From the 23rd to the30th of November, the 4 youth workers from Gavoi, Monastir, and Sant’Andrea Frius took part in the “Stronger Minds” training course, organized by our Portuguese partner Sopro, to learn the basic tools of mindfulness and non-education formal, so they can help young people become more self-aware and better understand their fears, limitations and personal potential.
We asked them to tell us about their experience in Portugal, so have a pleasing reading!
Vanessa: “It was my very first project financed by the Erasmus+ program and I didn’t know exactly what to expect. The first two days, I didn’t feel completely at ease, due to the age differences, due to the activities we did, due to my being introverted and reserved, especially when dealing with certain issues in front of unknown people. After overcoming some of my limits, I carried out all the different activities planned. energizer every morning organized by participants from different countries, yoga and breathing, laughter yoga, activities related to emotional intelligence, and, very interestingly, the Enneagram and the exercises on the nine personalities. Every evening intercultural evenings were held, including food, quizzes, ironic videos, traditional songs, and dances. It was nice to organize our own intercultural evening, but above all to meet and learn about different cultures. Despite my initial difficulties, today, I am very happy with the experience I had, even if brief, and if the opportunity to carry out a training or exchange arises again, I would accept with enthusiasm. For the same reasons, it is an experience that I would recommend to everyone. A big thanks to the organizers of the SOPRO association, Susana and Joana, for the profound speeches, for the beautiful messages on the bulletin board every morning, for the thoughtfulness, and for all the activities we carried out together. Thanks to the Malik and Sportello in Spalla association who gave me this opportunity. It was a wonderful life experience.”
Raffaella: “This experience gave me the opportunity to learn a lot, first of all about mindfullness, a psychological technique that I knew but had never tried. Then it helped me get involved and improve my English once again and it helped me meet some wonderful people, especially the managers of the host organization (Susana and Joana).”
Anna Giada: “The experience in Portugal in which I was able to participate thanks to the Malik association and the Sopro association was unique and unforgettable. Mental health, the theme of the project, is certainly important to address given the current condition of young people who feel increasingly alone. Thanks to the activities it was easy to understand their importance and establish relationships with the other participants and ultimately understand that everyone feels the same way regardless of where in Europe they live. Thanks to the two associations for having conceived the project and for making it clear that despite the problems you may have you can always ask for help and that after all, you are not so alone. Thanks also to all the people with whom I had the honor of sharing this experience .”
Martina: “The Stronger Minds training course exceeded my expectations! I was welcomed with attention and affection by the host organization, and the climate in Portugal was pleasant, varying from lots of sunshine to a poetic fog that framed the river, together with a fine and continuous drizzle.
The activities aimed to give us participants different tools to take care of our mental health, tools that are important to know and insert into our lives according to each person’s moments, needs, and preferences. In particular, laughter yoga was a great discovery for me, which I am convinced has the enormous potential to act in contexts where other methods would not reach.
Furthermore, I think that I will be able to pass on much of what I have learned to the very young people I work with, and this was one of my main objectives when I chose to participate in the training.
On a social level, I found a group of interesting, enthusiastic, and empathetic people, and it was very easy to create a close-knit group despite the cultural differences of 12 different nationalities.
As we already know, Erasmus+ is one of the best inventions ever!“
