Time for breakfast at the dining room, which we liked so much through the whole week. I see tired and sleepy faces, eyes at the tables. Some of us just made a sandwich, to eat it later. Slowly everyone passes on the key and promenades with their luggages to the bus waiting for us.
Getting closer to the capital, I felt a kind of buzz, excitement in the air, while we saw the long rows going towards Balaton on the other side of the highway. People got more and more excited about arriving to the nice big city, some of them started to plan their city tour route on the bus, with the help of the Hungarians.
We arrived at the hostel at 11 AM. It was a strange feeling for me after the Malom-valley camp place to be surrounded by tall buildings and many people, while getting off the bus. We just could put down our luggages at the hostel and go earlier to the lunch place. Even though, the place was not open, we had the opportunity to drink a refreshing lemonade or coffee at the nearby Gozsdu-garden. After that we had a real “taste of the Balkans”, with roast meat for lunch. I’m sure that many people saved in their “dictionary of important foods” the word “ajvar” (sauce with tomato and paprika).
After this, we departed to the 8th district, to Kapocs Foundation, where its manager Szabó András welcomed us and told about their work. We got to know that the place gives opportunity for “supporting encounters” for people dealing with family, school, learning or job difficulties. The foundation’s profile and activities were really interesting for me, its social utility seemed really high. I think we could see a really good example of a working SHG, even though it was not easy to concentrate after the “demanding week” and the lunch.
After this we scattered. Someone went towards the Danube, others to the Andrassy road. We’ve changed our dinner’s time from 6 to 8 PM, where we would like to have a nice and worthy last meeting with each other, before we’ll be hundreds of kilometres again from each other.
Note: Due to technical reasons, we'll upload photos about today later
We look down from a hill to the Malom-valley, while the morning sun is getting stronger and stronger, and the sound of cowbell audible. On the left side a piece from the Balaton visible, on the right our host town and its 800 years old red church, down the valley our temporary „home” for the last week. This picture might have remained in many people’s most clever database, namely their personal own memory. Our guide for the forest showed us a lot of things in the short time we had, many important and useful things, plants in the forest which we’ve just passed by. He gave us a bit of his spirit to respect and know our surrounding environment better. For example he told us, that this time the song of birds are not audible because its the end of rutting season and this time they don’t often fly, but rather hop on the ground. In contrary to them, our group will be mostly flying tomorrow, to the four winds, home.
At our last day we made a special emphasis on evaluating and summarizing our past week. We did the evaluation in small groups, with a task to draw and/or write on paper, things concerning a concrete topic (concept of SHG, group roles, leading tools, communication tools) creatively. The associations and symbols were different, but the key words of our past week characteristically came back. The presentation of youth in action became colourful with its interactivity, that those who had experiences in similar things could share with others. At the evaluation, the participants felt mostly development in their social, communication competences, while they valued the learnt things about adult role, responsibility. After it, we revealed our secret friends, with an exciting way.
The afternoon ended with a grill dinner. I was thirsty and didn’t see any available liquids on the table, but before I’ve “moved” for anything, my neighbour Denis took out a Kozel from his bag and gave it to me. I could not refuse my first beer this week. While dinner we continued our few times turned up conversation with Ondrej, mate from Slovakia. It was interesting to reflect on the yesturday night’s folk dance show when the instructor called the ethnic Hungarian dances from present day Slovakia “Upper land” or “North Hungarian” dances. It was interesting to recognize, while it is natural for Hungarians to name these dances in this way (considering the dances’ really old age), these expressions can have really different effect on other people from our neighbour. After dinner, a nice gathering started around the bonfire.
Farewell from the place, maybe farewell from these nice (and a bit chilly here in the valley) summer evenings. Maybe not yet for the Italians and Bruno, probably yes for a time for our mates from the Baltic states. Tomorrow we plan to depart at 9AM to Budapest, to meet an association which uses the learnt SHG method successfully, have some meals together and a farewell party.
Photo: At Miske-cliff (made by Ondrej)
It is morning, at 9 AM. Nobody is at our „training square” except of us, with Bea and Beus. Slowly Eszter and Janina comes in and sits down. Then Gábor appears talking on his mobile phone and going a few rounds outside. Finally, he comes in too, to the nearly empty room and notes: “I think they are preparing for something, because I saw them gathering outside!” While we just try to look innocently, the others came in with big noise. We started our day with singing the well-known birthday song in seven languages. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GÁBOR!
One of the topics of the morning, transaction analysis was totally new for some people. We could see in the same time mini dramas, which the participants played, testing the adult, parent and child roles, which helped to understand. Today some of the people felt good with actively speaking, while others rather prefered listening carefully.
The seminars about suggessive communication was “colored” with the demonstration of the water savers. We were quite jealous for them, because they could be in the cool water. Our group had a lot of questions, so I’m sure it was interesting for a lot of people.
At night, a local dance group arrived to demonstrate us a variety of Hungarian folk dances. They even taught us some csárdás, verbunk and round dance from Moldva. After the first rounds, there was a row beside the water tank, full with sweated people. At the end, we made a photo too (under the writing). People looked forward with good mood for the night and then the last full day in Felsőörs.
Today was an extraordinary day in our one week training, because we could go to a full day trip to Balatonfüred. One of the aims of this trip was exploring the “local realities”. We could do it in a “laissez faire” style, considering the frames of going there and back together, everyone had a free hand on what to do. Some of the group already started on the bus to the port to discover these local realities, practically through starting to chat with pretty Hungarian girls from the region.
We arrived at the port of Alsóörs a bit earlier, so we even had the time to take a group photo (picture under this text). The wind was blowing, cooling our group, while we travelled on the top of the ship, where the beam of the sun became solidly stronger approaching noon. The weather nowadays at Balaton is “cool, chilly” for our Portuguese and Italian friends, and “real, heated summer” feeling for the mates from northern places. Anyway, the Hungarian Sea’s temperature was satisfying everyone today, in spite of the fears of Polish boys that they will sweat in the 23⁰C water. The nice weather and company provided a great opportunity for relaxing.
We went also to a local cafe, where we could consume lovely drinks and cakes, while chatting. At one table there was a conversation between Slovaks and Hungarians about the history of the past, and prejudices of the present. What things are taught differently at schools, what we think about our common history and present. So we could travel back to Felsőörs regenerated, even though losing and leaving three people in the city.
Fortunately our story for today didn’t end at this point. Our three “lost” mates arrived to our meeting place, the bus stop, a few minutes after the official departing time of the bus. They were sweaty, and they calmed down many anxious hearts. We were really thankful for the bus company too, for being late for this time (what happened, if we were not in Hungary?? :-)
Our programme for the night is “participant input evening”, so the programme depends mainly on the participants. Some of the Polish boys wanted to organize a “Eurovision Festival”, but the majority voted against it, so in a democratic way it was rejected. According my last information, we can expect a concert from the Polish mates tonight (I can affirm it now with my own ears now, while writing this blog in my room; and maybe the grasshoppers too, on the roof of the old church of Felsőörs on the hill far away from us.) We all really look forward to tomorrow, when we can get back to Balaton, to participate in the demonstration of the water rescuers.
There are regular expressions which people in East and South Europe use every morning from a long time ago to greet each other. The special today in Felsőörs was that many people greeted each other in the language of their mate. Our morning started in this way after a long-long night.
At morning we reflected to the night programme too. Beside many favorable feedbacks, some of the people took the opportunity to give voice to constructive critics. It is really interesting that while we are learning about self helping groups, we really try to relect on our own conflicts and group dynamics concerning our own community here. I am sure that our small temporary community and the participants personally also will profit from this courage equally.
The main topic of our morning were leadership styles. We learned about these mostly through practical exercises. At one of them, every person had a pair and one of them were blindfolded. In this way they could try the three types of leadership styles (autocratic, democratic and „laissez faire”). Few of the pairs went really close to the nearby stream, and other blindfolded ones -directed by democratic leaders - almost literally had a volleyball championship at the field nearby.
Before the lunch we heard about an experiment from Hungary: it was interesting to think together about the possible effects of leadership styles in child groups through Ferenc Mérei’s classic study. With a lively discussion and our new experiences we are looking forward to the afternoon, which promises really interesting topics and an excursion together to a local restaurant.
Picture: Playing volleyball with democratic leadership style
On the second training day’s evening at, the Malomvölgy valley became full of music noises. We had a very special night programme. On the intercultural night, the participants could (re)present their own country with a kind of activity, like quiz game, dance or touristic short movies about their countries. Folk dances made easily a nice atmosphere, everybody could join them.
It was great to see the endeavor of the youth people, when it came to make and give something food and drink typical of their region to other people. We could enjoy a variety of tastes from the Baltics to the Meditarraneans, making a „virtual gastronomic tour” not moving out from our valley at Felsőörs.
This programme was at the end of a long day in the terms of the professional content. There were several seminars and discussions focused on group roles. Everyone had the opportunity to think about their own group experiences and at the end of the day they could even reflect on their role in our „newborn” community here. After lunch we could enjoy and learn from one of the participants who prepared for us, with an own activity.
After the precious day when we learnt and had lot of fun, I just hope that after silence moves into the Miller Valley in Felsőörs, we’ll continue tomorrow the same way.
Picture: Discussion about group roles
A village beside the lake Balaton started to be crowded by youngsters from eight European countries. The main aim of getting together was this time not a wine festival, not swimming in the lake, not even hiking in the nice surrounding forests. Participants from Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and hosting Hungary gathered together in Felsőörs, in order to make favorable changes in their surronding society.
After the funny and useful introduction games and ice-brakers, the training’s activities became more about its main topic, the self helping groups. Already in the first day, it became clear that people coming from different places, activities, ages can really transfer experiences and values between each other in a useful way. It was especially encouriging to talk about the wide variety of activities where self helping groups can be applied.
In spite of the different backgrounds, places where the participants come from, the main question of the training was raised several times by the trainers: „How do you think you can use this method in your own place, with your own circumstances?”
At the nightfall of the first full day, I would like to wish that this question starts to demand answers or raise new important questions in the participants. In this way, the great social proactivity which is „in the air” this week in Felsőörs will be able to manifest in practices really helpful for needy people in the society.
Picture: The first arrived group having dinner together
The "Let's learn to help" training program's main aim is to introduce the strengths and opportunities of the self-help group method.
This is a very effective way how to support people in problematic situations or suffering from long term problems (eg. drog, alcohol, behavioral problems, chronic diseases and unemployment). It is based on the mutual support, and has a strong self esteem developing effect through encouraging independency, responsibility, competence and activity. Although many youth organisations rties to help target groups in difficult situations, the concept of self-help groups is not well known, and not used as widely as it should be.
The training program prepares the participants to organise, coordinate and support self-help groups with providing
methodologiacal knowledge, leadership skills, showing good examples and best practices.
The training program will be placed in Felsőörs, Hungary, from the 11th of August until the 19th of August, 2012. Participants will come from 8 countries (Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal).
Since all participating organizations work with youth target groups in difficult conditions and fewer opportunities, they are ready to learn new effective methods to help them, and share their experiences and best practices.
The training program will be lead by the trainers of the Cromo Foundation. The foundation and it's experts have years of experiences in the organization of self-help groups and in the education of group leaders and coordinators.
The project is financed by the European Union Youth in Action Programme 4.3.
HU-43-E54-2011-R5
