Rural youth work development participants learning jorney

 

First of all, I would like to point out that this was my first training course. 

My trip began the 28th of November and I arrived the 29th in "The Villa". 

If I have to summarize my learnings during these days I would remark that now I know more about what is youth work about, concretely rural youth work, the problems that exists in rural area, how to deal with them, etc. Also, about the projects this association is implementing here and the outputs for the youth, how this is helping them to develop themselves better, and a bit of how to design a project, it was interesting to think of all the steps that are needed to run one. 

The most remarkable thing has been people. Smart, kind, generous and funny people, they made this experience something to remember. 

Also, having the opportunity to know "real" people from Lithuania doing traditional things, as we did in the festival "Romansu vakaras", it was a really nice experience listening to those songs, sharing dancing, food, etc. 

Elena

On one hand, we learnt about what means youth work, why is so important, the challenges young people who live in rural areas have to face, the initiatives we can take to minimize those obstacles and how to carry out a project from the very begining until the end.

On another hand, personally speaking, I have the opportunity to expose myself talking English. Sometimes it is necessary being a little pushed to go out the comfort zone in a gentle way.

It was great, intense and plenty of new information for me.

Lidia

I've learned what are the parts of a project and how must they be put in an order to achieve the desired able goal. 

I've experienced how it is like working with a youth in a rural area and what approach is used make a youth interested in joining these kind of activities. 

I didn't find any obvious challenge. Sessions were intense, informative but interesting as they should be. Great work guys !

Filip

This project in Lithuania on the topic "Rural youth work development" was very close to me as I myself come from a small village and although I wouldn't trade my village life for anything, I had to face certain obstacles such as insufficient infrastructure, lack of hobby-opportunities etc.

Since I want to work with children and youth people from these areas one day I was really interested in the topic and I must say that it gave me the courage to follow my dream.

It reminded me how important youth workers are and that it can really change the lives of young people from rural areas in a really positive way. It helped me gain insight into the process of how to go about devising and organizing

projects and activities. The biggest obstacle for me was getting used to the difference between the youth exchange and the training course due to the time requirement of the program, as well as perceiving the differences in the

problems of these areas in different countries (but it was really interesting and useful!). Apart from the main topic of the project, I also improved my

communication skills in English, increased my self-confidence, learned a lot of new things about other countries and above all I met a lot of new great people that i can call friends now.

I am very grateful for the opportunity to be part of this project. Thank u so much!

Denisa

During the Erasmus Plus training course "Rural Youth Work Development," participants learned a variety of skills essential for working with youth in rural areas. They gained insights into how to write projects, cooperate with other organizations, and understand the role of governments, municipalities, and youth ministries in supporting youth projects. The course also addressed common challenges such as financial, logistical, and mindset issues in rural communities, and provided valuable knowledge on the project management cycle. Participants explored the practices of youth organizations in other countries, learning about youth centers, development programs, self-development, and voluntary work. Additionally, they deepened their understanding of the eight steps of youth participation, ranging from manipulation to youth-led initiatives.

The experience was enriched through group activities, where participants shared their own experiences and worked together as a team. They learned to navigate cultural differences and perspectives, ensuring that everyone felt included in the group dynamic. Participants also had the opportunity to try new foods, meet people from different countries, and engage in active participation, all while making group agreements and respecting them.

Aslihan

Empower Youth together in Rural Youth Work Training Course in Širvintos!

Širvintos, December 4th, 2024

What a fantastic time in Lithuania! 9 NGO met in Širvintos from 29th November to 5th December 2024 to discover more about Rural and Mobile Youth Work, learning different ways to work with Youth and Empower Youth Generation, following EU Youth Strategy. 

Musninkai rural community  hosted 28 Youth Workers in Širvintos and provided food and accomodation in an unique big home in Lithuanian countryside. They attended training, discussion,

roundtables, evaluation and dissemination about Rural Youth Work, Leadership skills, Inclusion and Diversity and strategies to involve youngsters in their organization. Countries involved

Czechia, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Türkiye.

Rural Youth Workes learned to deal youngsters needs, respect diversities and inclusion,

how to manage a project, and to identify and deal with the actors involved.

Now it’s time for Rural Youth Workers to use all the resources gained thanks to this Training Course and build projects involving youngsters and face the challenges of working with them. Now they have all the tools to do something for our future citizens and for a better

tomorrow.

Empower EU Youth now!

I learned many things from the project. For example; how i participate to the sessions or conversations more actively, how can I express myself better in front of the public? It ıs also a good way to improve your language skills. Because I have to speak English when I stay in the same environment with foreigners. I learned to work in harmony with people of different nationalities and to create something. Additionally, i experienced many things like cultural foods of Lithuania, exploring new places. I had a chance to meet many foreign people. I played various informative games with my friends. Of course there are a few challenges for me. Sometimes the foods were not good and they did not suit my taste. Sometimes the program was tiring and i had difficulty explaining

myself properly.

Halime

This was my first Erasmus+ project. It was also my first time abroad. Although I was excited when I came here, I also had a lot of question in my mind. The idea of being with people from different countries was great, but I was quite nervous because of the language barrier. My journey is also quite long and I have several transfers. Despite all the difficulties, when I came here, I felt like I was not that far from Turkiye. I found myself in a very friendly environment here. I am already trying to be as active as possible in volunteering in Turkiye, where I have gained more knowledge and experience in this field. We did very nice activities together. It was very educational and instructive. Discussing the problems of rural youth work in our own country and finding solutions to the problems of different countries showed me that every problem has a solution. In other words, as long as we are together, discuss, and give new ideas a chance, our own capacity expands and opens the doors to a completely different world for us. We have a lot in common with most of the people I met here and that made me very happy. In fact, no one is that far away from each other. Even though I was very shy about the language at first, I realized that I was improving my English as I pushed my own limits as I spoke. I had so much fun here and learned so much, thank you for everything.

With love,

Duygu

From the 29th November to the 5th of December, I had the opportunity to participate in an Erasmus+ Training Course held in Širvintos, a small town nestled in the Lithuanian countryside, focused on rural youth work. The project brought together participants from various European countries, including Italy, Spain, Romania, Greece, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Lithuania, with the aim of addressing the challenges of youth inclusion in rural areas. The primary goal of the course was to explore ways to increase the participation of young people in rural communities, which often face issues such as social isolation, limited educational and employment opportunities, and a lack of engagement in public life. Throughout the week, we worked intensively to develop practical strategies to tackle these issues and foster inclusion. The training was structured to alternate between theoretical sessions and hands-on activities. Each day we shared experiences from our respective countries. This exchange of perspectives was highly enriching, with each participant contributing unique insights and innovative solutions. The diversity of cultural backgrounds proved to be a valuable asset in addressing common challenges from different angles. One of the most impactful moments was our visit to several youth centers in rural areas. These visits provided a firsthand look at how, despite limited resources, these centers serve as crucial hubs for young people, offering them opportunities for personal and professional development. These visits highlighted the vital role that such centers play in fostering a sense of community and providing young people with a supportive environment. Every evening we had the opportunity to socialize. This experience was profoundly educational, both professionally and personally. I gained new skills in rural youth work and a greater awareness of the importance of inclusive approaches to encourage active participation among young people in isolated areas. At the end we also did a podcast sharing our point of view and experience on the topic. In conclusion, the Training Course in Širvintos was a journey of growth and collaboration, underscoring the importance of international cooperation in tackling the challenges of rural youth work.

Irene

29/11-5/12/2024

 My Learnings

I learned many things about youth work but also working with people in general. I have to observe the way people that organize projects for a long time do it. It was interesting hearing about all the different ways and experiences. I learned about different law systems and rules. I learned the way that people from other countries consume food and alcohol. I learned that there is a Lithuanian song with my name. I also learned that I might have a Spanish accent and that apparently the way you pronounce things is something different from your accent. I learned many beautiful games that I will definitely use to torture my friends.

My experience was nice. I got to thing ways to implement all my learning for my work and interests. I liked observing people and I have to spend time with people that actually deserved all the sleep deprivation that I experienced because of it.

 

Margarita

During the day, we engage in activities aimed at helping young people from rural areas gain access to opportunities typically reserved for those in big cities. Our goal is to involve everyone, bridging gaps and addressing inequalities. The focus is on non-formal learning, embracing diversity, and fostering connections with people from different cultures. We all share a common goal: to grow, learn from one another, and find a deeper sense of self.

This program revolves around working with youth and exploring how we, as young people, can enrich one another’s lives. It’s a space to challenge prejudices, make international friends, and develop meaningful skills. For example, I met a girl from Serbia who volunteered in Sri Lanka to teach English. Seeing the joy in her photos, genuine smiles and shared happiness was truly inspiring. I also spoke with a guy from Kazakhstan who left home to explore Europe on his own. Hearing his story changed my perspective; it reminded me not to take life too seriously and to embrace new experiences with an open mind.

Here, age, background, or status don’t matter; everyone is equal. The environment feels free of judgment, unlike school, where only a few voices are often heard. In this program, everyone gets the chance to speak, and if someone doesn’t know something, others step in to teach without imposing their opinions. It’s all about mutual respect, understanding, and being open-minded.

This experience has made me feel more connected to others, more myself, and, ultimately, happier. It has also shown me how grateful and appreciative people with fewer opportunities are compared to those who take abundance for granted. I’ve had conversations with people from all walks of life, each with a unique and fascinating story. These connections would’ve been impossible if I’d just traveled on my own.

At first, I was skeptical, but now I see how impactful this project is. It’s not just discussions and games; it’s about learning values like respect, loyalty, patience, and adaptability. It’s about opening your eyes to new perspectives and growing as a person.

This experience has inspired me to dedicate myself to helping others, especially young people, discover their potential and become happier. I want to create opportunities for individuals to see the positive and negative aspects of life, understand the change they can make, and embrace their potential. My goal is to continue learning and growing so I can contribute to building a stronger, more supportive community for youth.

Ema

This experience for me was one of the most important that i have had until now. Not only the subject of the program taught me a great deal of new things but it also made me realize that this is indeed one of the fields that i want to work at in the future. Personally, i admire the power of youth and how it is literally our future. The impact that humans can have on each other is one of great importance and that is exactly what i felt in this project while getting to know many new cultures and how youth works in every one of them. I feel more equipped now with all the information i need to understand how this

specific field works and how i can use these information to improve myself and make an impact as well as a change in any community. The only thing i could maybe say to improve even more this project is

that i would like the discussion process to be a bit more free.

Although i understand that there was a specific timetable that we had to follow and respect, i would say that some of the discussion themes that we had were so interesting and informing that i really wish we

could delve more into them. All in all the aftermath is still great and im so thankfull to the organisers and all the participants. Usually i do not like humans but i fell in love with the personality of each on of the people i met here. Youth work is extremely important for our communities. The fact that we learned in so interesting ways how to use those new learnings and face the difficulties that this field faces in

our country, was really useful. I can only wait to see what the future brings but the one thing i know for sure is that so many young people out there are more than happy to help and make this needed change as i mentioned above.

Emmanouela

Before coming to this project, I almost did not know anything about youth work. During the project, I learned what exactly it is and how difficult it is to be a youth worker in rural areas. I enjoyed talking about the problems that countries all around Europe have in their rural areas and trying to find solutions to them, which was really challenging. Visiting the Širvintos center and Musninkai was a great experience because I saw how to practically implement everything we talked about. Moreover, our simulation activity was really interesting and educational, and because of it, I understood how different "actors" cooperate to come up with a common idea. It showed me how important collaboration and open communication are when addressing complex issues. Our debating made me realize how crucial it is to be open-minded and adaptable when you are a youth worker.

Alex

At this project, while it’s not my first one or my first international project, I’ve learned new things. About myself, about others, about our topic, about other countries. I became more aware about challenges people are facing in other countries and how they are dealing with them. I’ve realized that some things are maybe granted and common in my country but that doesn’t necessary mean that it’s the same elsewhere.

As a perfectionist, I usually struggle with the need to have everything planned well and executed. Through various activities that we had — working with limited time and  information, working with people that have different perspectives than me, I learned that not everything has to be perfect. Like life, take what you have and make the best of it. We can’t control everything, but we can always try to do the best with the resources that we have. 

Ana

 I have learned a lot of information that I can use when working with the youth. I think, I also discovered many interesting topics that I had encountered before the project.

I tried to understand them and discuss them, so I also learned something about them. It was interesting.

For example, when we had to write the problems in our country, and then find the solution for the others country problem.

I realized that we are not the only country facing such problems; we are in this together.

The educational visit to the youth center was the biggest experience for me.

I saw how this works and I experienced what it feels like to work with youth.

The activities we did when we were tired-I will use them when working with children because I believe they are useful and necessary.

Marek

Coming to this training course, I was getting ready to learn about work with rural communities youngsters - how to better myself in working with them and/or involving them in projects that I am making, ut I learned much more different things and I am taking home more than I expected.

I learned that I know much more than I thought before, I learned a it more about hoe to write a project , witch I am very grateful for. I learned a lot of fun games for my training courses with kids, from the other participants with which we played a new game every night. I also learned too trust in people, since a person I had met before and didn't care for, now was one of the closest people to me during this whole project. I discovered how fun it is to go into a project alone, since in all of my earlier projects, I was with more participants from my country and being alone, forced me to be more open and free. I discovered an amazing group of girls each from a different country to which I could talk to about anything and everything. I met a few different but interesting challenges I this project. One of my challenges was - quickly opening to totally strange people, because I knew that if I don't make connections fast, I i’ll have very little people to spend my free time with. I also faced an interesting challenge of not learning to much information , ut actually having it and there for during my free time, having to explain certain information to other participants.

Atene