From 20 to 26 of August we participated in “Together 4 Tomorrow”, and international youth exchanges hosted by Društvo CPM and co-created by young people over a period of several months. Here are the impressions of our Shokkin team:
“This project was a really memorable and inspiring experience for me. I joined the project because I thought it would be a great opportunity to relax mentally, gain some unique experience in the youth work field, and try myself as a mentor. In the end, I got much more practical experience than I expected.
One of my favorite parts was interacting with the local environment: the nature, cities, and people. I also really enjoyed conducting my own activity and seeing that people were genuinely interested and happy to participate. Throughout the project, I learned much more about how activities should be conducted, especially when it comes to time management, group dynamics, and the role of a leader. I feel that I can directly use this experience in my own projects and club meetings, as well as in everyday communication.
I will definitely remember all the spontaneous moments we shared together.“Together4Tomorrow” gave me new knowledge, great memories, and experiences that I will definitely bring into my future projects.“
Artemi Nikolajevski
“Before heading into this project I was skeptical at first because I didn’t fully know what this project was gonna look like and I didn’t have high hopes for it. But it changed my mind when I got there.
The most interesting part for me was communication and getting to know other participants’ countries and their culture. Having activities made by different people and having cultural nights made the project very fun and energetic. I have learned how to prepare my own activities and then facilitate them in real life. This takes a lot of skills and understanding how to make things interesting and not boring..
A moment that stuck in my head was when we did a shadow puppet theatre with another person using the light from a phone and projecting it on the building. We had such a cool chemistry and it was really fun to connect with a person from another place and still feel comfortable! “
Kristian Heidmets
“Before the project, I expected to meet new people from different countries, learn more about their cultures and have a fun week together. I also wanted to get out of my usual routine and experience something new.
What I found most interesting was seeing what kind of activities people from the other countries came up with. Every group had their own ideas and ways of doing things, so the activities were all quite different from each other. I learned more about teamwork, working with different personalities and being more confident around new people. The project showed me that sometimes you just have to get out of your comfort zone and try things even if you don’t know what to expect.
We stayed up really late talking and laughing, went out to get ice cream, played Slack 5, different ball games and Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. I think those random moments were actually some of the best because nobody was planning anything, we were just enjoying being together. Those are definitely the moments I will remember when I think about the project.”
Elisabeth Tomingas
“My expectations were quite high since I know Shokkin youth exchanges are always high in quality. And my expectations were indeed met. I was hoping to make new connections, get new knowledge and just have a fun time. All of my wishes came true and I will cherish the memories made for a long time.
I liked that there was not one secure facilitator. Instead, everybody got to try how it feels like to facilitate and speak in front of a bigger audience. It was interesting to see how different countries had different approaches and all activities varied a lot. I learnt usefll things for my daily life, like how to give constructive criticism, see things in the perspective of others and leaving every day worries behind.
I think the most special moment was when we decided to go for a walk and get ice cream. We ate gelato, chatted, danced and just had a lot of fun. It felt so real, so present and I will remember it with kindness for a long time.“
Marta Kont
“My main learning from this project was that I should be more confident and open to taking more responsibility, while also knowing when to not take things way too seriously.
For me, the most interesting parts were the diversity among the participants and how each national team had interpreted their assignment. None of the days were the exact same I plan to use the knowledge I got in the way that I’ll try to give my best if I ever take part in a similar type of organization style.
I really enjoyed hanging out with other participants during the project, it made this experience very memorable.”
Maria Ruljova
