Youth for Change youth exchange participants came to Tiszaroff in August 2024 from Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Transylvania and Hungary. They spent ten inspiring day together, shared their culture and volunteering experiences, planed and organised a captivating voluntary activities together.
A meeting of cultures
The first days of the exchange focused on team building. We played games, exercised and solved small and big challenges together. We laughed a lot, danced in the evenings and even tasted national delicacies. Even new friendships began to form.
On the 20th of August, the team travelled to Budapest, the capital of Hungary, to get to know the Hungarian culture and capital through playful challenges. The young people toured the city in groups, visiting the smallest statues, talking to Hungarians, exploring the sights and watching the big fireworks display to celebrate the national holiday in the evening.
Volunteering brings people together
Almost all Youth for Change participants came to the programme with significant volunteering experience. Some had helped people, others had worked with animals, and some had even organised fundraising or donations for people in difficult circumstances in the past.
They started to plan their own volunteering activities with great enthusiasm and already with the shared experience that a volunteering activity can only be based on needs and wants. So the first thing the young people did was to visit Tiszaroff, the home of the Youth Exchange. They asked people on the street what they needed and then planned activities based on their own strengths.
Finally, on the day of their volunteering, they
- helped elderly people prepare for the cold weather by splitting and stacking firewood,
- chatted with lonely elderly people
- helped to bathe the horses at the local farm,
- Picked up litter from the playground and football pitch
- trimmed the vegetation in the park,
- invited children to play together by knocking on doors and handing out leaflets,
- and then spent an afternoon of fun with them, ending with a joyful water fight.
The participants finished their day of volunteering tired but happy. They were happy to see so many smiles and were touched by the gratitude of the people involved in activities. After a joint evaluation of the volunteering and the conclusion of the programme, the participants proudly went back to their communities to share their experiences and achievements.
Wondering how the participants reflected on their experiences? Read the stories that Aina and Erik shared with us:
Transformative connections: a journey of personal growth and the joy of helping others
You never walk alone: how teamwork inspires young people
The Youth for Change Youth Exchange was funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union and took place in Hungary between 16 and 27 August 2024. It was organised by the Academy of Experience Association.