<< Objectives >>/<< Implementation >>/<< Results >>/

"""HANDS - Help Applying Non-Discrimination Solutions"" is an EVS project, that took place in Sandrigo and in some of the surrounding towns of the Province of Vicenza –Italy–, in which Cooperativa Margherita (the hosting organization) gives its commitment. It gave the chance to 4 youngsters coming from Greece, Belgium, Spain and Germany to volunteer for a 9-month period (from October 2014 to June 2015), within care-centres, measuring themselves with activities for minors, elderly and persons with disability.The name of EVS project “HANDS” has a specific connection to the practical involvement that concerned the volunteers, and recalls the basic principle of collaboration, that was a fundamental for their EVS experience. - As first connotation, this word has been related to the services the volunteers gave in the different areas: from the kitchen to the garden, manual activities with disable people, spare-time activities with the elderly, help in the school-job for the minors and the chance to help with practical arrangements. The EVS Programme allowed the development of a context in which the different languages, cultures and experiences were mixed up together as if they were part of the same recipe, overcoming the differences in order to give the final dish as a result. The kitchen, in this meaning, is seen as the perfect place in which the volunteers and our services’ users can get in touch one another through collaboration and help towards the result. Europe can be built also behind the stoves!- ""To give our HANDS dirty"" means literally help, to be part of the society in a careful and active way, getting involved into the activities. We think that it was important that the volunteers had the opportunity and actually gave their contribution in building up the daily program for the services they participated in by sharing ideas, proposals and organizing-skills. They faced a new society, environment, association and culture, and they left their fingerprint on the people they met and on the activities they run within the Cooperative, getting involved into the social life, the events and the community of the town and, mostly, cooperating between them and with Cooperativa Margherita in a productive way . - ""To share the HANDS"" is the invitation to be open-minded toward people, conscious of the great value of the joined path: to be part of Margherita is an active and meaningful way to help the community’s growth. This allowed the participants to explore forms of mutuality, and promoted the welfare not only of people in disadvantaged situations, but of the entire population. It meant, and still mean, entering the network, learning, sharing experiences and offering our own abilities and inclinations to build up real meeting places for the inclusive development and empowerment of people."

"<< Objectives >>In June 2019 this applicant organisation had a project ""First you LEARN, then you remove the ""L"" where all participants had the chance to talk with business people, visit business incubator, craftsman house, youth house and in the end - do few ""Do it yourself"" projects, like, making leather earrings, painting etc. Almost all participants did it with the biggest excitment. As they said ""we want to learn more about how to develop business, where to start from, how to make a step from hobby to business and we want to create things with our own hands. But where to find all information?"". And that's how this project idea was developed. We want to use the resources around us 1. forest and wood, rocks - something that nature gives us. 2.Second hand shops where to buy cheap materials to create second hand bags (from old t-shirts), earrings from leather jackets, etc. 3. Use WISELY the one resource we all have access to - internet! Pinterest, youtube, facebook and other webpages. We all have all resources, but sometimes young people can't connect the dots and use them wisely.Let's bring together young people who want to learn new skills and turn them into a small business. Our idea is to use the resources we have (like second hand shops for cheap materials, surrounding nature), knowledge of each other, we will also learn how to use social media for our project (finding ideas on Pinterest, youtube, facebook etc. and after that SHARING ideas one these platforms). And we will learn what happens when you have the right people (supportive, fun,great, and amazing) next to you, resources, place and knowldedge all at the same time. Magic happens!MAIN AIM - develop social media literacy, business development skills, cooperation skills, critical thinking, leadership, and generate new ideas, show what Erasmus+ are about.One of the aims of this project is to show different ways how to spend your free time.We want to encourage young people to do do something in their free time with the possibility to earn some money. During the project we talked about business, working for someone else, having a private company, being self-employed etc. We wanted to show youngsters that it is possible to start your own thing and as silly it might sound, be happy while doing the things you actually like. How many people go to work without a smile on their face, without motivation, without that feeling you are doing something great?We also aimed to: get intercultural experience by meeting with the people from different countries, cultures, backgrounds, religions, practice tolerance and break stereotypes & prejudices; build meaningful relations and and have future co-operations on the basis of this project under Erasmus+ (for example, this project was designed during one of youth exchanges) increase employability and participation of youth, develop professional skills and increase their efficiency; improve the quality of local (by visiting local youth house and meeting with local youngsters) and international youth work (by creating a strong network of organisations, who will generate new ideas for future projects); encourage to share needs of their community - before coming to this Youth exhange, participants will be asked to research situation in their home cities and villages and try to see which business niche they could develop); make the work interactive, fun, and valuable. Like adults, youth are more likely to get involved and remain active in projects that are interesting and fulfilling, but most importantly youngsters like to be involved in decision making, generating ideas and implementing them. For this project the main idea is for youngsters to come up with their own workshops (with the help of leaders before YE) and lead them. So that they can gain confidence and they have the ability to do it in future.We will have Advances planning visit (APV) and after aprox.1,5 months a youth exchange (YE) in the countryside near city Liepāja.Why YE? To learn how to learn, how to be a leader, how to stand up for opinion, to learn to share thoughts and ideas, to become more as an European citizen, to discover yourself, your limits, to learn how to cooperate and what good cooperation can benefit in life.Why outside the city?We decided to spend more time in nature. We want to see how we can use the surrounding enviorment for our benefit and what happens when we are not stressed about beeing in the city that never sleeps. We want sessions next to the beach on how to calm you mind and learn new breathing techniques (study shows that knowing how to breathe also help us to control our emotions (anger included) and fears and keep a clear and sharp mind) meet locals in the small village of Bernāti and see how people live there, learn from them. In the small village of Bernāti we have lots of small entrepreneurs. Youngsters will have the chance to learn how they can provide themselves with food and basic knowledge in business management.<< Implementation >>Advanced planning visit was planned to be in July 2022, 1 month before the project. In the beginning all partners decided to have it online, due to increased expenses (electricity, food, accommodation etc.). Then, because we had to change 2 partners (Italian and Polish partners decided to leave this project. (all changes were confirmed with Latvian NA), we couldn't managed to do it before the project. Instead of Italy, we welcomed Georgian organisation. Instead of Polish organisation, we got another Polish organisation - Green Elephant. Then in August 2022 we received information from Belgian and Croatian partners, then they leave the project. Instead of Croatian organisation, we invited Lithuanian organisation. Instead of Belgian, we asked Latvian NA to allow us to increase participant amount in all countries. Unfortunately with all these changes in project, we were not able to have APV. Instead the Latvian leader Andra Štāle had phone confersations with Georgian leader George Bukia and his subleader - Mariam Bukia. And also project planning session with 2 Latvian participants - Agija Jirgena and Laura Glaudāne. We managed to plan activities, create workshops, divide tasks. For the YE as a task for participants, we asked them on the 3rd day to come up with different workshops (schedule is visible in the attachments). During a creative session, participants answered these questions with the help of Agija, Andra, George, who have large experience in different projects and non-formal education. 1.Name of the activity.2.What type of activity.(for example - group work, discussion, contests, theatre, show etc etc)3.Idea of the activity. Why you want to do exactly this activity.4. How you will do the activity.5. Who will lead the activity.6.Goal of the activity.7. Length of the activity.8.Outcome of your activity. (for example - a leaflet, video, online survey for others, or anything else)9. What participants will learn from it and why it's necessary.10. Add anything else to this list.Youth exchange activity.The main Activity was YE and was held in Bernāti from 15.08.2022 to 25.08/2022. We were 4 organisations, 0 participants in total.The applied methods were small group discussions, workshops, simulation exercises, theatre sketches, group building exercises, name games and icebreakers, active discovery of the city, cultural presentations organised by the participants, open space for developing own follow-up activities, daily reflections, peer learning and feedback.Partners reached participants from different regions & social groups in this way they have manage to identify and engage participants from communities with fewer opportunities, to be more precise, the majority of the Georgian group were IDP’s. Half of Latvian participants were coming from deprived urban areas. In their specific social environment they face particular hardships in economic concerns and traditional structures dominate the social life, resulting in limited personal freedom if comparing their situation to their peers in the urban centres. The participants from Poland composed of mixed groups and 2 of them had a migration background which makes their access to societal welfare more complicated & equal access to education & the labour market is not guaranteed. In annex there is a list of participants with fewer opportunities. Partners & organisers spread the opportunity with all their means and in this way they managed to reach this target groups, this was a guarantee the variety of profiles from participants Age group of the participants - from 18 to 30 (and for leaders 18 +)8 participants were facing social obstacles.4 participants - health. 4 participants - economical obstacles.1 participants - geographical obstacles.Every day participants had lots of workshops that they were attending. We also gave them the freedom in the evenings to work on the body movement, how to express your feelings and emotions through dance, have movie nights, cooking nights, board game nights. Together they learned how to work as a team in the evening activities.<< Results >>We reached better understanding between 4 different nations and overcame mistaken stereotypes through different discussions and workshops. Through this project and the different tools used in it we worked toward matching the aims of E+ program such as wellbeing within youth, contributing to their active and responsible inclusion in local communities with a proactive and inclusive attitude.Impact on young participants: personal development, development of creativity, imagination, communication abilities, collaboration in groups which can be used within their communities, at school, some interests groups, different courses; making great long-lasting friendships which may profit in future. The Exchange was based on the principles and practice of non-formal education taking into account participants’ needs, motivations & experiences. In the YE participants were given 2h to come up with ideas for leading different sessions for other participants. In this way they learned how to work under time pressure, work in international team, public speaking, dealing with challenges, helping each other. Also before the YE receiving organisation asked participants to fill in a questionnaire and answer these questions:1.What is your motivation to join this project?2.Please describe your experience or your thoughts about the topics of this project. What is your biggest challenge? Is there something you want to change about your daily life or life in general? And other questions.All participants filled in the questionnaire, organisers looked at the answers and slightly changed the program according to the needs of participants. But this also helped participants to think about their possible learning outcomes that will happen during the YE.The methodology was based on learning by doing, which refers to the process of making meanings from direct experience. The method has been implemented by the concepts of learning by thinking and learning by loving. Learning by thinking denotes the action of reflecting on the process going on, in order to get knowledge from it. Finally, learning by loving expresses the importance given to motivation and passion that enrich the learning experience. Furthermore, our partners improved the skills they were aiming to improve, that their trust in our organisation was strengthened and our relations too.Project also showed us that our partners develop a stronger sense of collaboration between Latvian, Georgian and Polish organisations. For Lithuanians the project was inspiring for them to want to do more similar projects. In October we submitted new projects together with Georgian organisations and Polish organisations. This project motivated Keep the CHange to apply for an accreditation and also KA2 projects. Young people from Nīca youth centre came to this YE, participated in some activities and learned about Erasmus+. NGO ""Keep the Change has delivered more than 10 activities after this YE in Nīca high school, where youngsters have expressed their wish to try to write an erasmus project for their school to go an an exchange as a class. As the result of the project participants have:Implemented their ideas through practice and carried out their ideas, became more creative and able to stand up for their opinion;Improved communication skills with people from different backgrounds and views.Develop themselves as more active European citizens.Introduce other participants with info about their countries, their cultures, traditions, cuisines, everyday life, etc. without stereotypes and prejudices.Learned about methods of non-formal and in-formal education and have Information about ERASMUS+ program.Got future partners for possible new ideas.Skills:Skills how to spread the information and have a positive influence on the community.Leadership skills - leading workshops and then talking about outcomes and process, how was it, how to improve it.Decision making. Time management. To be more specific:Laura Glaudāne and Māra Krista Jefimenko became part time employees in Latvian organisation and helped to write new projects.Half of Lithuanian team participated in another project in Georgia, because during this project they learned what is erasmus+ and what skills you can gain. In Georgia they shared with others what they learned in this project. Georgian participants also took part in other projects. Polish participants. Wictoria - So, 20.08.22 when I came back to Poland I had a great meeting with my group of friends (25 people) from my university and told them about my Erasmus+ experiences, they loved the idea of this kind of project, becouse none of them had heard of it. Agata - Friends also reached out to me while we were in Latvia, and asked about it after our return back to Warsaw. I was glad to tell them about what a wonderful opportunity it is to travel to a different country for free and to meet amazing people of different cultures, learn from them and make great friends. I even helped 3 of my friends to look for platforms on which they can find further similar programs for Polish people."

<< Objectives >>The project topic was selected because, Health is the most important determining factor of human life and the invaluable wealth. According to World Health Organization, the health - it is a physical, mental and social well-being, and not just the absence of disease and physical defects. The improvement of public health is the basic condition for the development of society; It is assumed that the different factors are affecting to the health status:- Lifestyle and conditions - 48-50%,- Environment - 20-22%,- Genetic factors - 18-20%,- The healthcare - 12-14%.This is one of the main reason, why our project is targeted to healthy life-style, and we want to use sport activities as a tool for it. The promotion of healthy lifestyle is playing the major role for reducing the morbidity and strengthening the public health of society. Many diseases can be prevented through healthy lifestyle promotion. The fact is that modern society has extended lifetime, but humans move less and less, eat a lot unhealthy junk food and adhere to bad habits. An inspiration for this YE project was the previous Erasmus+ project “Power of Diversity” implemented in Georgia to provide multicultural platform for participants, to strengthen intercultural cooperation and confront discrimination. After the discussion and assessment of project outcomes, we came up with the idea to broaden the topic and make a project (this time in another country) dealing with healthy life including nutrition in connection with diversities within EU or particular country.Through the study and comparison of lifestyles, traditions and values, the participants will uncover the commonalities which traverse all cultures. The participants will compare and contrast these cultures and through multicultural team building and team work they will reach a spirit of inter-culturalcooperation, compromise, awareness and appreciation of the diversities. The project will be carried out in 3 regions of Spain between 1.09 - 12.09.2019: Three different organizations will be involved in the implementation stage. Herencia (Toledo), Belmez (Cordoba) and Puerto Sagunto (Valencia). All of them offers participants different environment, traditions and food. articularly, one region is famous with producing wine and all the culture is related to vineyards; another one is special for its geographical conditions having beach and mountains near each other that helps us to offer participants physical activities; on the last location participants will have a chance to do water activities as the municipality has a huge reservoir; also our partners have strong ties with local associations that will help us to do some sport activities and make an event about the history of the region. Consequently, participants will work in a three different environment that provide different ground for sport, nutritionist and cultural activities. This will help them to grasp the complexity of healthy life and to be aware of how to take responsibility over their health.The main objectives of the project are determined according to what we have focus on: healthy lifestyle, nutrition and sport. They can be listed as following:- To raise up the awareness about sport and healthy life-style; To give participants possibility to learn and share their experience - Identify importance of being physically active for health.- To promote sport activities and healthy life-style between young people and not only;- To let youth workers explore new methodology how to promote healthy lifestyle on their local level;- Share culture and identify how culture and other environmental differences influence one’s opportunities to live a healthy life;- Find differences positive;- Emphasize the role of personal goals to have completely healthy lifestyle and to take a full responsibility over it;- Identify the ways of being healthy and sharing culture;- Be aware of what does healthy eating generally include;- Determine nutritional needs and its importance;- Identify the importance of sport and practice it;- Get information about types of physical activities and doing them at a right time in a right way.- To help encourage inter-cultural cooperation and appreciation of the diversities within EU and EUECC countries,- To see differences in a positive manner by advancing individual development.- To explore cultural tolerance in multicultural environment by the power of non-formal education- To promote the cultural diversity.<< Activities >>During the YE it is planned to make different name-games, energizers, team-building activities, icebreakers, leaders meetings/evaluations, expectations-fears-contributions, presentation of each organization, trips, visit local families, traditional games, group cooking and other activities.The planned workshops and group discussion/presentations will concentrate on:- Cultures of each country;- Breaking stereotypes about other countries;- Overcoming barriers and fostering social cohesion between EU and non- EU countries- Promote the cultural diversity of rural communities.- Active participation of youth living in rural areas in international YE.- Healthy living - 8 steps to take today:The participants will work on theory and practical tools to live healthier. We would show participants that healthy living is within their reach, starting today. We would provide practical and easy steps that can be taken right now that will make today healthier than yesterday and pave the way for healthy living tomorrow, too. The participants will work and practice 2 steps per day.- Positioning Activity: Healthy nutrition/dietA healthy nutrition/diet is one that helps maintain or improve overall health. A healthy diet provides the body with essential nutrition. There would be provided general statements about healthy nutrition and participants have to decide if the agree/disagree he statement and make the decision agree/disagree side and neutral in the middle. After that will be discussion/sharing moment.- workshop: physical activities/sports:Being physically active can improve your health — today, tomorrow, and in the future. However, most people do not do enough physical activity. People of all types, shapes, sizes, and abilities can benefit from being physically active. Participants would share sport experience to other group members.- Creative workshop about reproductive health; World Café: Reproductive health ( HIV/AIDS, STIs, Hygiene)Reproductive health means the normal functioning of the reproductive system, and it implies the ability of any individual to have a perfect sex life and keep her generation to the desired time. All the men and women have the right to have access to high-quality information to secure an acceptable fertility regulation methods, in order to make an informed choice free. We would provide information about Sexually transmitted infections, including HIV prevention and treatment; accurate information and the safe, effective, affordable and acceptable contraception methods; Participants will be divided into groups and would be given different tasks about the topic. Later each group will have time for presentation and discussion. Will be organized the session with the method of “World Café” where will be discussed the following topics into mixed, switching groups, where each participant will have an opportunity to discuss each topic with others.The project will be carried out in 3 regions of Spain between 1.09 - 12.09.2019 and will bring 32 participants from 6 different countries - Belgium, Spain, Czech Republic, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Lebanon.As the project does not demand any specific skill or experience in the field, we decided to select them according to their background, motivation and need for the project.The general profile of the participants is following:- Youth coming from rural areas- Staff, volunteers/ members of NGOs- Youth with difficulties to adapt to the society (i.e. young people with immigrant backgrounds, from broken families, etc.)- NEET category (Not in Education, Employment or Training) and who are looking for opportunities to improve their skills and work in the youth field.The priority will be given to the participants with fewer opportunities and disadvantaged youth (by educational, economical, social, geographical point of view)As mentioned above, some participants/leaders are already selected (those who are involved in preparation process). For selecting the rest of the group, each promoter organization will organize info-sessions. After that the actual selection process will be held on 2 stages: 1. receiving theapplication forms filled by interested youth 2. personal interviews with the young people whose application forms will be most interesting/relevant for the project.<< Impact >>In the very beginning of preparation for the project, partner countries defined main objectives and expected impacts of the project on participants, as well as partner countries and societies participants live in, so that each activity is aimed to establish intercultural environment in which participants explore the ways to live healthy, understand the responsibility of each individual over his/her health and its impacts on national level, and will grasp the importance of cultural differences. We know that single approach does not work in the same way for everybody, that’s why we designed our strategy so that each participant will have an opportunity to do activities that perfectly fit him/her and this will consequently raise the positive impact on participants.Theoretical or practical knowledge and experience will have short and long term impacts on participants and the environment they will go back to their countries after the project as they will be the ones who “spread the word” among their society, local schools, organizations through making presentations, workshops, activities about the YE project to share the experience with others. Understand the importance of living healthy and knowing how to do it, what does healthy lifestyle include, is crucial thing for everyone as this is the probably the best thing we can make for our future. Thus, the knowledge and experience participants will gain will have a long term impact on them and others they will inspire. Working in intercultural environment will also help participants live easily with people having different views, lifestyles and each individual trying to act so is a huge impact on the society s/he lives in.Project will have a very important impact on partner organizations as this kind of project is one of the best ways to make strong ties with future partnership. Having a huge experience of working on several project together help organizations to raise the quality and impacts of future projects. Along with the huge experience on international level, project will provide some tools for the organizations to implement more and more activities in national and local levels.

"Project ""Equal Chance - increasing the skills and competence of youth workers supporting people with disabilities"" the Association ""Focus - European Centre for Development"" is a training course hosted by BULGARIA - hosting organizations and participants partners / sending organizations: Italy, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic Romania, Greece, Poland, Belgium, Croatia and Turkey / 11 total countries /. Main objective is the exchange of experiences and good practices in the socialization of young people with special needs in partner countries through knowledge of foreign cultures and participation in activities related to the direct work with people with disabilities. Activities will be implemented in Pazardzhik, Bulgaria during 04-09 April 2016.The main activities planned for the training course are: interactive games, meetings with local professionals working in services for people with disabilities guest conversation with the speakers, participate in different workshop, debates, musical games to express themselves, creative activities acquiring new knowledge and skills in the arts subsequent importance for application in practice and in the professional sphere in working with disadvantaged people, modeling and working with objects - presentation of different methods of integration and socialization, presentation of different means of inclusion of disadvantaged people in various initiatives and activities. Main objective is the exchange of experiences and best practices in working with people with mental disabilities in the process of socialization and integration into society, as well as acquisition of new methods and techniques for direct work with people with disabilities and their multiplication locally / in each partner countries / after completion of the training course. Goal is to increase the skills and competencies of youth workers to work directly with people with mental disabilities. Increase self-esteem and level of knowledge of the different types of disabilities. Goal is the active involvement of youth workers in direct work with people with disabilities and testing of new methods and techniques. In the process of realization of the training course will include youth with disabilities, will initiate direct work with them in order to complete the process and to test what they have learned during the days of study. This will help to involve young people with disabilities in activities that to date have not participated, introducing a new culture, new worlds to touch as language, lifestyle, working habits. Introduction and build new friendships and dating. The project will help to exchange best practices in working with people with disabilities to acquire new knowledge to support and work, learn and have fun together. In operation will involve 33 youth workers aged 18 to 30 years."