Programme & action: ERASMUS+, Key Action 1: Youth exchange
Venue: Aydın, Turkey
Dates: 25 January – 1 February 2020
Participants: Ondřej Zahuta, Veronika Voldřichová, Eliška Pavlíková, Petra Krejsová, Kateřina Milotová
Group leader: Tomáš Hercig
Host organisation: Young Voices of Aydin
Participating countries: Lithuania, Macedonia, Romania, Czech Republic, Poland and Turkey
Please read the info-pack
Project report:
As the name suggests, the main goal of the project “We are acting against wasting” was to raise awareness about the possibilities of trash recycling and how to work with waste around the world. The project was from 25.1.2020 to 1.2.2020 in the Turkish town of Aidyn near the tourist city of Izmir. The first meeting of the Czech team was at the airport in Vienna, where we flew to Izmir. As expected, we all sat down and started telling our life stories, which makes waiting for the plane more enjoyable. Upon arrival we were picked up by the organizers Keren and Iker, we got a snack on the bus and went to Aidyn. Already on the bus everyone switched language to English and we started to internationalize. The English of all participants, with exceptions, was at a great level and so we had almost no language barrier. We were accommodated in a beautiful medieval-style hotel, which I have never experienced before. Hotel rated 5 stars out of 5 because it was really something unusual. We had breakfast at the hotel, which was always the same, but it was great. Speaking of the food, the organizers took us around the local canteens, so we were eating like a local, which I personally appreciate, because when I travel somewhere, I want to get to know local people how to eat, how to dress, what they do in their free time, what religion they are, what their customs, traditions, etc… I have to be very positive about the content of the project “We are acting against wasting”. Some participants might disagree with me, but my opinion is that it fulfilled purpose. Around 30 people from all over Europe discussed passionately topics. Everyone had something to say, everyone had their opinions and everyone was involved in the discussions. Which I really didn’t expect. Many times it happened that we stretched the program a few minutes because everyone was on fire. The organizers took us for a total of 2 trips, which is also very rare, usually only one trip. The first was Kuşadası, a picturesque town on the coast. In the summer season, it is a popular tourist destination. We were here at the end of January, so we didn’t meet the tourists very much and the weather was wonderful. Even Ondřej and I went swimming in the sea. The second trip we had to the world-famous tourist attraction Pamukkale, which is the area of the tectonic break, where the surface flows minerals that resemble frozen snow. The weather was not good on this day, but for that we were almost alone. Again, the two most courageous were me and Andrew, who bathed in spring at the top of Pamukkale. We had the whole lake for ourselves. In summer or in good weather we would hardly get there. Overall, I evaluate the project very positively, all participants were active, positively tuned and great. Thanks to the project, I have again improved my English to the next level and now I am not afraid to travel anywhere alone, because I know that I can speak everywhere without a problem. In addition, I bought trash can with 3 openings to recycle at least plastic and paper, which I was doing at work until then, and I’m a little ashamed of it now that I know the global impact. In the dining room, I only take as much as I can eat, and when I see someone else wasting food, I have a heated discussion with him to realize that we live in a time where we don’t have to move a finger for food, which can catch up with us one day. For me, Turkey is a very beautiful and interesting country. If you are afraid to visit this country cause various paradigms about Muslims and people living in Eastern countries, its bullshits. The Turks are friendly and happy to welcome you. Security checks are perhaps at every step, so the likelihood that you will be the victim of assassination is, in my opinion, less than in any European state. teşekkür ederim ve görüşürüz!
Tomáš Hercig
