Raccontiamo cosa facciamo. Le voci dei partecipanti

The cats and the moon

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 Once upon a time, a long long time ago, there was a young boy named Měsíc. He had a peaceful soul and a beautiful smile and he was full of energy, always looking for friends. If during the day his presence was appreciated, the problems came at night: in fact, he had such a huge energy that he couldn’t sleep and enlightened all the dark corners of the streets, houses and even the cellars.
Thus it happened that he frightened the mice in the barn, caught the lovers sitted apart in the wood or woke up the babies in their cribs. It became so annoying that even his siblings couldn’t stand him anymore.
Only Kočka, the cat, always seemed to appreciate his company and he followed him wherever he went.
Měsíc became increasingly alone and increasingly sad. He did nothing but hide and ask himself why it was so difficult for others to accept his qualities. He could not figure it out and this distressed him terribly.
Until one day…PUF! He disappeared. Just in front of Kočka’s nose that was sniffing his shoes.
Suddenly everyone in the village started looking for him: << Měsíc!>> << Měsíc, where are you?>> << Měsíc come back!>> But there was nothing to do, Měsíc was scarce.
No one expected, but with each passing day, Měsíc began to be missing to them. The bakers who worked at night couldn’t stay awake without his jokes; the captain of the guards was quite old and shortisighted and couldn’t look beyond his nose and Měsíc had always been helpful; even the lovers found that his absence had lifted a bit of romance to their nights.
In the meanwhile Kočka had not lost his nerve and continued his solitary search. After a fruitless week, behold, he thought he saw shining in a corner, hidden by bushes, Měsíc‘s jacket.
Sure it was! Kočka began to meow loudly and with him all the cats in the neighborhood. Recall by as much noise Měsíc’s mother pushed her way through the forest to reach him.
<<Here you are! Do you know what a fright we got? Didn’t you see how worried we were? Come on, come back home.>>
But Měsíc, although heartened by those words, he did not want to.
<<If I come back now, it will be fine for a while and then everyone will start to be fed up with me!>> <<You should understand, not everybody has your energy. You should try to control yourself a bit>>
<<I have decided>> he said <<I will go far away and I will travel throughout the whole sky, but from time to time I will come back to visit, so you won’t be too sad. And when instead you will be fed up with me, I will go to the other side of the world to play with my new friends>>.
And so it was that Měsíc began his travel through the stars, an eternal wandering that we call month. And every time he disappears, the land subsides, the plants and the seas are relaxing and the children sleep peaceful dreams. And every time he comes back, everybody is happy to see him again and the world is back on life and joy and the lovers embrace themselves a little stronger.
But the most enthusiastic remain the cats, meowing all night long beautiful serenades in the moonlight.

 A story by Pasquale Lanni – Creative Monday n.2 – #sharetherightstory

My dark cave – Share the right story

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I start my journey by drawing a map: I’m quite bad in orienteering, thus I think it can help me in case I get lost (so true!). Here is the main building, the hill of the bell, the threshold.

If in the surroundings of Slunakov there’s only one main road, I want to have a walk in the deep forest indeed. So after a small bridge I take the first path on the right and I keep going in that direction.

Not even the time to start that I see Miss Fox crossing a meadow, no further than 10 meters from me: lucky day!, I think, let’s see what comes tonight.

Many sounds reveal that the forest is a living being, but to a curve I hear human voices: two guys, partially hidden by the bushes, are fishing.

The vegetation is dense and I almost can’t see anything else but a red line behind the horizon reveals all the beauty of a late sunset in the countryside. On the right a narrow path leads me to a magical fence; it has to be magical because it’s in the middle of nowhere with apparently no reason to exist. I cross it but apparently I am still in the same dimension.

The bells of a church remind me that the time is flowing, but also that I have cold to my ears and I have to choose if I want to cover them and to reduce my hearing sensitivity or definitely freeze them. I will continue covering and uncovering all the time.

Suddenly it’s night. And I mean, real night: I cannot see anything and I have to switch the torch on for the first time. Now everything is different, I’m surprised and scared. I’m straight back to five years old kid almost panicking because of darkness and noises. Even the train surprises me, not talking about the barks of the dogs in the distance.

I find a proper shelter, probably used by children during the day, and I rest for a while. I discover myself tightening the torch and the pencil, as they could make any difference in case of danger, but still, they comfort me. I find a stick, in case the beaver attacks me, they will find me ready to fight!

With three safe sides, I risk and switch the light off. The sounds are still around but my eyes are now much better and I can distinguish the edges of the trees, the stones and the light. The light? Yeah, someone is coming from my same direction! I don’t want to reveal my position, but at the same time I don’t want to scare him. In the end I choose for giving him a Morse code signal that apparently he knows despite the fact that I have no idea of what I told him. He passes far away from me; will come back almost half an hour later, following a different path.

Fear is over. I am confident in my walking, even when I lose the way (at least three times).
Remembering the last and only time I saw a beaver -in Finland in 2010- I think how nice would be to see another one, so I walk around the streams and the small river because it is more likely that they are close to the water.
The fishermen! They were in a perfect place for sightings. I walk back (thanks map) and I wait hoping in the good luck.
I am not very patient: at every splash I light the torch and it takes time for my eyes to adapt again. The good thing is that every time a night butterfly comes to me.

In half a hour I’m cold, bored and tired. I start my way back home. I eat some raisins on the way. Whatever the ritual means, I will spot the beaver next time, but I will continue being a youth worker, with little money, but a lot of stories to tell.

Arrivederci…

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Da quando sono piccola che mi piace tanto scrivere. Scrivevo tante storie ed avevo tanta immaginazione per creare dei personaggi e descrivere le loro avventure… Le idee erano piu veloci che le mie mani e finivo a scrivere dei testi che perdevanno il senso a mettà. Mi riccordo quando la mia professoressa di inglese mi ha chiamato dopo un esame e mi ha aiutato a trovare un modo di organizzare la mia mente prima di mettere le cose per scritto.

Anni dopo, è ancora difficile per me non mi perdere quando scrivo (soprattutto quando scrivo in una lingua straniera). Ed è ancora piu difficile quando non devi inventare una storia ma devi raccontare la tua. Ma come fai a raccontare un anno della tua vita? Come faccio a non scordarmi di tutte le cose belle (e meno belle) che sono successe quest’anno?

Come posso parlare di tutte le persone meravigliose che ho conosciuto? E di tutto che ho imparato con loro?

Non sono all’altezza di questa sfida, non posso provarci nemmeno.

Questo ultimo articolo della mia esperienza SVE con Eufemia non potrà essere mai un racconto, ma si un ringraziamento.

Un ringraziamento a tutti che ho trovato a Torino e che mi hanno fatto sentire accolta.
Un ringraziamento a tutti gli amici di tutti paesi in Europa che mi hanno raccontato le loro storie e ha fatto conoscere tante cose nuove.
Un ringraziamento soprattutto alla (mia famiglia) Eufemia con chi ho scoperto tanto di me stessa e del mondo.
Un ringraziamento a tutti coloro che mi fanno pensare a Torino come la mia casa sempre che ritorno.

Grazie e arrivederci!

Ana Rita Martins Pereira

ITALY vs LARISA, FIRST HALF-TIME IS OVER

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Italians love football. Moreover in Turin there are two big and very important teams: Torino and Juventus. This was the must know before arriving here, my friends said. And that Turin is a grey city. After five months I can agree with the first but not the second “fact”. The football is the general small talk theme. I am used to talk about weather instead or ever rather to avoid small talk situations.

I’ve arrived to Torino in April. On the EVS training we had to do a timeline of points that brought us to this moment, to our EVS.

While some EVS volunteers are motivated by helping the world and improving community… My main motivation to apply for this challenge was personal development. Important aspect was also to learn about a different world and to understand it better what activities of also Eufemia provide me.

Since arrival I believe the biggest improvement can be observed in my Italian. It is so much easier to learn a language while living in its environment. True that Italian gestures are also very helpful when trying to understand. All in all I’m enjoying Italy and whole experience very much. The work is always different, the colleagues are super nice and pizza!


WORK vs LARISA

As mentioned my work is very diverse. In rough I work in international field – Erasmus+ program and local onen – working with schools, economically endangered families.

Every Saturday we go to local market with families. To the market I am working on, round 8 families come. Together we collect the fruits and vegetables that weren’t sold and the sellers would throw away since the markets are closed on Sunday. The same thing we do with bread in one bakery. As I’ve read recently there is a initiation that would put in order that all supermarkets should do that. And it makes me happy to be part of something so helpful and also waste reducing.


At the beginning of my EVS I was helping to lookafter kids during lunch break in one of the primary schools. Due to not knowing Italian, I have mostly only observed. In June already I have managed to build some contact also with children. Two times a week there is an activity called, Doposcuola, that aim is to help kids with the homework. I’ve taught one child German. His German and my Italian were on the same level, so it was very funny. Some kids were very interested to teach me Italian, what made me feel very nice.

In June-July Eufemia organised summer activities for children 6-12 years old. Mon-Fri 8.00-17.30, where my role was also to help look after the kids.

In July there was a very nice international project with 30 participants from different countries about rebellion and 2nd world war. Pasquale (the Boss) and me managed and led all the activities. It was difficult, but I have learned a lot and met some great people. In the end of July I attended my EVS welcome training where 30 other volunteers were. I’ve visited Roma, improved my Italian, met cool people and learned that without cooperation it is hard to change anything. And that for cooperation it is important to hear. Kabum! My EVS got another meaning. Let’s see how it goes on. Work that are in every NGO, paper work, some designing, promotion activities are always to be fulfilled, so very rarely happens there is nothing to be done.

SECOND-HALF?
In September I will start with an Italian course and I’m very looking forward to new projects. The personal project is being created in my mind, but more about it in the next note.

Btw: I believe I am winning, like the other people choosing EVS.

 

We have rights – breve storia di un viaggio intenso

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Partiti. Partiti e tornati come ogni estate o quasi.
Dopo un viaggio, breve o lungo, lontano o vicino che sia, cosa rimane a parte la voglia di non tornare alla solita routine?

I racconti del tragitto avvincente, che d’estate diventa tale anche se non lo è; le minuziose descrizioni dei musei, dei mercatini, delle chiese, delle case, delle piazze, delle onde, delle vette e dei parchi, dei paesaggi emozionanti ed espansivi per sguardo, pensieri e senso di vita; gli eccessi con il cibo locale, le notti brave, le conquiste e lo shopping. Rimangono le foto, quelle obsolete già dopo dieci like: scattate e postate su Instagram e Facebook seduta stante hanno incastonato di momenti topici il perimetro della vacanza.

Alle parole invece il compito di fotografare e condividere quello per cui gli occhi non bastano: le esperienze, le emozioni, gli apprendimenti, le consapevolezze, le curiosità, le dissonanze, i riferimenti culturali, le cicatrici, le risate, gli scambi fulminei di intese, gli abbracci, i cambiamenti. In breve: le persone e le storie di vita.

We have right, now let’s be human. Un corso non formale sui diritti umani via teatro sotto forma di corso di formazione. Un paesino di provincia in Romania, Ramnicu Sarat, grande quasi come Rivoli. 27 partecipanti diversi per età, provenienza, formazione, interessi e cultura, variegati alla stracciatella e malaga insieme, variopinti e sfumati come più arcobaleni accostati.

Macedonia, Romania, Ucraina, BosniaErzegovina, Italia, Turchia eGeorgia che comunicano in un inglese fluente ma declinato secondo apprendimento e accento. Persone nuove, spazi e luoghi sconosciuti, attività imprevedibili per cui non sempre si è preparati ma non per questo inadatti.


Nessun riferimento ordinario. Nel tempo di un low cost archiviate strutture interpretative e certezze comportamentali. Liberi di essere nessuno e se stessi contemporaneamente. Pieni di energia, curiosità, voglia di imparare e di conoscere. Vuoti (a perdere) da riempire. Ogni sguardo, ogni gesto, ogni tentativo di espressione verbale hanno trovato terreno fertile per uno scambio intenso ed empatico tra tutti. Défaillance e battute glissate sono state capaci di generare inattese e fragorose risate anche nelle attività più impegnate, rendendole così più incisive e memorabili. Volti e sorrisi a tratti spontanei a tratti disforici, dietro i quali si scorgevano biografie tortuose che la Storia recente, il macrosistema, ha intriso di difficoltà ma anche di determinazione, senso di giustizia sociale e umiltà. L’impatto delle guerre nell’ex Jugoslavia, in Georgia, in Ucraina e il Golpe in Turchia ha eroso la spensieratezza delle vite dei ragazzi provenienti da questi Paesi, quella leggerezza consolidata invece negli occhi di ragazzi provenienti da altri luoghi meno conflittuali seppur controversi come l’Italia. In un contesto dove contano le idee e le persone, e dove le diversità sono risorse, ha preso forma un confronto verace e dinamico tra le specifiche esperienze dei paesi partecipanti su flussi migratori, tensioni politiche, diritti umani, tolleranza e inclusione sociale con intensità e con quel pizzico di ironia che, si sa, sostiene sempre.

Un senso di cittadinanza europea, anzi globale, è stato il fattore comune e continua ad esserlo. Persone consapevoli che con tenacia e freschezza vivono dentro questi valori e vogliono diffonderli.

Cosa ho imparato? Nuovi metodi di educazione non-formale come theatre shadowing, pantomima, e forum theatre in cui tutti, anche se profani, hanno potuto sperimentarsi.
Cosa mi è piaciuto di più? Sentirmi nuda, lasciarmi colpire e stupire da ogni storia di vita, da ogni persona e da ogni novità, da ogni goccia versata istante per istante; sperimentare, sbagliare, imparare, mettermi alla prova e confrontarmi e averlo fatto ridendo.
Cosa mi porto a casa? La voglia di tornare alla solita routine, colorarla di tinte nuove e condividerle.
Dopo un viaggio, breve o lungo, lontano o vicino che sia, che cosa si può desiderare di più?

Scambi internazionali: opportunità da cogliere di cui noi possiamo essere testimoni.
Prima non c’erano. Ogni generazione ha avuto sfide, rischi ed vantaggi peculiari del momento storico in cui ha vissuto. Per qualcuno guerre e ricostruzioni; per altri movimenti sociali e boom economico; per altri sovraesposizione informativa, disorientamento ma anche strumenti ed opportunità come i progetti di mobilità internazionale. Allora forza gente, cogliamo il lato positivo della destrutturazione delle certezze come fonte di cambiamento, apprendimento e inclusione. Non servono grandi opere. Bastano le esperienze positive, intense, anche divertenti e i buoni esempi. Cerchiamoli, seguiamoli, diventiamoli, scambiamoli!

Elisa Floredan

A REFUGEE STORY – GRECIA

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καλημέρα! Καλωσήρθες!

La partecipazione della Grecia al programma Erasmus+ è tornata alla normalità e l’Associazione Eufemia è lieta di invitarvi allo scambio internazionale A Refugee Story che si terrà dal 21-29 Settembre a Tessaloniki
In un 2016 controverso, la tematica dell’integrazione e dei rifugiati è alla ribalta nelle cronache odierne. I Paesi del Mediterraneo sono crocevia di viaggi, fughe, amori e disperazione, ma anche di storie di speranza e umanità, aiuti insperati e mete raggiunte a dispetto degli ostacoli incontrati lungo il cammino.
A Refugee Story è uno scambio giovanile che si propone di incrementare la conoscenza dei partecipanti (con metodi non formali!) sulle ondate migratorie, la storia e la situazione dei rifugiati nei diversi Paesi.

Location specifica dello scambio sarà il villaggio di Agia Triada, a 25km da Thessaloniki, nella spiaggia SUN BEACH (l’hotel è a 2 minuti dal mare).
Thessaloniki è la seconda città della Grecia per importanza e numero di abitanti, ricca di storia e cultura, da sempre sede di una delle università più prestigiose del Paese.
La regione in passato ha accolto numerosi rifugiati ed ancora oggi ha un ruolo cruciale in quanto hotspot europeo.
Maggiori informazioni disponibili qui: http://www.thessaloniki.gr/portal/page/portal/EnglishPage

 Il nostro partner locale IHNILATES TOU FOTOS è un’organizzazione formata da giovani studentesse e studenti greci, molto attiva in ambito internazionale e con una grande esperienza di progetti di interscambio.

Breve lista, non esaustiva, che ci propongono:
WHAT MORE TO BRING WITH YOU?

• PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN TOWELS FOR THE BEACH
• medicine if you have any specific illness or medical condition; we will have a first aid kit but it doesn’t have specialized medicine;
• if you have any allergies or medical conditions that you think we should know about please inform us before hand to avoid any complications. We will keep it confidential!
• any special food/drinks that you can’t live without; we will provide 3 meals/day and accommodation, but this is a youth project so the budget doesn’t allow us to indulge in everyone’s desires;
• summer clothes and beach clothes/shoes/accessories and also a jacket because it will be cold at nights and an umbrella;
• comfortable clothes for non-formal education;
• a presentation you prepared on the subject: A refugee story;
• materials to present your sending organization;
• prepare to present your country, culture;
• your national flag;
• a lot of good mood and energy 🙂

Paesi partecipanti: Grecia, Italia, Spagna, Romania, Georgia, Turchia.
Scheda di iscrizione in allegato, da inviare a youth@eufemia.eu entro il 27 agosto.
La quota comprende viaggio, vitto, alloggio, attività, tessera associativa e copertura assicurativa.

Think global, act local – last day

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Today is the last day of our Youth Exchange in Folgarida, unfortunately.

We really would like to continue this beautiful experience but the time is over, even if we hope to live other great adventures like this one in the future.

This morning we took part in a pratical workshop where we painted our old white T-shirts with the logos of participating associations. This taught us how to reuse clothes that we don’t use anymore.

In the afternoon we had a final evaluation of the entire project, giving suggestions and expressing our opinion about learning outcomes, group, accommodation, food and so on.

Now we are waiting for our final event: the Farewell Party.

We are excited for tonight but, at the same time, we are sad for leaving. As one of the leaders says “if we had been at home, we would have lost all this”. 

See you around Europe!

Cristina, Lucia, Pablo, Silvia

Think global, act local – 30/07 ROM

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The second day was a relaxing one which we spent in Dimaro. We started the day with a quest: we were all assigned in groups of 6 and we had to solve different tasks using the ActiounBound app. Despite it was a warm day we all managed to solve the tasks and we haven’t encountered any difficulties in getting along one with the other.

After finishing the quest and having lunch, we went to the Bio Lake, a lake which is naturally cleaned by the natural algaes, rocks and roots of the plants. So, basically, there are no chemicals involved in maintaining the lake clean. There some of us played board games, swam, played in the lake or just relaxed and enjoyed the weather.

Even though most of us wanted to go for a night trip after dinner, it started to rain so we had to close the night playing some entertaining games such as mimic, psychologist and other board games. We had a lot of fun in the end and everyone enjoyed the night.