Miguel i Vera goszczeni w HORYZONTACH w ramach Wolontariatu Europejskiego
Pierwszymi goszczonymi w CIM „HORYZONTY” wolontariuszami byli Miguel Francisco Lereno Melo z Porto(Portugalia)
i Vera Matskevych z Charkowa(Ukraina). Spędzili w Polsce 9 miesięcy(od 1-go marca do 1-go grudnia 2010 roku).
W ramach projektu “Łazarz venture – let's bring intercultural dimension to Łazarz youth community through EVS” pracowali z uczniami szkół jednej z najstarszych dzielnic Poznania. Wykorzystując metody edukacji pozaformalnej, zabijali nudę wśród nastolatków w Klubie „Za Kręgiem”, promowali aktywność obywatelską, wolontariat, kultury krajów swojego pochodzenia; zarażali innych swoimi pasjami i radością życia.
Oto ich relacje z ukończonego projektu
Swoją działalność rozpoczęli od warsztatów prowadzonych w Klubie Kultury „Krąg”, Szkole Podstawowej Nr. 77 oraz Gimnazjum Nr. 51. Poniżej zapraszamy do obejrzenia krótkiego filmu prezentującego warsztaty z brazylijskiego tańca - sztuki walki Capoiera.
http://www.osiedlelazarz.pl/?id=3&nr=203
Relacje z warsztatów na Łazarzu Very i Miguela
VERA: Workshops started logically with planning where and what we wanted to do. So… our places of interest were (which are situated on the Łazarz district near our office): -primary school #77 -gymnasium #51 -cultural centre “Krąg” I was interested in organizing workshops in such fields as: art, theatre, languages and singing. With our ideas we went to talk with responsible representatives from schools and cultural centre. The conclusion was – to act and provide our ideas in life. Primary school #77 Head master of the primary school offered to assist in art workshop (teacher –p. Violetta) and choir (teacher –p. Ola). First lesson was so great experience for me. I was sitting with 4 girls and 3 of them were speaking to me all the time. They told me everything and spoke in the same time - after lesson I was happy, but I had a little headache. We were as assistants only 3 lessons. Then p. Violetta offered us to make our own workshop in 1-st classes. We took this challenge. It was great! Not every lesson was perfect from my point of view. But every time I learned something new for myself. I “built” my cooperation with children. Children worked as individuals and also worked as a team. After lesson we made a small evaluation with them – if they liked workshop or no - just drawing faces with smiles or sad faces. Sometimes I received in evaluation sad smiles. And I liked it because it’s the way to understand, that I have something to improve in my techniques. Choir: I attended choir as assistant. I liked this lesson very much. I taught one Ukrainian song and students liked it so much, that they sang it often. After they trained for school concert and I did not have many possibilities to teach them. Assisting in choir also helped me very much to understand how to lead and how to make such workshops. I hope that I will use this knowledges in next school year. Gymnasium We met with Anna (pedagogue from gymnasium) and discussed with her our plans. I wanted to lead language and theatre workshop. We started from the beginning – promotion and making list of interested students. Then made a “suitable” schedule for them. There were many interested in theatre workshop and I decided to make 2 classes. But in practice I had not so many attendants. Only 4 (2 for each). It was also a great experience for me. We started from the first “actor steps”- diction, acting, improvisation, declamation. Also my students from theatre workshop helped us to make a Chinese dragon for days of Łazarz. Russian – many interested students. First lesson ALPHABET!!! For one hour! It was a great experience to lead language workshop. I am not a teacher but I tried to be a good one. I tried different methods of teaching but I think that I used classical one more often. I understood that 1 lesson in a week it is not enough for studying foreign language. I tried to find another day for 2-nd, but we could not find a good solution, because and students were really busy and my schedule was full. Cooperation with English teacher In the beginning Miguel had an idea to help students with English, but children did not think to use this opportunity. And also situation with attending Euroclub was bad, so we decided to ask English teacher for cooperation. We played Euro game “The road to Brussels”. It was a great success. Students liked it. And I liked to have experience to lead workshop with big group. Then I made another workshop – integration games in English. The main aim – developing communication skills of the children. P. Wojtek (teacher of English) invited us to take part in Euro days in next school year. I think we will continue our cooperation in future. Conclusion: not all workshops were 100% perfect as I planned that they will be but I have learned a lot during them. And I will use this experience for my future planning and will develop my methods. MIGUEL: First objective of my project: Prepare, implement and run workshops in Primary School (children 7 to 12 years old), Gymnasium (teenagers from 13/16) an in culture center “Krąg” (children and teenagers of all ages). In Primary School, me and Vera run art workshops. We started with second class helping teacher Wioleta and then we matured to have our own class in first class. Our main opinion about little children changed dramaticalLy. They are like adults. Some days they behave, others they don't. It was hard but highly rewarding as I learned the best Polish language in that class. In Gymnasium the objective was harder. Try to motivate young teenagers to Portuguese language workshop and European Awareness club. Result? Only one student in Portuguese language workshop. I don't speak Polish, she understands but doesn't speak English. Outcome? Awesome Portuguese lessons (THANKS DARIA)! Later, in May, me and Vera decided to talk with the English teacher and run some European awareness and communication games in his class. Result: Perfect. For “Krąg” center, I got connections with a capoeira group and we started to have capoeira classes (for those that don't know, it's brasilian martial art combined with music). Started in full power but some interruptions made kids lose interest. Next year it will be better.Dni Łazarza oczami Europejskich Wolontariuszy
VERA: Great! Great! Great! It was a hard work of “Horyzonty” and “Za KrĘgiem” members. I liked these days so much! Preparations were not so easy and easy going. But it was colorful, active and resultative! Team work started from preparation and then active participation. Making Chinese dragon from recycling materials, drums orchestra (I never thought that simple materials – plastic and glass bottles, plastic baskets, and wooden spoons can create so great instruments and sound!). Our drum orchestra and beautiful dragon expressed everyone during the parade. Participation in Festyn (drawing faces, playing Euro Game , presentation EVS and “Youth in Action”, dance of the girls “Za Kregiem”. The Łazars Days were really full of emotions, actions and great spirit. It’s a pity, but I could not participate in marathon (a question of tiredness), but I heard that guys did a great job in it. And teenagers from “Za Kręgiem” had a lot of fun. In the last day of celebration it was a closing ceremony. And “Horyzonty” received an award – “The friend of Łazarz”!!!!!!!!!! Karolina (one of the active members from “Horyzonty”) also received award “The friend of Łazarz”. I counted it like 2 prizes for “Horyzonty”. I was happy for this and also proud for our organization! MIGUEL: “Dni Łazarza” Or “Łazarz Days”, for those that don't understand Polish. 5 days, 27 to 31 of May, neighborhood of Łazarz, a parade, an official inauguration, the graffiti wall inauguration, a garden party with concerts and places for association promotion, a race for kids and adults and roller skaters and nordic walkers. What to say more? All the community of Łazarz joined the events and we had the biggest and unbelievable celebration. I met lots of entities that have their headquarters in Łazarz, practiced my Polish language skill to limit, painted the face of children, played European Awareness Games and prepared a T-shirt that says “Nie mówię dobrze po polsku... Jestem Europejskim Wolontariuszem z Portugalii...”. Yeap... It actually means “I don't speak well Polish... I'm European volunteer form Portugal.” How cool is this? “Klub za Kręgiem” members were unstoppable and the satisfaction of a good, barely sleeping work should be enough. But it wasn't because we received “friends of Łazarz” award.Our visit to Mosty with Vera and Miguel
MostyVERA: “Horyzonty” are visiting orphanage “Mosty” several years. I was really interested to go there. My previous experience of visiting orphanage was in Ukraine. But it was a short time visit with giving presents for children and after that I just left. And I didn’t feel myself really helpful and active during this visit. With orphanage “Mosty” it was different. We were there for 2 days. The program was very active and exciting for children (I hope). And I felt more participation in children life. I was not a visitor giving presents and going awaY but a person who was more interested and wanted to take part in life of children from “Mosty”. And my brain “created” many questions: -WHY? Why children have to suffer because of mistakes of the adults? The personality is formulated in childhood – habits, principles, in childhood we need love, care and participation in our life. Who is responsible for childhood of these children? I think that they are more strong and weak in the same time, then children who live in family. Another question – “If I helped or not visiting children in orphanage?” Yes, I shared the small part of my life with them – only 2 days. Is it enough? Of course – NO. In my head was just chaos of thoughts. I felt myself like a person who came, shared a little bit love and went away. Again question “How children feel about it?” I hope I will come back there. MIGUEL: Horyzonty has a mystical relation with this small place near Szczecin. And I had the opportunity to understand why in the middle of June. In Mosty exists a residence for children that don't have families capabitlity of taking care of them. Horyzonty started an amazing relation with the persons from their and I had the opportunity to see how. In a rough environment of those that don't have the warmed that is expected from a family we find ourselves surrounded by the biggest heat possible on which I develop activities like Capoeira, Football playing, campfires and morning warm up games. Of course some may say that we don't have to deal with difficult everyday problems but everybody has to change routine. So we do as well. So they do with us. Zdjęcia na http://picasaweb.google.com/sowarzyszenie/NocKupaYWMostach18200610#YEU ACADEMY w Poznaniu
VERA: YEU Academy More and more I start to like informal way of education for discovering and receiving new knowledge. YEU Academy was a training where I developed some organization skills (I helped Miguel with coffee breaks). And also I enjoyed attending the workshops and work with new people. I opened for myself social media for another point of view – as a tool for spreading useful information (more oriented on really important society messages; before I used it only as a tool for communication with friends). MIGUEL: YEU Academy Finally I had some real contact with that strange entity (YEU) that I was always hearing about and seeing the logos around in Horyzonty office. YEU Academy was a project that started in Portugal, then Cyprus, then Turkey, passed here, Poznań, Poland, and will move to Estonia, spreading the knowledge about intercultural dialogue in the new (and old) media for young activists. 18 participants, two trainers, two journalists and a general-secretary. It was a good idea exchange and definitely good to meet all this interesting persons. The tasks and the details about them where very interesting yet if we were completely tired from “extra ” activities. It was a good experience and I hope it was as good like this in Portugal, Turkey, Cyprus and Estonia. By the way, the coffee brake was very well organized.Najlepsze i najgorsze momenty w trakcie projektu EVS Very i Miguela
The best and the worst moment during EVSVERA: I have several moments (bad and good ones) GOOD:- Official opening of the graffiti made by teenagers of the club “Za Kregiem”. I felt cooperation between us and them and this event was like a wonderful conclusion of our common job;
- First own art lesson in Primary School, when children in evaluation draw only smily faces on the black board;
- Unofficial meeting with EVS volunteers from Warsaw training in Gdansk in the beginning of June;
- Receiving LIVE letter from my friend from Ukraine
- The worst moment during EVS, when I was ill. I was very weak but I felt responsibility to run workshops. I had no energy, mood and will to do it. Recover brought me optimism back;
- Burocracy stuff. I had to visit department for foreigners many times and in the beginning I was a little bit stressed because of this. But then Ula (my mentor) advised me not to think about it too deeply. And now everything is ok. I don’t think about it too much.