Testemunhos do Intercâmbio “United in Culture” na Eslovénia

Partilhámos aqui os testemunhos do Rúben e da Sara, dois participantes portugueses do intercâmbio juvenil que aconteceu em Murska Sobota (Rakičan), na Eslovénia, do dia 26 de Novembro até ao 3 de Dezembro de 2021. 

Este intercâmbio reuniu 30 jovens e líderes juvenis da Eslovénia, Portugal, Roménia, Lituânia e Itália sendo coordenado pela ONGD MOVIT. O intercâmbio focou-se em temas como a paz, tolerância, direitos humanos e igualdade de género. 

O grupo de participantes português foi constituído por 6 participantes: Marta (líder), Sara, Rúben, Afonso, Mafalda e Diana.

Partilhámos o testemunho do Rúben sobre a sua experiência no intercâmbio: 

Uma experiência incrível que me permitiu sair da minha zona de conforto, conhecer novas culturas e passar momentos inesquecíveis com pessoas com quem espero voltar a cruzar caminhos. Uma nova aventura, por terras desconhecidas onde tive a hipótese de visitar muito. Foi uma semana em que me senti como se estivesse em casa, apesar de nunca ter estado tão longe de Portugal. 

No início era um misto de sentimentos, por um lado o entusiasmo por algo novo, por outro lado nervosismo. Este segundo sentimento predominou durante o dia da viagem, desde o momento em que saí de casa de mochila às costas até ao momento em que aterrei cansado num beliche de um castelo em Murska Sobota. Mas a partir do primeiro pequeno-almoço do primeiro dia do projeto tudo mudou, como se do nada já sentisse algum conforto em estar ali. 

Atividades interessantes, que contribuíram para o meu desenvolvimento pessoal e social. Atividades que permitiram criar empatia, amizade e espírito de equipa com um grupo fantástico com quem adorei partilhar esta aventura. Atividades que me permitiram ter novas perspectivas acerca de vários dos temas abordados e ajudaram a sentir-me mais à vontade com o meu Inglês e com novas formas de comunicação, quando o Inglês não era suficiente. 

Recomendo toda a gente a, pelo menos uma vez na vida, participar num projeto Erasmus+, especialmente pessoal jovem com tempo livre e espírito aventureiro. Uma oportunidade a não desperdiçar. De volta a Portugal, estou ainda cheio de memórias e já com alguma vontade de voltar para uma nova aventura. 

Testemunho da Sara: 

A minha primeira experiência de Erasmus+ Youth Exchange aconteceu na Eslovénia tendo por base um tema que me diz muito, Direitos Humanos e Cultura, “United in Diversity”. Os dias que passei em Murska Sobota foram fantásticos porque conheci pessoas que não só adorei conhecer e partilhar experiências com, como também pude conhecer um pouco mais das suas culturas, sendo essas as romenas, eslovenas e italianas. Foi muito interessante perceber como são as dinâmicas que um Youth Exchange traz e as diversas atividades que tiveram lugar foram cada uma, à sua maneira, enriquecedoras. Uma experiência nova, com diversas aprendizagens e muitos sorrisos. 

Intercâmbio “Playing 4 skills”: disseminação de resultados

No passado dia 5 de Dezembro de 2021, aconteceu no Seixal (Portugal), um encontro que reuniu cerca de 15 participantes, aficionados pelos jogos de tabuleiro. 

Foram momentos de partilha e uma oportunidade única para os jovens portugueses que participaram no intercâmbio juvenil “Playing 4 Skills” na Dinamarca, falarem um pouco da sua experiência internacional e dos jogos de tabuleiro que puderam experimentar durante o intercâmbio. 

O intercâmbio juvenil "Playing 4 Skills" aconteceu em Værløse, na Dinamarca nos dias 18 ao 27 de Outubro de 2021, e reuniu 34 jovens e líderes juvenis de diferentes países europeus, sendo coordenado pela ONGD WAYS. O projeto foi financiado pela Comissão Europeia através do Programa Erasmus+.  

Estas são algumas das fotos da sessão: 

Partilhámos ainda dois testemunhos em inglês de duas participantes portuguesas no Intercâmbio que nos falam um pouco da sua experiência em primeira mão.

(Margarida) This was my first youth exchange and let me tell you, it was an amazing experience. I jumped into this adventure not really knowing what to expect, but meeting new people, engaging with them, hearing about their cultures, it's problems and solutions, is an experience like no other.

It has changed me more than I would have ever imagined. If you have the time and the right mindset, give these projects a try. You won't regret it!

(Filomena) It was enriching and challenging. It was a really good experience, not only because of the new board games we played but also because of the nice people we met there. There was a great atmosphere with a team spirit and fair play.   

Important to mention a great job of SPIN. Thank you so much for your support, attention, and follow-up. It was really important to have it!

Definitely, it’s an experience to repeat! Many thanks!

Visita a página oficial de Facebook do Playing for Skills: https://www.facebook.com/Playing4Skills

Vídeo do intercâmbio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4f_mspl4Ws&ab_channel=WaysForYouth

O testemunho no. 2 da Mari (SPIN)

Hello there, 
Hope you are having a great day!

I feel like I have been here for two or three months, but It's been on this fantastic journey for seven months already. I have gathered so many remarkable memories, I have met so many beloved ones, I have made dear friends, traveled places where I experienced lots of emotions and tears of happiness.

I learned a lot during my stay, with my organization, life experiences, new cultures, different people, their psychology, to be a more empathic person, how to be a better version of myself every day. I believe everything happens for a reason and I'm very grateful Portugal happened to me.

I can openly say Portugal has majestic energy, colorfulness, incredible calmness/chaos together, breathtaking nature, tasty food, everything that made me feel good. I am soo grateful for this experience and the chance to be here today and experience all of this. Lisbon, you will always be in my heart.

With love, Mari.

O testemunho No. 1 da Ida (CML)

Hello Lisbon, once again!

My name is Ida, and I come from the northern side of Europe, from Finland. I have now been in Lisbon for almost two months, and so far it has been great! That said, the city is not new for me as I have been here before. 

First time as a teenager, when I had just turned 18 and was interrailing across Europe and taking my first steps towards independence.


That is when I first fell in love with the magic that only exists here: the setting sun that paints the city in all the shades of pink, getting lost in the labyrinth of small streets and finding something wonderful by accident, the people that embody an enchanting nostalgia (the saudade), the abandoned buildings that are keeping secrets of a millennia... 
However, this time I am here with the purpose of volunteering.

These nine months I will be working in the department of Social Rights in the Lisbon City Council, the principal legislative body. The department has a Banco de Voluntariado or “volunteer bank”, which recruits volunteers for organizations that need them. I have five lovely colleagues, and the ambiance in the office is nice and relaxed. 

So far, I have been learning about the work of the department and the volunteer bank, but soon I will start to go out to visit the municipal partners and associations that have volunteers to learn about their projects. The idea is to compile a video report about volunteering during the pandemic, the kind of needs that arose, and how the organizations could continue working under the restrictions. I’m quite excited about it as it is a chance to learn a new skill that will surely be useful in the future! 

Apart from work, I’m also really enjoying my living situation, as I managed to move in with a Portuguese friend (great for improving Portuguese ;)). The apartment itself is quite small, but on the upside, it has a rather big patio which is great for dinners with friends, gardening, and playing with the two cats, Artur and Gloria, who are simultaneously extremely cute and temperamental!

That’s it for now, 
Até a próxima!

O testemunho No. 1 da Cynthia (Boutique da Cultura)

Today is my 20th day in Lisbon.
I still can't believe I am here.

Everything has been going super well so far. All the people I’ve met (other volunteers, ex-volunteer, members of my association) are super nice and I am very excited about those next 9 months! 

First of all, let me introduce myself. Hi! My name Is Cynthia and I am a 24 years old girl half French/half Portuguese! 

I decided to apply to this project because I just graduated with a master's in culture and communication and I didn’t want to start working in a company 8 hours per day behind a desk, sad and without purpose. I wanted more, I wanted to have a meaningful experience, explore the world and meet new people so this project was perfect! 

I started my project in Boutique Da Cultura 2 weeks ago and it’s going super great! I already went to the theater twice with my organization, once here in Carnide and once in Albergaria-a-Vehla.

For now, I am currently working at the Oficina Local in Carnide with Raquel and Joan who are super nice, and we are doing a lot of stuff like candlesticks, jewelry, toys for our Christmas Market which will take place on the 5th and 12th of December in front of the Boutique Da Cultura (you have to come!)

When I am not working, I love to have a walk in the city just to explore, eat Pastel de Nata and watch the sunset (from a miradouro or the beach of course) with my flatmates who quickly became my second family! When I was on the plane and then the taxi to go to the apartment, I was a little nervous to meet them but when I arrived, I saw a sign at the door that said ‘’Welcome to Casa Bernardim” with a drawing of 4 girls, balloons and hearts.

I immediately felt reassured, and I knew that everything would be fine. For the first night, we all had dinner together and talked about everything, it seemed like we had always known each other! Now it's almost a tradition we have dinner together at least once a week to chat and laugh about everything. I really enjoy living in this house with those wonderful girls who had each other's back.


I am so grateful to be here and can't wait to meet other people and learn new things.

O testemunho final da Maria (SPEA)

After a year of pandemic, the whole world stopped. I was at my home looking for new opportunities, a little bit worried about the difficult situation that we were living...

One day I received an e-mail, and everything changed. One year ago, I moved to Faro (Portugal), and I started one of the best experiences I ever had. Connecting with a new country, nature, and people around the world is definitely one of the best ways for a young and adventurous person to gain perspective about life. 
From the beginning, I felt at home. Portugal is a very international country, we worked with people from different parts of the world (Poland, England, France, Australia...).

Over the last year, I have lived in close and peaceful harmony with a lot of different people, developing an intercultural close relationship between our international team.

 It was a very constructive way to develop empathy, teamwork, support each other’s and understand how important cooperation is. Due to my multilingual competencies, I can deeply understand new cultures, social and natural conflicts around the world, I discovered a wide variety of music styles and I make lovely new friends.

Since I was young, I felt admiration for the marine world. On vacation, I used to go to see dolphins and whales in the Strait of Gibraltar with my mum but until this year I didn't have yet the opportunity to take part in a marine conservation team. It is a dream that has come true. I am really motivated to discover how many people are part of environmental initiatives to improve nature around the world. 

I feel very fascinated about how many are connected with marine conservations projects, sustainable fisheries, and responsible consumers. I also learn to check better the origin and the quality of the products that I consume. I could learn how different is everything when you cross frontiers and how natural resources create international conflicts that apparently are not related to us, but our way to consume and live is directly responsible for that. So I also deeply understand how important is to be a responsible consumer. This year I had the opportunity to work on a LIFE conservation project (Life Ilhas Barreira). 

The Life program is a European funding instrument for the environment and climate action. It was very stimulating to get involved with an institution that is part of something bigger focused on nature conservation. I feel very lucky because the attitude of the others members of my “new little family” influence me in a very positive way. 

Facing new situations I discovered how strong and flexible I am and also that my role in the groups is very important because I am a very enthusiastic person and that is contagious. Thanks to my EVS experience, nowadays I feel more confident, very motivated to develop my passion for marine biology, and ready to participate in new conservation projects.

I also improved my African percussion skills and it contributed greatly to my integration into the local community. From the first week, I get in contact with a very active cultural association with a wide variety of artistic and social events that I enjoy a lot and also was a medium through which I learned about different cultures, music, history and had fun.

Also, I was very lucky to find a Bird Ringing Station, close to where I lived, located in a beautiful natural area, that give me the opportunity to disconnect from my daily activities and give me a different perspective about wildlife. I took part in a ringing group of Portuguese experts about wildlife focus on birds and I improve a lot my ringins skills, at the same time that I learn more about the country. Thanks to this lucky experience I could pass my ringing test in my country and I obtained my professional ringing license that is really important for my professional future. It is difficult to express my feelings after a year full of lovely experiences: navigate with dolphins and whales, Sleep on a desert island, monitoring wildlife, nature, lovely people, beautiful sunsets and sunrises, support nature conservation actions, learn

Portuguese.....but, definitely the people that I met were the best of the year.

I am so grateful for this amazing experience.

O testemunho final da Leila (SPEM)

Time flies, you have to enjoy every moment, every day.

It’s probably the advice most people give when someone is having an experience abroad, or at least out of their hometown.

I tried to apply this advice every day since I arrived in Portugal. Enjoy every little thing, can be going to work, going out with friends, a coffee under the sunlight, or just on Sunday watching movies in bed.Living abroad taught me this, taking the time to enjoy valuable moments, to take time for myself and the things that matter to me. When people give the advice of “enjoy every day”, maybe they think more about going on weekend trip or going out. And it’s true, it is part of it. But it’s also about making a place that at first, you knew nothing about, home. It’s to make all the little things that were strange or incommun to you before, habits. Lisbon now is home. 

Now, it’s habit to take tremoços with my imperial, to ask for a coffee “cheio”, to see the old men of the neighborhood meeting at the end of the afternoon and seat in plastic chairs just around the corner, to spend most of my time outside, to go listen to jam session at A70 or Arroz Estudio, to eat soup as a starter at every meal, to know some of the songs of Tony Carreira by heart, to not be afraid of the hill or not to be out of breath when you arrive on top, to see trees with flowers all year long or even just to speak Portuguese. It’s also habits to complain about the buses always being late, or about the winter without heating. But there is also things we never get use too, we are always amazed, such as the orange light of the sun that makes all the city golden, the blue sky, the beautiful landscapes, and the amazing people we meet.

My experience was, in the major part, about meeting people. About making myself a new home and a new “everyday” life. I’m so grateful for what I have and what i built here. Indeed, I’m staying to live in Lisbon for a bit longer, I’m not ready to leave this life behind me. With the group of volunteers (at people that we met along the way), we created an amazing group.

It’s like family and I know that I built a friendship that will last forever. We can be separated, not be living in the same country, we will never lose each other. Maybe you create an even stronger relationship because we know that “time is flying”. My experience was also about my work. Even though I arrived in the middle of the pandemic, I had the chance to be in one of the few projects where we were still working “off-line”.

I loved my experience working in SPEM. I was sad and nostalgic to leave this work where I was finally feeling part of the team and part of the project. “Finally”, because, of course, it takes time, especially with the language barriers but also just because it takes time to enter a team and to feel comfortable. I learned a lot with the team, but also with the beneficiaries and I’m truly grateful.

Maybe I’m not a volunteer anymore, but I think I will feel like being one for still a while. It was an amazing experience that changed me and pushed me to achieve personal goals and to grow in a way that I’m happy and proud with. I would recommend to anyway to do this kind of experience, and I will. I would also recommend Lisbon of course, which completely took my heart. I’m writing this lines seated in a café in Paris, I’m there to visit friends and family. But then, I will go back home.

O testemunho final da Lucia (Viver Telheiras)

Dear Lisbon,

I dedicate this letter to you. It's now time to say goodbye. 

It's been a year since I got off a plane with a suitcase and a backpack, ready to start my volunteering experience here. I had never set foot in Portugal before, so I wasn't sure I would have liked it. Luckily, however, it was love at first sight.

In these last 12 months, many different phases of my life have followed one another. At first, I discovered Lisbon by taking long walks through the city with other fellow volunteers, then I lived my first Christmas and New Year's out of Italy, and then also a new lockdown. Once it was possible to start moving throughout the country again, I finally dedicated myself to discovering the rest of Portugal, from Porto in the north to the Benagil caves, down near Faro, filling my eyes with breathtaking landscapes and the belly of local specialties.

My mood has also fluctuated a lot: my initial enthusiasm was crushed from the lockdown, but it slowly returned. These days I am trying to make the most of my time here, knowing that it will be difficult to say goodbye to a city that made me feel at home.

Of course, it wasn't all fun and games, but even if sometimes I felt a bit unmotivated or lost because I didn't know what to do, luckily I had the support of people who helped me tidy up my thoughts and understand what was best to do. And with these people, I also shared good and fun moments. This is indeed the most precious thing that will remain to me from this experience: the people I met here.

For these reasons, I go back to Italy with my heart full of gratitude and good memories.

Obrigadinha Lisboa, até a próxima! 

Lucia

O testemunho no. 2 do Albert (JFL - Vicente)

It has been a few months since I first arrived here. Everything is constantly changing, and I like that.

Gone are those first weeks where communicating was quite complicated; my Portuguese seems to be getting better and better. I have to admit that for a native Spanish speaker it's always easier. 

My life in these months has been focused on my pleasures: I've surfed, I've taken pictures around the city and I've met a lot of people (among other things). Life in the city has changed, I arrived in the hot season with restrictions, now everything is open and it's starting to get cold. 

People who have been here for a long time say that Lisbon is regaining its color; not because of the cold, but because of the people. I couldn't say if I preferred the city as it was when I arrived, more empty. Also, the atmosphere in volunteering has changed. 

The first months were more about learning Portuguese, a lot of work to support the other colleagues. Now I lead my own activities and participate in activities not only within the school where I work but also with other entities in the same neighborhood that have a relationship with the school.