Here are the testimonies from our 3 trainees about the second day of their Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility project in Norway:

“My opinion of Norway is great. Today we asked Adnan questions about Solborg, the work we will be doing and what hours of work we will be doing. Today we also went bowling in Honefoss with the rest of the volunteers and people that live and work in Solborg. I really enjoyed bowling because I got to meet more of the community of Solborg as the people are really nice and polite.”

Shelby Taylor, Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility trainee.

“My over all opinion of Norway is still amazing! Today we asked questions to Adnan about the type of work we are able to do on the farm, such as what time do we start, are we on the farm or are we doing something else. Afterwards we took a drive into Honefosss and enjoyed a nice game of bowling with the full time volunteers and the people who live on Camphill. It was a great opportunity to talk to the people who live here, and plus to introduce ourselves to the ones who we haven’t met yet. I can’t wait to get busy and show I am a reliable and hard working person.”

Owen Reece, Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility trainee.

“I am happy to be here in Norway, today I had a great time when I had breakfast. We went to the farm house, took pictures with the cow and we went to bowling with my mates and the farm, we played bowling, I had nice time.”

Samiy Fesahy, Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility trainee.

12th May, Solborg, Norway

Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility project

part of Gaining Through Training

and supported by ECORYS UK

and the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Commission.

Read the first issue of the Newsletter about our international radio project for young people, Radioactive.

This project, supported by the EACEA and the Youth In Action programme of the European Union, has been developed in partnership with organisations from Indonesia, Philippines, Sardinia, Turkey, Sweden and the UK.

Click here to read this newsletter.

Testimony from our trainees about the first day of their Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility project in Norway:

 
 “I have really enjoyed it so far, the hiking was great but exhausting, I’ve never done anything like this before so it’s going to be a great experience for me and it will look great on my CV.”

Shelby Taylor, Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility trainee.

“I have nice time when I come to Norway I meet so nice people. I really enjoyed seeing the farm. The farm is so good, I like to work with them I am so happy.”

Samiy Fesahya, Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility trainee.

“My opinion so far about Norway is excellent, we got introduced to the people who live and work on the farm and everyone was really polite and welcoming. Today we went on a 10 miles hike or thereabouts, it was exhausting but I really enjoyed it. The walk was amazing and the views were fantastic. I’ve never before seen or experienced anything quite like this. I am really looking forward to starting work on Monday and getting busy, I want to show and prove to the people on the farm I can work hard.”

Owen Reece, Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility trainee.

11th May, Solborg, Norway

Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility project

part of Gaining Through Training

and supported by ECORYS UK

and the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Commission.

Testimony from Steven Birdsall about his Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility project in Link (Altamura, Italy):

I have lived the whole of my life in a modern town, for this reason I wondered if the cultural aspect of Italy would appeal to me. By the end of my first night I wondered why I ever doubted the place !!

 
I arrived at around 8pm. Within the hour I was out with a large group of volunteers and mentors in Altamura centre. The first sights were unusual but spectacular nevertheless. Sitting pretty next to the main square was perhaps the biggest and most beautiful cathedral I have ever come across. Judging by the 100’s of people taking photos I guess it must be slightly famous ! On the night there were 100’s of people celebrating on the square, with a band playing in the middle and fireworks going off close by. I have a strong feeling they all knew I had just arrived a short time ago 🙂

 
In my spare time ( aside from TRYING to get a tan ) I have explored 2 cities – Bari and Matera. Bari was a brilliant experience, however I have to say Matera is on another planet !! When I first arrived in Matera I was thinking “ Seems like a nice place, nothing special “ Was fair to say I couldn’t be more wrong; It was beautiful. Some of the sights are truly breathtaking ! We had a walk around the city and the guys took me to this huge balcony. And beyond that was without doubt the best view my eyes have ever seen ! The villages down below with winding roads going in and out of the little streets that were barely 10 – 15 metres long. And beyond the streets you looked onto the hills and the sunset which made it look 10 times better than it actually was ! It’s fair to say I’m happy I’m doing most of my work in Matera.

 
I’m staying in a fairly spacious flat in Altamura, barely a 5 minute walk from all the major shops and also the office. I live with 3 other guys and a girl who sleeps in a separate room. I enjoy all their company, we eat and do things together and it makes the experience so much more enjoyable when you can get along on a positive note with the people you live with. We spend a lot of time talking about our lives and what it is like in our own countries as well as what we are planning on doing with ourselves once our stray in Italy is over.

 
I have to say though aside from the beautiful cities, the cheap food and drink, and the interesting culture there is nothing I have enjoyed more than the work. My work so far has been based on children. My first activity was working in Matera up in the hills. The children were on a adventure with the teacher and I was there to help the teacher with her activities. It doesn’t seem like much but when you are talking to the children it feels like you’re one of them, sharing the same jokes and taking the mickey out of each other’s football teams ( None of them knew who Middlesbrough were though haha ) At the end they all wanted a photo with me, and now just looking at that photo puts a huge smile on my face, knowing that I put the smiles on their faces that day.

 
Shortly afterwards I arrived at my first school in Altamura where I was to help out in a lesson teaching 4-5 year old children English. It was therefore a little surprising when I got to the class to discover there was only 3 children in the lesson !! Consequences of the Italian recession I guess. We were going through basic topics, such as colours, months of the years and numbers. It was fascinating watching them learning these things, going from not being able to pronounce a certain word to memorising the word and saying it to perfection.

 
The 2 days after that consisted of 2 schools in Matera in which I was a guest in 4 different classes. On the first day I was in 3 different classes, all of which the children were around 13-14 years old. They seemed really interested at having an English guy in the class ( They too were learning English ) And I must have had around 382949394 different questions fired at me that morning. Half of them were based around football though, which isn’t too bad at all ! This was perhaps my favourite day so far. The children were so kind, full of manners and respect, but also funny and interesting at the same time. At the end of the classes they all wanted photos with me and were asking if I was to come back to the school again ! And even some of the girls and boys were asking me to put my Facebook name on the blackboard. The several friend requests at the end of the day were no surprise !

 
The second class I was in were a little younger ( 11-12 ) However I was amazed by how intelligent they were, and how far they had come in their English speaking skills. They were asking me questions in a way that any fluent English speaking person would ask them. They were the loudest out of the groups, but in a good way ! When I asked one of the children which football team he supported he said Juventus and asked me if I supported them. My reply was “ Noooooooooooooo “ Instantly around 2 / 3’s of the class jumped up out of their seats and started clapping their hands and cheering. I guess football is quite popular amongst these children ?

 
On the day of writing this testimony I have been here for exactly 2 weeks to the hour. It is fair to say this is an experience that is changing my life. In the future part of my plans is to hopefully work with children, and help those who are in need of it. Being able to interact with these children, help them learn and to make them smile is something I am very proud of. I only have 12 days left here but hopefully these next 12 days – along with the 14 I have been here for – turn into one of the best months of my life !

I would also like to thank the guys at Everything Is Possible ( especially Aurelie and Godfrey ) for giving me this opportunity. It is not something every person has the chance to do, and I’m glad I was lucky enough to receive this chance. This is a brilliant experience for me and holds many stories for me to tell when I get back to England. I will be celebrating my 21st birthday on the 24th May ( 6 days before I leave ) and I can safely say this is the best present I have received in my life !!

Steven Birdsall, Leonardo Da Vinci trainee.

Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility project

part of Gaining Through Training

and supported by ECORYS UK

and the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Commission.

We’re very excited to present to you the 1st episode of a comic book we are creating about our current Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility application Empowered From Within : ”Eva’s Leonardo project in Aruba”
To be continued!

 
Supported by ECORYS UK and the Lifelong Learning programme of the European Union.

Testimony from Andrew Ritchie, Everything Is Possible trainee, about his Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility project in Aruba.

“This is the life”, I tell myself while on a small, tropical, desert island clearing pooh from my hairy little ass!
My early morning commute by bicycle to volunteer at the Arikok National Park is comparable to cycling towards an over-sized hand-dryer, but I wouldn’t like to imagine how this windy little country would feel without that strong breeze.

I help the Park Rangers with their daily chores. Beach clear-ups, general upkeep of the surrounding area and as much as I do appreciate advice on poisonous plants I do, however feel that we could work a little on our timing with such issues now that my face resembles a ruptured scrotum. Everything my venom-smeared little fingers touched that day became a hideous mass of rash and swelling. After an ill timed toilet break I took on the appearance of a porn-star Popeye!

My afternoons are spent volunteering at the Donkey Sanctuary where I’m kept amused by 64 cheeky little fellows Hell-bent on making life difficult, getting in my way and commandeering the wheelbarrow. I am getting pretty good at giving the speech to tourists about our work here and exactly how a guy from Scotland wound up in Aruba with possibly the coolest job on Earth. You could say I can talk the hind-legs off a donkey -sorry-!

The apartment I’m living in for the next six months is owned by Deseree, the woman who runs the Sanctuary. It’s perfect! I have lived in a variety of conditions during my travels but I have to say that this is the best set up by far. It’s my own little house with everything I need and I do find my cooking/cleaning skills improving dramatically.

Overall I am a very happy man here even though the visa people are trying their best (by not trying at all) to make it difficult to extend my stay here. I’ve had painkillers work faster than these people and I honestly think if I took some of our donkeys, stuck a tie on them and put them in that office they would not do any worse than those employed right now. The words ‘get your ass in gear’ have never seemed more appropriate!

On one of my days off I strolled down to one of the many great beaches that surround this Caribbean island and got talking with an old local about island life and the donkeys of Aruba:

“These days its all cars,cars,cars. Cars bumping into each-other , people getting hurt..I remember not so long ago when it was all donkeys. Donkeys,donkeys, donkeys. Everywhere donkeys and what happens when a donkey bumps into another donkey? You get more damned donkeys”!

Andrew Ritchie, Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility trainee

Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility project

part of Empowered From Within

and supported by ECORYS UK

and the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Commission.

What are you doing in your European Voluntary Service (EVS) project?

I am providing social support to asylum seekers facing destitution (homeless and without financial resources). That is to say :
– providing them with emotional support, and emergency provisions, as food, and hygiene packs,
– guiding them in their legal applications (asylum seekers aim to get the refugee status in UK, giving them the same rights as any other British citizen, for example the right to work and to have an accommodation), through assisting them in their relationship with amongst others, the Home office and their solicitor.
– helping them to familiarize themselves with their new environment, to find an emergency accommodation if necessary, but also food places, friendships, education, leisure, volunteering opportunities, etc.

I am meeting the asylum seekers twice a week in two centres, into which they come to receive the British Red Cross’ support. The rest of the time, I am doing follow up work in the office.

What have you done in your free time?…

During my free time, I have amongst other things visited the surroundings of Bradford and made the most of the nightlife of both Bradford and Leeds.

What have you learn yet personally and professionally through your European Voluntary Service (EVS) project?

I have learnt :
– the basis of social work,
– to provide emotional support to people in need, and to deal with difficult situations (some asylum seekers have lost their families, are likely to be killed if the UK government removes them to their country, or have no place to sleep in…)
– to do practical work to organize social work sessions (appointments with asylum seekers),
– to live and work in an intercultural environment, to express myself in English,
– to share a flat with two girls, and forget my single’s habits…!

Pierre Beretti, EVS (European Voluntary Service) volunteers at the Red Cross in the UK.

Project supported by the British Council

and the Youth In Action programme

of the European Commission.

“I’m really glad I went on an European Voluntary Service ( EVS ) and would encourage others to do so, as even though my contribution was just a month, I feel that the children will have gone away with some valuable knowledge of how to look after the environment, and will be able to pass this on to others.”

Hi I’m Grace and I went to Georgia for a month this summer, on my first European Voluntary Service ( EVS ). It was an amazing, and really worthwhile experience, and not only did I get to meet and work with some great people, I got to immerse myself in a different culture.

The project that I did was in Zugdidi, doing an eco-club in a local school. This meant running workshops with other volunteers from Europe for local children, organising flash mobs in the city centre and taking part in beach clean ups. The aim of this was to raise awareness of local environmental issues, such as looking after the beach, looking at how to recycle waste items and enabling the children to educate others.  We also spent time educating them about our different cultures, as there were volunteers from Poland and Slovakia, as well as England. We received Georgian lessons, a few times a week. I really enjoyed these and they were incredibly useful, as many Georgians don’t speak English.    We found that although the children who we spent time with were enthusiastic about the environment, many of the older generations were oblivious to the impact their littering had on the environment, and our group often saw litter being thrown to the floor instead of the bin. One of the flash mobs we organised involved us emptying large bags of empty bottles onto the street, where we then stamped on them and put them back in the bag. Actions like these seemed to get quite an audience, and were a fun way of getting a message across to the locals.

It wasn’t all work though, and we had a lot of spare time to see more of the country. I took part in group excursions to a forest in the mountains, to local beaches, and a few of us hitchhiked to a monastery.

I’m really glad I went on an European Voluntary Service ( EVS ) and would encourage others to do so, as even though my contribution was just a month, I feel that the children will have gone away with some valuable knowledge of how to look after the environment, and will be able to pass this on to others.

Grace Wilkie, EVS ( European Voluntary Service ) volunteer in Georgia.

Project part of YOUth In Europe

and supported by the British Council

and the Youth In Action programme

of the European Commission.

”I’ll be leaving very early tomorrow morning and there’s so much to say about the past 2 months, so many experiences had, connections made and so much learned. It’s weird to think that I’ll be back in my bed within 24 hours, I’ll be sad to leave this amazing place and all these incredible people behind, but I’ll never forget them or my time here.”

The 20th December marks the abolition of slavery. It is a significant event celebrated all around Réunion with a three day annual festival (starting on the 17th) leading up to the anniversary itself. In Saint-Joseph the first night of the festivities was to be opened with a procession – hundreds of people gathered in the city centre as Maloya drummers warmed their animal skin instruments over a wheelbarrow-fire until they reach the right resonance. A young boy in a colourful costume; bright yellow satin trousers and a red strap around his waist, waits patiently, nearby his dance group of all ages are talking quietly. Unlit torches are handed out to the participants, one is shoved into my hand but I pass it onto a friend, wanting to take pictures. The sun passes the horizon and suddenly everything springs into action, the drums start beating, the dancers start to dance, torches are lit. We form a loose line and move down the street, baton twirlers executing moves in time, acrobats travelling with flips and rolls illuminated by a sea of flickering lights. The procession eventually leads us to a large field where a stage has been erected, stalls selling drinks and hot snacks surround the perimeter. A Maloya band is introduced, my friend shouts in my ear to tell me that they are very famous on the island, made evident by the cheers and claps around us as a very small, very old man walks out in front of the microphone, his band in tow. The audience erupt into song with the band, it seems like everyone knows the lyrics. Children and adults dance alike with smiling faces and there’s a general feeling of community and connection around me, I remember feeling privileged to be a part of that moment.

Fin’s Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility : abolition of slavery celebration

My first Christmas away from my family and home was made less lonely by the Mission Locale staff. We celebrated the season together by taking a sea tour along the shore of the island aboard a small fishing boat; the trip was great for the first 15 minutes as we glided under sun along the choppy Indian Ocean with the craggy island coastal cliffs to port and endless waves to starboard, but then my stomach started to churn – I’d never been on such a tiny ship out in the ocean before and waves of nausea washed over me stronger and stronger as we bobbed up and down against the tide, each tiny movement of the current amplified because of the boat’s small size, the bow rising and falling in rhythm on the waves… I  stepped onto dry land an hour and a half later, pale-faced and empty-stomached, not a very enjoyable experience!

The Mission Locale Young Committee celebrated together with a beach party involving lots of swimming and home-made food, where I was invited for another celebration with Fred (director of Mission Locale Saint-Jo) who kindly offered me to join him and his family for dinner two days before Christmas. We ate delicious local Chinese/Creole fusion food home-cooked by his wife and played Pictionary (in French), which my team somehow managed to win despite having the English person handicap.

The 24th and 25th themselves were spent with colleague Raphael and family at his brother’s home inland from Saint-Joseph. It is traditional to eat dinner and exchange presents on Christmas Eve in Réunion, and so we feasted on trout roe, roasted goat and sautéed potatoes on the 24th and let off fireworks and lit sparklers after finishing our chocolate cake with coconut ice cream dessert. One of the fireworks misfired and shot towards me as I was taking a long exposure photograph; I dived into the bushes and managed to escape with just muddy knees. We exchanged gifts and left for a neighbourhood Christmas party where dozens of people living in the area had gathered to eat and celebrate the festivities together, a band played covers of western 70’s rock hits mixed in with local music and later the audience participated in Maloya/Sega karaoke with live instrumentals, Raphael even got up on stage to sing a number.

The New Year was celebrated at Grand Anse, a popular beach near the city. Hundreds of Reunnionaise had had the same idea and the shore was crowded with BBQs and marquees, loudspeakers playing tropical music and groups of dancing people. We ran into the sea as the clocks struck midnight and drank champagne in the water as fireworks exploded all around us.

It’s been an exciting final month in Rèunion, I’ve been alone since the departure of Aurélie and have been speaking exclusively in French (with the exception of teaching English lessons and Skype calls home), and as a result my language has improved quickly. I’m finally getting past the point of asking whoever it is I’m speaking with to repeat themselves every sentence and conversation is flowing more smoothly. It’s a rewarding feeling to be able to successfully communicate in a different language, one that makes all the challenges of learning worthwhile.

I’ll be leaving very early tomorrow morning and there’s so much to say about the past 2 months, so many experiences had, connections made and so much learned. It’s weird to think that I’ll be back in my bed within 24 hours, I’ll be sad to leave this amazing place and all these incredible people behind, but I’ll never forget them or my time here.

For more pictures, visit Fin’s Tumblr : http://leonardoreunion.tumblr.com

Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility project part of Gaining Through Training
and supported by ECORYS UK
and the Lifelong Learning Programme
of the European Commission.

My name is Jamie Watts, I come from Halifax, West Yorkshire. I did a Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility because it was my first time abroad and I wanted to experience life out of England. For my project I went to Malta, which is an island off the coast of Italy; I stayed there for two months and one week. For my work I volunteered at Tomiseera National Cat Society which there I cleaned, groomed and fed the cats. During this experience I have to admit I enjoyed it more being there without no worries to summit up. in one word I would have to say it was amazing! Working with cats isn’t my best example of best job as I don’t really like them but animals is my passion. I want to be a veterinary in the future and this experience has given me the chance to hopefully making my future bright working with animals.

Jamie, short term Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility European trainee in Malta.

Discover the project : click here.

Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility project supported by ECORYS UK
and the Lifelong Learning Programme
of the European Commission.