ERASMUS+, Key Action 1: training course
Datesí: 7—18 November 2022
Venue: La Chaudière, France
Czech team: Daniel Havrda, Grace Mutsengi, Markéta Škaldová
Please read the info-pack.
Hosting organisation: La Rapugada
Project report:
Everyday Ecology: Seeds for Change
│Training Course│France, La Chaudière│07.11. 2022-18.11.2022│
If my future me from 18.11.2022 would talk to my past me from 07.11.2022 about the training course in La Chaudière in France and tell me everything about all of these amazing things we experienced, I would not believe it. This training course belongs definitely to the “best of my life” and exceeded my expectations. And yes, I mean it.
As you maybe already know, preparation is everything. This camp was organized professionally, and the trainers created an incredible program, full of information and practical exercises. Our trainers taught us autonomy and helped us to achieve a safe space, where every opinion was welcomed. I will never forget one sentence they told us at the beginning: “Here is the place to make mistakes. So, allow it to yourself.” I could not be more grateful and thankful to them. However, often stay in our memories something more important than the technical details — the people, the feelings we shared, and the moments we built together. I was super lucky and met 18 young adults from 6 different countries — Czech Republic, France, Italy, Latvia, Spain, and Portugal — and not even once was language any barrier in understanding between us. So don’t worry about that. With our big family, we discovered beautiful nature in the valley and learned more about ecology in a funny way, it’s called non-formal education. So, what would you say about spending 2 hours in the crown of the three? No problem. And what about meeting local children and preparing for them games and teaching them what we learned so far? Ok, let’s do it. And would you also believe that we made seed bombs, our own lip balms, and went through the forest totally blind? Yes, I know, it was awesome. And how could I forget about the Czech international evening where we had to cook a typical Czech meal for 22 hungry throats, wrote a poem, how Mrs. Strawberry talks to Mr. industry, or our final theatre performance, which summarized the funniest moments of the camp?!
And now, the hardest part — leaving and letting all these wonderful creatures go, to come back to realities and to spread all around Europe. But hey, don’t worry, at least you can visit your friends in different countries, learn more about their culture, and who doesn’t like to have a pen pal? I love it.
At the beginning of the camp, I was really pessimistic about the ecological footprint and the future of our planet. However, in the end, I could find peace in myself and discovered some powerful tools such as art to make ecological problems visible to society. I reconnected with nature again and learned that it’s not about being perfect, but to be aware of our actions, reflecting on our behaviour, and trying to find balance in this crazy world. I become a new person with a new perspective. I could not ask for more. Big thanks to EYCB and La Rapugada for this opportunity!
Markéta Škaldová
