On-arrival training. Just awesome.

by Manuel Barea  (with Theresa Gradinger´s help)

I am sitting in front of an austrian girl playing the guitar. Next to her, a belrussian girl is singing a song and a German, an irish and a polish girl try to sing too. The rest of the people, people from countries like Romania, France, Slowakia or Italy listen excited while talking together. The moment can´t be explained by words…

Welcome to Rozmberk, welcome to intercultural activities, welcome to the desire of sharing.

For one week we are staying at on-arrival training which takes place during the European voluntary service.  One of the real “scholarships” that exist yet in europe and people profit from this Project 100%.

But now let´s talk about on-arrival: 1 castle, 3 trainers, 7 days and 27 people trying to get the maximum out of what is called intercultural learning. There are people of almost all regions of europe with completely different  mentalities and characters. All of them work as volunteers in Czech Republic and this week they were faced with two main topics, learning and teaching.

All types of activities  waiting for them. At the beginning they are searching for integration. All people are ready for being part of it, you can feel it, you can breathe it.  Helping eachother and sharing all what they can share in this moment. I don´t speak just about material stuff, I also speak about sensation and emotions. 

Another activities, all are talking about themselves, about their projects, about the reasons why they stay there and where they want to go.

The activities continue and the people don´t delay changing the screenplay. Almost all participants offer activities in which they share their talents and interests. New and illuminative inputs for the group. A photographer makes a stop-motion movie, a teacher of physical education offers sport games, a polish girl teaches polish tongue twisters and a journalist is writing this chronicle. 

All of the propositions have taken place in an official or unofficial way. Everything without the slightest problem and with the maximum of predisposition. Feeling as a part of a group is so important and you can see that each minute of this experience.  Everything is easy.

The week has just finished and the people are so happy that some of them propose going to Austria to stay together one day more. To extend that experience. And seeing them in two weeks for not losing the contact.

The week has finished and many people agree that it was one of the most amazing experiences of their lifes.

Do you want to feel that? Then don´t just read the article, be part of the European Voluntary Service. Your heart will burn of emotions. J