Free travels around Europe? See how a youth exchange works.

BY ESVEIKI

Hello, buenas or csókolom! In a period of 10 days youngsters from different countries of Europe have had lived together an amazing experience totally paid for by the European Union. This trip is an Erasmus+ programme, more specifically a youth exchange. Those are short courses between 5 and 21 days long, with people between 13 to 30 years old for as minimum as two different partners from the Union. Its base is the promotion of multiculturalism, open mindset and respect, where a topic is explained in a non formal education mode.

That modality of projects brought to Sacueni [Romania], Italian, Spanish, Hungarian and Romanian youngsters. They had received information about how to avoid fake news, how the media works and other communication gems. But those programmes are not only for formation. Being in this type of environment creativity appears so the participants are able to do things that they wouldn't do at home. Do you know someone who jumps from a plane? These young people do that without a parachute. They are in a place where they are not used to it with people they don't know. Indeed, the first days are not the easiest, but I can surely say that at the end there are really beautiful friendships, without taking importance of the country of origin or any other distinction.

Waterparks, thermal baths, typical dances and autoctonous food, between a punch of cool things that are done in this travel, and it’s all covered by the European Union. It may look like a joke, but it’s one of the participating ways the institutions apply to get away prejudices and increase the convivence of citizens. We have the testimony of Miguel, a spanish who had already done 9 of these programmes and says it changed his life. It made him pass from a really introverted person to a good communicator. 

I cannot forget about cultural sharing. Each country participants have the opportunity to show the others at one night something representative of where they come from, such as songs, dances, information, food or jokes. It makes surprises in others cause reality is not how it’s explained on instagram or in the history books. Here everybody learns in a non formal way while enjoying.

If you want to join or take part of one project like this, I suggest you to look into the youth portal and local associations or ngos, actually they are well spread in whole europe, so it can send you to the north pole, to the mediterranean or to partners countries like Morocco or Armenia. What is sure is the personal enrichment you will receive.