food was tasty and warm, the accommodation was clean and organized. We had a fun time with the other participants when we were off the activities, we saw some natural beauties in Samobor, but also had a nice time visiting Zagreb as well. I have a great experience with this project, and I am satisfied with the knowledge that I gained.
David Avramov: The truth is that the days here have been super intense. We have always gotten up early to share breakfast together. We have had a day full of different activities, starting from warming up, then presentations, group projects and discussions, workshops, evaluation, reflection, free time at the playground and of course the whole night up to us to spend. We really went through all steps about entrepreneurship and learned what takes that process. The techniques and methods that were presented worked well and I find them useful and helpful for our assignment. Also the reflection questions we had after day sessions were a good way for tracking our progress. Brainstorming ideas, sharing different thoughts, opinions, ways of thinking made me improve my understanding of the project topic and broaden my perspectives. We played some group games which I find creative, interesting, fun and educational. The accommodation was great, especially the yard which offers a lot of things to do such as a fire pit, playground including football and basketball pitch, hammock and I was impatient to go there and spend my time there. We had free time activities, such as visiting the cave nearby the village and visiting Zagreb where I enjoyed being there. I had a great experience being on this project and I am satisfied with our group results.
Viktorija Arsova: The thing that really impressed me about this project was the productivity of all of the workshops. Besides being fun, the workshops really made us think through all of the steps when it comes to entrepreneurship. Being in Vrhovchak, visiting Otrushevec with it’s cave and seeing how people used all of the potentials has really broaden my perspectives. At the end of the activities we were given reflection questions and I can say that for me, they had a huge impact on me seeing my progress. The connection we had as a group made this exchange so easy going and memorable. I need to mention the fun, free time activities, such as visiting Zagreb. Connecting with the other participants was easy due to the comfy places at the accommodation for us to hang out. The hosting organization really took care of us, the accommodation was great and the meals and the snacks in between were so delicious. All in all it was a pleasant experience that has really taught me a lot and helped me improve some skills of mine.
General summary:
A long time ago, far, far away in the town of Samobor in Croatia, a group of young, motivated people met in order to share their ideas, stories, experiences, and lives. The topic that they discussed, for some, was something already well-known, for others, something new that they wanted to explore more deeply. What enabled them to do so was the Erasmus+ project, which lasted for 10 days.
More than 20 motivated and ambitious participants took a step forward for future unity, improvements, sharing, and carrying. Breaking ice with various games helped us to get to know each other and make stronger connections.
While being on a project, everyone was encouraged to share their ideas, points of view, facts, suggestions, knowledge and experiences. While sharing, the differences and similarities that were displayed helped us to create a big picture when it comes to ecological approaches and situations in our countries. Accordingly, we got inspired to work on business plans, presentations, and raise awareness by preparing all kinds of projects and campaigns to reach target audiences and spread our messages regarding the difficulties that the environment has been facing and offering solutions.
Various indoor and outdoor activities were done, and some of them were about creating start-ups regarding ecology, ninja, fruit salad, and mafia. After irrevocably falling in love with the food, it felt easier for us to follow all the workshops and be active. During the project, we learned many things about design thinking, case studies, non-formal education, Erasmus+ possibilities, and many others. At the end of the day we would all gather, enjoy ourselves with the help of nice conversations, summarize experiences from the day and play board games before we all go to sleep in our cozy beds.
When we started the project, we set interesting rules regarding accommodation, behavior, participation, and the project overall. Now, when we are going, we conclude the project with one simple rule. The one to keep in memory this amazing experience and spread awareness regarding everything we have learned.
I liked the country especially because I learned what opportunities it offers, the experience itself is also fantastic because in addition to the topic of the project, we also learn how to cope in an unknown country. I learned how to manage waste, save energy, and ways to use it less. What I remember is when we all came together the first night and went through the woods like in a horror movie, but we laughed because we were together, these people are amazing.
The time I spent in Croatia was more than wonderful. Croatians are warm-hearted people and were extremely kind to us. The cities we visited were very beautiful and we had a lot of fun. Frankly, the project idea and structure were much better than I imagined. The team work, the variety of topics we got to discuss and the fact that we widen our horizons and points of view made the project efficient, interesting and worth it. The most memorable moments during the project were the energizers, the late night talks with the others, who we got to share cultural differences with. I am thankful for the decision I made to come and participate in this project.
The thing that really impressed me about this project was the productivity of all of the workshops. Besides being fun, the workshops really made us think through all of the steps when it comes to entrepreneurship. Being in Vrhovchak, visiting Otrushevec with it’s cave and seeing how people used all of the potentials has really broadened my perspectives. At the end of the activities we were given reflection questions and I can say that for me, they had a huge impact on me seeing my progress.
The connection we had as a group made this exchange so easy going and memorable. I need to mention the fun, free time activities, such as visiting Zagreb. Connecting with the other participants was easy due to the comfy places at the accommodation for us to hang out.
The hosting organization really took care of us, the accommodation was great and the meals and the snacks in between were so delicious. The place where the project was held, the surroundings and the rural environment were well connected to the project theme, and practical. The participants and the group had a connection, the facilitators were flexible and adjustable towards our needs during the project. The theme about social entrepreneurship was well worked through, the techniques that were presented to us were helpful and easy to understand and implement. The YouTube videos that were shown, also the few presentations that we had were interesting and fun to watch and easy to understand. The reflection technique that we used each day, also the personal diaries, were a great way of analyzing and rethinking the activities that were held during the day, reflecting on the things we accomplished individually and as a team, we had a better view on the obstacles that were there and ways to solve them. The few group games that we played were creative, fun, and educational. The food was tasty and warm, the accommodation was clean and organized. We had a fun time with the other participants when we were off the activities, we saw some natural beauties in Samobor, but also had a nice time visiting Zagreb as well. I have a great experience with this project, and I am satisfied with the knowledge that I gained.
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