The month of adventures 3. On-arrival training in Bucharest - Romania 21/07/27/07/2019

Right after the youth project in Novi Sad, I went on a journey in Bucharest for my on-arrival training that took place on 21^st of July (Sunday) until 27^th July (Saturday). After the long and exhausting trip, I was placed at the Yesterdays Hotel for the rest of the days spent in Bucharest for the training.

Our program was led by 2 wonderful trainers called Eugenia Barbu and Luciana Popescu.

They were very friendly and professional with their work which made the sessions very interesting and amusing.

During our sessions, we learned a lot about what is Erasmus that gave us general image of the Erasmus+ Program and understand the philosophy of the program related to EVS projects, some problems that we might face during our EVS stage and how to cope with it, what is CIGNA insurance and how to create and use their profile for emergencies All expressed through visual presentations.

We were also very much involved during our course for example:

1. We were given the role of every partner involved in each step of the EVS project and the rights and responsibilities of the project implementation team. So each of us had a role of a volunteer, host organization, sending organization, mentor, NA.

2. We had to identify how different aspects of culture (intercultural aspects) have an impact on their learning experience in an EVS project.

3. We were taught about Romanian culture, history, geography, myths, civil society, social life, behaviors, mentalities, etc.

4. Through writing posters and letters of what do we expect to gain from our EVS project we were taught how to identify personal motivation and learning objectives connected to the activities that we had to do during our stage.

6. We had to share some aspects and facts about our countries in any way that we could do it creatively. For this with one more volunteer from North Macedonia, We did a presentation about our country and a fun quiz.

7. On the last day, we had to go through the city we had to do interviews regarding some facts about local life which was fun.

In the end, I can say that I had a wonderful time with the trainers and the volunteers, got the chance to explore Bucharest and meet some interesting local folks there. I also learned a lot of things that are useful for my EVS and can be useful for my future life.

I am really glad that I was a part of this training course.

The month of adventures part 2. So keres Europa? - Roma youth social forum 16/07-21/07/2019

So keres Europa? - Roma youth social forum 16/07-21/07/2019

So keres Europa was a youth exchange in which I took part with 70 other people from Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Slovak Republic, and Spain, organized by the Hungarian NGO called Phiren Amenica.

The youth exchange took place in Novi Sad Serbia.

The aim and the specific objectives of the project were to challenge stereotypes, racism, and antigypsyism about Roma.

My experience during the So Keres project in Novi Sad was the best from all the past experiences in short projects that I have been a part of up till now.

I was a part of the Art Team led by Joanna.

We expressed the problems that minorities are facing in Serbia and all around the world through art.

About the leaders from the So Keres project, I can say that they were very professional and managed to lead the activities without any problem. Also, we received a very interesting guided tour through the city with historical lessons about the old town of Novi Sad. Also, lessons bout the Roma community which were very helpful and fun.

About the leaders and the other volunteers for the project, I can say that in my experience they are the most heartwarming openminded and positive people that I have ever met. Always with a smile on their faces and positive vibrations. I felt so much joy during the project that it was sad for me to leave. But in the end, I met and befriended many interesting and fun people with which I spend a great time, and I hope that I'll meet them again in the future and be a part of the next So Keres event.

I would strongly suggest to everyone who wants to spend a wonderful week with wonderful and positive people and learn more about the history and Roma community and of course, dance, socialize with people from different countries and have fun.

Still in Resita. Meeting new people and seeing new places, volunteering and methods used 01/06-04/07/2019

This was a very interesting period for me, so interesting that I started to like Resita and my life in the city even more. That is so because all the wonderful new local people that I met and hung out with on a regular basis, the new place that I had the right to do my volunteering and because of the fact I became better at the job that I did in schools.

From this point, I realized how extremely friendly and wonderful Romanian people are, more than the people that I've met from all the countries that I've visited until the point I came to Romania.

My experience improved a lot when Nevo introduced me to my new mentor Lorena Myth.

She was one of the most wonderful persons that I have ever met in my life.

Since Lorena is an English teacher, she was regularly inviting me to a cafe for a chat that helped me a lot with my spoken English.

Also, she helped me with other things and took me for a picnic trip to ''3 Waters'' and other places.

At the end of the month, Lorena also took me to the Biker Festival near Resita in which I met a lot of interesting ''underground'' folks from all over Romania and other countries while listening to metal music and I was given free food and drinks from locals there all night.

Also, there were fun competitive games like throwing and pushing barrels with bikes.

About the volunteering activities, I went to the same places as last month plus a new place that I love until this day, and that is Semenic kindergarten.

It might be a bit difficult to work in a kindergarten, since it requires to be well prepared to have a successful lesson and that is so because we work with very young children who are constantly hyperactive and lose their interest quickly if one doesn't prepare a lot of engaging and amusing activities and be constantly active with them.

But the satisfaction from the fact that we were involved in educating children in the critical period of their lives when the pillars of their personalities are formed and if we can manage to get the attention from this group of children and the fact that ad the end we are the reason that they had a good time and most importantly learned something that they can use later in life is beyond measure.

Meanwhile, in the youth center, we had non-formal training sessions and how to manage activities organized by Nevo.

Schools and centers

Bocsa, Centru Personale Verstince (The elderly center), Trayan Lalescu, The Orphanage,Semenic Kindergarten

Methods and Techniques

Bocsa

In this school, we used methods that included a lot of physical movement. That means that we played a lot of games involved physicality and sports like football and basket.

Centru Personale Verstince (The elderly center)

In this center, the senior citizens have already in a very interesting program which involved fun and amusing physical activities every Monday and Wednesday. The activities helped them a lot with maintaining their motor functions and preventing arthritis.

They also had traditional Romanian dancing lessons and for breaks, they played board games. Our task was to include ourselves in their every-day activities and having fun with them.

Trayan Lalescu

In this school, our task is to entertained students after their class finished by doing a lot of energizers, memory games, games which involved learning English through having fun and drawing.

Centrul Speranta

With the lovely children of this place, we did a lot of non-formal activities that included a lot of energizers, games, sportive games like basketball, football, and tennis, also creative drawings with a theme and arts and crafts by creating jewelry from macaroni and pasta, board games like jungle speed- their favorite one and etc.

Semenic Kindergarten

With the lovely children from this kindergarten we had to prepare a lot of amusing activities which involved a lot of engagement and movement also using the English language for association to teach them some words. Also drawings and crafts.

Materials used

papers, pens, color pens, glue, tapes, balls, board games, pasta, spaghetti, ropes, nets stickers, plastic bottles, tongue depressors, playdoh  and etc.