Based on recycling and re-creation for sustainability...
About Greenspiration
Dimitris, Eirini, Giorgos, Ivana and Rafail were the 5 Greek participants who alongside young people from Italy, Hungary, Romania, Portugal, and Bulgaria travelled to Miercurea-Ciuc, Romania for the enlightening Erasmus+ youth exchange “GreenspiratiON”, organized by the Blue Monkey Association.
The participants got familiar with the concepts of recycling and up-cycling and developed a “new eye” to look at their simple household waste materials, creating a new life for them.
Our participants
What humans that experienced this say?
Dimitris
To be honest, I was reluctant while applying for this Erasmus program as I had no previous experience of this kind and felt terrified by the thought that I won't be able to blend in and make myself comfortable in this place. But I was merely wrong. From the moment I met with the Greek team at the airport till the moment we said goodbye to everyone in this program, I felt as if I knew each one of them from before, my thoughts and emotions could be trusted upon them and my views on many issues that exceed the boundaries of my country got broader. All this while participating in a process of gaining knowledge and practical skills to tackle one of the main issues humanity has to deal with for the next few decades at least. Long story short, please don't miss the chance to apply for your next Erasmus program and prepare yourselves for an experience you haven't encountered before.
Giorgos
For me this Erasmus project was really special in the way that it introduced me to the culture of youth mobility programs. It's fair to say it was the most different and unique experience to have but words can't describe precisely the feelings you get living throughout these 10-11 days. Also, the concept of the specific project was really important as I think people should actually educate themselves in the topic of recycling, especially greek people and communities. Additionally, the process of working in a multilingual and multicultural group, expressing yourself in it and creating things altogether in workshops was truly special. If I was to pick the best part from the whole experience I think I wouldn't be able to choose one because for me it was a very pleasant experience as a whole with all the details and the people. I absolutely recommend to everyone to definitely try at some point of their lives these kind of Erasmus exchange projects.
Eirini
Greenspiration youth exchange was an amazing and very intense experience. Meeting new people, being to a place so close to nature and learning through interactive activities were some of the priceless things this program gave to the participants. I was really surprised realizing that the whole plan was somehow organized in a way that it would accommodate us with some basic information about ecology and sustainability, but also it would clear the ground for the upcoming event where a group of kids came to us in order to concern them. It felt like every activity we did before was carefully situated in order to condition us for this. Last but not least, I’m extremely grateful for the people I met there. They were wonderful and caring and I had an awesome time being around them.
Ivana
Through the Erasmus+ project “Greenspiration” I managed to acquire valuable knowledge on the topics of upcycling and recycling, which are of crucial importance and dive deeper into my creativity. I was accompanied by so many sparkling-wit people of different backgrounds and cultures who made this journey a memorable one. 9 days filled with creative sessions, missions, laughs, deep talks, mind games, bonfires, culture merging, cold springs of water, missed busses, each word with its own one-of-a-kind story behind it. Grateful for the people I was surrounded by, the training, the incidents, the emotions, and every part of this terrific experience, can’t wait for the next opportunity!
Rafail
My overall experience was more than great! We were living in a cozy and warm place next to the nature, providing all the essentials for a comfortable stay. The responsible for the program leaders were more that open to communicate, share info and exchange knowledge about the topic and the activities. The adaptation to the foreign environment plus the new people was amazing. Lots of multicultural conversations and experiences were exchanged and that contributed to a better acceptance of diversity among the different people and countries. Most of the activities were interesting, though I would preferred them to be more group oriented. I am surely left the program more open minded and more self conscious about sustainability and ways of creativity with recycled materials. I feel more acceptance towards cultural diversity and people's differences so this is a great gain for me. I would recommend this opportunity for everyone who would like to get to know new people, make strong bonds, exchange life experiences and get a better understanding about creation through recycling.