2 European Voluntary Service volunteers are finishing their service @ YMCA Romania _ You(th) are Golden

In the month of March 2015 is the end of the voluntary service for 2 young volunteers who came in Baia Mare with European Voluntary Service (EVS): Salome Lelievre (21, 12 months- March 2014 to February 2015) and Tamaz Kvitashvili (26 years 12 months- April 2014 to March 2015) , their host organization being YMCA Romania Federation.
“Through this project we promote active and responsible citizenship, cultural diversity, inclusion of a healthy lifestyle, we fight against poverty and marginalization, activities and methods used supporting and encouraging solidarity, tolerance, mutual understanding, cooperation. Through continuous interaction between children, youth and volunteers using non-formal methods (learning by experience, learning by doing, PhotoVoice, public café, flashmob and games, storytelling), the instruments used (photo, video, music, theater, dance, foreign language workshops, sports and outdoor activities, summer camps for children and youth etc) all involved have learned to work together as a team, have been known better, exchanged information, managing to create together a unique life experience, giving them self-confidence, respect for self and others and also understanding that they have the ability to change something in the community of origin. “(Adela Lakatos – project coordinator).
“Since the beginning of the internship, the young people were involved in programs for children and youth in Baia Mare and Copalnic Manastur ” ” Scoala Altfel” week” , made Romanian language and culture courses, met weekly with mentor, got familiar with the city and surrounding areas, participated in courses organized by the National Agency for all the foreign volunteers arriving in Romania with EVS program, organized their own workshops for young people, have implemented many community actionsand events in Baia Mare and surrounding areas. “(Andreea Lazar – project assistant)
Throughout the project “You (th) is golden” the two EVS volunteers had the following activities:
– weekly French workshops and guitar – in the workshops attended by 25 young people aged between 10 -25 years;
– Non-formal activities – after school classes – coordinating weekly workshops for kids aged between 6-9 years at secondary schools “Victor Babes”, “Avram Iancu”, No.18, Art High School in Baia Mare, beneficiaries are 80 students;
– Non-formal activities with children aged 6- 15 years at ROMANIS Multifunctional Community Center Baia Mare, beneficiaries are 40 children -Program in partnership with the Social Public Service Baia Mare;
– Inclusion activities with 20 children in group homes – partnership with the General Directorate of Social Assistance and HHC Maramures Romania;
– Involvement in organizing and coordinating activities to Be Happy day event (March 20th 2014) for children and young Baia Mare – beneficiaries were 100 participants;
– Involvement and coordination of activities in the formal non Scoala Altfel Week – partnership with Colegiul Economic N. Titulescu, Colegiul National Mihai Eminescu, Vasile Lucaciu , Colegiul Technic A. Saligny, Scoala Gimnaziala Nichita Stanescu -beneficiari the 150 children and young people aged 6-18 years
– Participation and coordination of activities in “Europe Day” – partnership with Europe Direct Maramures, AIST and other NGOs in the city (9 May 2014)
– Participation in the festival Francophone songs “Chansons sur-sone” (May 10, 2014)
– Participation in volunteer opportunities Fair organized by the Association YMCA Baia Mare during National Volunteer Week (May 16, 2014)
– Involvement in organizing and coordinating activities for children, parents pilot program “Eu si ai mei” (February-May-December 2014), the beneficiaries are 30 children with their parents, program in partnership with Kindergarten extended Otilia Casimir.
– Participation in children’s Medieval Festival organized by the Association Historia Viva Baia Mare on the occasion of the Child Day (1 June 2014), the beneficiaries are 50 children
– Involvement in organizing and coordinating the activities of the public event “World Challenge Day” organized together with the volunteers of the association YMCA Baia Mare (6 June 2014), beneficiaries were 100 participants
– Intercultural workshops were held in the camps and educational SHINE, and 2 events of “living library”, adapted for 100 children aged 5-14
– Involvement in organizing the Youth Fest public event organized by the Association YMCA Day Baia Mare non-formal education (10 October 2014), beneficiaries were 100 participants
– Participation in the contest Photoshot 7th edition, organized by the Association of YMCA Baia Mare
– Involvement in the campaign against violence against women (26 November -10 December 2014) by organizing evening with lights, candles and anti-violence tea and public square;
– Involvement and coordination activities within the community event organized Volunteer Day: NGO Fair (December 5, 2014)
– 5 events organized and coordinated using the World cafe method with guests from Baia Mare and Cavnic: NGOs, volunteers, teachers, students, beneficiaries were 90 participants
– Participated in various activities / programs of the YMCA Romania Federation: local and national events, national and international projects, trainings, volunteers interacting with both Romanian and foreign volunteers from different countries;
– 5 videos created short films on their lives in Baia Mare, and about the activities of the project and organization;
– have traveled and known cities, traditions, customs, places, people, expanding their horizons social, cultural, geographic, managing to overcome stereotypes, prejudices, and thus pit language skills learned in language classes and Romanian culture offered by the host organization.
“Working with children has been a learning process on both ways: they learn from me and I from them. For example: how to present a workshop/activity, how to implement it as well in order to be interesting, to provide a participatory framework . I cannot say I’m the best now, but it is a big difference between what I knew to do before and what I know and can do now “- Tamaz Kvitashvili (26 years, Georgia)
“For me, this project was a success, not only in terms of work done here. In all our programs we have been praised for work and we received congratulations. I always tried to be dynamic, to capture the attention of our beneficiaries with interesting topics and themes and, most important, to answer their needs.” Salome Lelievre (21 years, France)