The initiative was part of the RAISE YOUTH project activities, funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grant Fund and the Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment. For the trip to Romania, Regional RAISE Youth Center - Breznik gathered the most active youth and volunteers from the region.
From August 26 to 29, they had the opportunity to visit and meet their Romanian peers, who are implementing various initiatives in entrepreneurship, agriculture, tourism, IT, and participate in a number of their workshops and activities.
The first day of the working visit was spent visiting a non-governmental organization in the town of Ajud. There, the young people took part in an interesting creative workshop on making plaster casts, in which they had to include hands and imagination. The psychologist Nicușor Chiriac introduced the participants to the mastery through a story: "today you will do something in which you will put a part of your spirit, mood and essence, with the resulting figure you will be able to pass them on to your relatives from future generations. That way they will touch you. Remember, it's not important to create the perfect item - what's important is that a part of you stays in it." After great emotions, effort and laughter, everyone was satisfied with their creation, which they took as a memory of Romania even for future generations.
In the afternoon hours of the day, the group visited the Raise Youth Demo center for rural and agro-tourism in the village of Paunesti (Vranca district), where they immersed themselves in the atmosphere of one of the most ancient and characteristic traditions of the region - weaving. Local women demonstrated the technology of weaving a loom - a craft that is still practiced in some regions of Bulgaria. In addition, a special surprise was prepared for the guests in a drawing room where everyone had the opportunity to create their masterpiece-painting in which to express themselves, under the sound of soft music. The painting exercise brought a lot of excitement, when both guests and hosts, even the smallest participants sat down each behind their easel and embarked on the magic of painting. With much laughter they presented the works, each unique in itself, and carried them to their collection in their home.
During the visit, young people from both countries were able to exchange experiences and ideas regarding the development of their villages, towns and communities. Everyone presented what they have done so far in their youth center.
Both in Bulgaria and in Romania, so far a series of innovative informal trainings, , workshops, as well as activities related to mentoring of inactive young people, development of sustainable agriculture, rural tourism, IT and digital technologies have been held.
The #RAISE Youth project has helped create a productive professional environment for rural youth by supporting their entrepreneurial initiative. A significant number of young people who have passed through the youth centers have taken the important step towards starting their own business.
The team of the Regional RAISE Youth Center - Breznik used the visit to present the hosts with gifts made by successful young people with whom it works within the RAISE Youth project, thus promoting jewelry made by the participants in the embroidery workshop "RAISE Graovo ", a hand-made panel with the map of Bulgaria, made especially for the occasion by the newly established EcoEtnoArt foundation, advertising materials kindly provided by the municipalities of Pernik, Radomir and Zemen.
The study visit ended with many smiles from the young people from Romania and Bulgaria and requests for future meetings and cross-border partnerships within this and subsequent initiatives.
The RAISE Youth project, implemented by the Center for Development of Sustainable Communities, covers over 500 young people aged between 18 and 29, living in the municipalities of Pernik, Breznik, Trun, Radomir, Zemen and Kovachevtsi, who are not currently involved. Within its framework, various trainings for career and personal development are passed, and the most active 20 participants will be provided with additional training and mentoring assistance to start their own business.
The RAISE Youth project is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment.