Thursday, 20 July 2017 12:52

Youth Exchange organized by MCA

During July 8-16, 2017 MCA together with its international partners, ICCO and Kerk in Actie organized a Youth Exchange week for young people from Moldova and The Netherlands.

9 Dutch youngsters accompanied by 5 adults came to our country to meet Moldovan youth and to discover local traditions, people, lifestyle with them as well as to learn about their volunteering experience within the project “Strengthening advocacy capacities of the local CSOs to support vulnerable elderly in rural areas of Moldova”. At the same time the guests were eager  to introduce to Moldovan people their culture and to share their knowledge, skills and experiences.

During that week, young people from the Netherlands together with 36 Moldovan youngsters from 5 villages participated in a summer school in the North of Moldova. Here they had a chance to interact and communicate with each other during the learning sessions as well as at a wide range of other outdoor activities, including sports, music and dancing contests, evening performances, disco and others. In addition to that, young people filmed several short motivational movies the aim of which was to encourage community involvement and participation.

Later the journey of the Dutch guests continued in Varatic village, where they got involved in the advocacy campaign activities within the project and distributed medical support equipment for the beneficiaries together with local volunteers. In the last evening of their stay in Varatic an intercultural evening was held where the participants shared their cultural heritage, including traditional food- cooking together local pies "Placinte", dances and games. It was followed by the informal interaction over the bonfire with the music and songs.

Many friendships were built during those days between young people from Moldova and the Netherlands. And this was the reason why saying goodbye to each other was a very emotional and hard time. Just before leaving Varatic village the Dutch guests sang a beautiful song in their mother tongue to a violin accompaniment which arose deep feelings in the hearts and tears in the eyes of those who were present.

The youth exchange was a great opportunity for both sides to meet people from a different culture and lifestyle and to see their own culture from a new perspective. Moreover, it was a good chance for young people to learn from each other, to share their ideas and to support each other.

 

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