Programme & action: ERASMUS+, Key Action 1: youth exchange
Venue: La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain
Youth exchange dates: 2-9 January 2016
Participants: David Hřivna, Kateřina Svačinová, Markéta Wagnerová, Anna Klíčová, Radek Bábíček, Lukáš Kindermann
Group leader: Ondřej Svačina
Please read the info-pack.
Project report:
It is just another hot and sunny Saturday afternoon. For someone it is just another boring afternoon, for someone afternoon full of work or joy. But for six young people (and their group leader) from the Czech Republic it is an afternoon full of expectations and fears. Expectations and fears about people, experiences, enjoyments. Expectations and fears about Spaniards and the Greeks. Expectations and fears about La Palma – one of the Canary Islands.
The beginning of the project focused on gaining awareness about social values, human rights, equality, local biosphere and natural resources. This project was called P@rticipando and it took place from 2nd to 9th January 2016. The whole project took place in La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain. There were 24 participants from 3 organisations from 3 countries – Ayuntamiento de San Andrés y Sauces-Punto de Información Juvenil (Spain), Youth Information Center of Kordelio-Evosmos (Greece) and European Youth Centre Břeclav (Czech Rep.).
First day we arrived to our hostel not far from San Andrés y Sauces. When we arrived, the Spanish group had already been there. They warmly welcomed us and we immediately started to play some games to get to know each other. We were divided into four groups and we were accommodated in our rooms. After arrival of the Greek groups we played some games again and they divided them into our groups. After these activities we had a dinner and we went to our beds.
Second day we were supposed to make some programme – games or some activities for kids in local kindergarten and teenagers in local high school who we visited on Friday. Later we made some posters about Erasmus+ and about European Union to learn more about the aims of this programme and project and about similar projects and opportunities in general. After these activities we played some ice breaking and team building games.
Next day, the third day, we went down to San Andrés, where we wet our guide, who showed us some interesting places and told us something about history of the city and of the whole island. After she told us everything we went on to the ocean and thanks to warm weather we could swim there. In the afternoon we were snorkelling and among big waves we saw many types of fish and we enjoyed it.
Fourth day we had an awesome trip. We went up to mountains by taxis. There was the start of the most beautiful trail I have ever taken. We went through tunnels in the mountains, around waterfalls and we had nice view all the way. Before we finished this trip it started to rain. When we finally arrived, soggy, we had a barbecue and then we went back to our hostel. Everybody was exhausted, so we just had a shower and went to bed. When we woke up, we had breakfast and after that we went to the top of the Rocque de los Muchachos where the biggest astronomical workplace in the northern hemisphere is situated. We attended one observatory with a guide who explained to us how it works and she told us something about their research.
Next days we played games and we had some activities connected with human rights, which were really interesting thanks to different points of view of people from different countries. We also had some activities in San Andrés, we danced, and we visited the local youth house, where we were preparing some activities for a talent show, which was scheduled to take place on the last day. We had the talent show in small local theatre. We did our performances and then we got our certificates from major of San Andrés. After our talent show we went back to our hostel where a drum band was waiting. We watched their show and then we had a goodbye party.
It was an awesome week full of fulfilled expectations, unfilled fears, useful experiences, interesting information and mainly new friendships. I would like to thank to all people who took part in this project and who contributed to this project could take place – to organisers, participants and EYCB.
Lukáš Kindermann
