A staff member of our organization participated in the Erasmus+ Youth Worker Mobility project in Portsmouth, United Kingdom, for a period of seven weeks.
Mobility date: 20.10.2016 – 8. 12. 2016
Host city: Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Project title: Youth Worker’s Experience in the UK
Participant's report, Mgr. Edina Bajuszová:
In the past, I had the opportunity to participate in youth exchanges both as a coordinator and as a participant. Later, I also focused on project writing. I enjoy this work — organizing various events, attending training, traveling, and working with a young team.
Through the projects and activities implemented by Luminosus, the organization has contributed to the socio-economic and cultural development of our region. Its focus is also on working with youth. We often receive collaboration requests from abroad as a co-organizer of various projects. The director of the organization, Mgr. Annamária Bálint, proposed that I participate in an Erasmus+ Youth Worker Mobility training abroad to further develop my professional knowledge during seven weeks in the UK, in Portsmouth.
The primary goal of the project was for me to learn methods used abroad when working with youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. In our region, there are many unemployed young graduates, and the knowledge I acquired could be applied when working with them.
Our partner organization for this project was IBD Partnership from Portsmouth, UK.
During my volunteering period at the host organization, I worked in several different organizations. First, I carried out organizational tasks at IBD. Then, I worked with children with disabilities at Enable Ability. Later, I gained experience in a kindergarten attended by children of socially disadvantaged parents. Finally, I worked with the British Heart Foundation, which helps people from disadvantaged backgrounds reintegrate into the labor market.
Working with children with disabilities provided me with valuable experience. I became more empathetic, approachable, and tolerant. I also learned various games and exercises for developing skills.
In my opinion, there are very few institutions in our region that work regularly and systematically with youth. It is even harder to find an institution that works with young people with special educational needs or with youth from disadvantaged backgrounds using non-formal education methods. The goal of our organization is to organize and implement programs and events where we collaborate with the Hungarian minority youth in our region. This means giving them the opportunity to participate in youth exchanges, meet young people from across Europe, and develop their knowledge and skills in various topics through non-formal learning. In this way, they naturally expand their cultural competencies, develop personally, become more open to the world, and, last but not least, improve their foreign language communication skills. The long-term goal of our organization, through regular activities with young people, is to help them understand how people live and work abroad while also being proud of their home region and realizing that the region needs skilled young people ready to act in its interest.
During my stay in Portsmouth, I not only gained professional competencies but also got to know the culture, customs, and gastronomy of the host country. This program provided me with professional skills and made me more open and tolerant toward other nationalities. I also had the chance to meet many valuable people.
Finally, I would like to recommend this program to today’s youth, encouraging them not to fear the unknown and to participate in similar initiatives. Through such programs, they will have the opportunity to travel, explore other countries and cultures, and gain valuable experiences.
Press coverage about us:
http://felvidek.ma/2017/02/egy-kulfoldi-tanulmanyut-tapasztalatai-az-ung-videken-hasznosulhatnak
http://www.rtvs.sk/televizia/archiv/11686/116467#250 from 4:20
http://www.hirek.sk/video/20170209181012/Tevekenyseg-a-szulofold-iranti-szeretet-jegyeben.html
