Levan in Latvia - story of my EVS

So it’s finished, my nine month project in Latvia. Country of beautiful nature and amazing sky. It wasn't always so easy to be amazed about country and people, but time made me understand its culture, habits and traditions. Now it feels like I am home, another home which is far from real one. It is so strange how my life changed last nine months, I learned how to live with less, how to communicate with people better, traveled more than I expected and meet interesting people.

My EVS project started in October 2012, for the first time it was quite hard to feel cozy in Latvia, without speaking language, understanding people and more weird was understanding the weather which was quite strange for me. It didn't take much time to start to communicate with youngsters who were coming to youth center, and now after nine months I feel that they are my friends. Every time I went somewhere for longer time and came back they were the ones who were asking: Levan where have you been so long?

My main activity to youth center was making video workshop, and teach how to make good quality video. It was quite interesting for starting, we were making short videos on almost every second class and also in the end we tried to make silent film, which might be considered biggest challenge of my EVS. Yes, I guess there is not bigger challenge more than working and filming outside for hours in – 15 or even less.

My planned kind of sport activities such as tennis and table games competitions, and also cooking workshops were quite famous between kids. Every Monday and Thursday I was seeing children motivated faces, and in their eyes I could read one thing, they all want to be winners and champions. I guess it was good start for them to motivate themselves that they have to be winners, and all life is fight for success. So, I’m finishing my project and I have to fight for my own success.

It feels like starting from zero, after nine months of being cast away from rest of the world I have to go back to normal life, to my family, friends.  I guess the experiences which I gained from my EVS project, will be useful, especially language skills, but I feel like it’s not the end. Everything starts right now! 

Levan Jugheli

Duration of EVS service 01/10/2012 – 30/06/2013

Hosting organisation: Alūksnes Bērnu un jauniešu centrs (www.abjc.lv)

Sending organisation: Association "Georgian Youth For Europe" (www.gye.ge)

Project was supported by Latvian National Agency of Youth in Action programm

First impressions - Coming to Georgia

by Eva Čajková

On the 1st of October, fate-destiny day for another 7 people, seemed to me kind of cutted. One moment in my home, my bed, with my family – cut – Vienna airport, all kinds of people – cut – Kiev airport, all kinds of stereotypical eastern elements – cut – high magic peaks which I've known just from kitsch pictures in my homeland. But yeah, guys, I finally believe that I will live in Gergia for a year... and I'm pretty sure that it will be a great time.

Moments before landing, only a few hundred metres above the ground, I still wasn't very calm. From my small oval windows, I could only see land, cows and a few woodden shelters. What's going on? Are we landing on a field? I've just tried to calm myself down by thinking about whether or not it would be a field of potatos or corn. It was concrete finally.

Before departure from Czech Republic, I was warned about culture shock. Well, it's quite impossible to avoid, everyone should have some, it's natural and actually it's quite a nice experience. My culture shock was like a big injection of adrenaline. My culture shock lasted just twenty minutes. My culture shock was the journey from the airport to our flat in Rustavi. Everything seemed more that good – there were two very nice guys waiting for me on time (!) helping me with luggage. I finally felt the real Georgia: sitting in a car with a Georgian driver. After he drove for a few metres, I was wondering why I was telling my friends and family 'See you again', because I felt that I would definitely not make it out of the car alive. Believe it or not, after one week here I really enjoy the driving manners.

Our first weekend was really amazing. GYE (Georgian Youth for Europe in Rustavi) staff prepared a lot of fun for us. Already, on the second day they took us to pick grapes and afterward we took part in a real Georgian supra. Great teambuilding!

People here really seem to know how to live, how to enjoy life. Even though it's not easy here, often beeing without work, from time to time without gas, water or electricity, they are still such an easigoing, smiling and happy people – as far as I've seen. I really want to be part of this culture for at least one year.

I am pretty sure that I'm speaking for everyone of the seven people when I say: We Love Georgia!

EVS в Латвии

 

Про EVS я узнал от друзей а мои друзья узнали об этом проекте совсем случайно. Сначала я не верил что может существовать такой хороший шанс познакомиться с другими странами. Но потом, полтора года назад два моих друзей уехали в прибалтику и приняли участие в проекте EVS.

После этого мой интерес возросло и я приехал в офисе „Georgian Youth for Europe“, организации которое курирует такие проекты. Там меня встретили очень хорошо объяснили все детали, и дали все информацию которое для меня было интересно. После этого визита вопрос принять участие в проекте или нет был рещен. Я подготовил все документы и уехал в Латвию, точнее в поселок Адажи где расположена свободная вальдорфская школа.

Здесь и начинается самое главное, мое незабываемое приключение. Сначала я немного волновался не знал как примут меня, "простого мальчика из юга там в далеком севере" но все мой волнения оказалис напросними. В течение моего проекта я познакомился с многими интересными людьми, с иностранными культурами, обычаями. Я узнал много новое и улучшил мое навыки в очень многих сферах, начиная с иностранными языками, заканчивая рукоделием.

Работа с детьми дал мне очень много, общение с ними каждый день делал меня гораздо богатым духовно. Общение с моими блестящими коллегами дал большой жизненный опыт.

Кроме этого я путешествовал очень много в разные страны и знакомился с разными культурами.

В конечном счете участие в этом проекте дал мне гораздо больше чем я бы мог ожидать. Очень трудно передать кратко мой чувство и настроение, это и радость вернутся в родине, и грусть покидать страну которое десят месяцов был второй родиной.

Я благодарю организацию „Georgian Youth for Europe“, который дал мне этот уникальный шанс. Также хочу поблагодарить JSPA, Латышского агентство международных молодёжных программ и всех людей которые помогали мне получить этот невероятный жизненный опит.

Я советую всем не упускать шанс и принять участие в подобних проектах. Познакомится с другими культурами с другими народами и расширить свой кругозор.

 С уважением Иовели Жвания

 

 

Tusheti trip

The most remote and probably one of the most beautiful place in Georgia so far? After the last trip to northern part of Kakheti region the answer is easier than before. Definitely Tusheti. It is not only about the picturesque landscape and unspoiled nature there. What made the trip even more amazing? People and luck that we had on the way. Yes, we are lucky Polish bastards. But let’s start from the beginning.....

 

As usual we chose hitchhiking as a mean of transport. Went smooth and easy as usual in Georgia;) First stop we made was to have a look at Alaverdi Monastery. After a short sightseeing  we kept on going, still having a long way ahead. 

Next stop happened, a bit unexpected, already in Pshaveli, in the house of people that took us by their car...yyyy a small correction: some kind of vehicle that used to be a car. Without windows, back seats, partly without floor (I have no idea how to call in English this part of a car underneath your feet...) but still, as for its condition, it managed to take us quite a long way....

 After a small and unexpected coffee/lunch  break we continued our trip to get as far as possible on the way to Omalo. It didn’t go so easy any more. No cars on the horizon. It started getting late, and slowly we started losing hope that we would reach Tusheti that day. Having no better way, we put our tent, getting ready to spend night in the place where our vehicle had left us. But suddenly, out of nothing, we saw a car coming to our direction. So we stopped the guy. He was going to Dartlo. “Why not?”, we said. He agreed to take us. It was the faster tent folding ever. 3 minutes and we were already on the way to Tusheti. Long and bumpy way I have to admit. BTW: we saw a bear somewhere on the top of the mountain;) After more than 3 hours we reached Dartlo. Sleepy and tired as hell. Got off the car and saw and heard nothing. Literally - nothing. Just felt the temperature is not as nice as it was a few hours before....much more chilly. The first thought: “ *****where are we? How the hell we will put the tent when we cannot see anything! *****”. But I forgot it is Georgia so situation solved after a few seconds. Our driver invited us to his place. Actually - hotel, as we realized in the morning.

So we stayed there. In the end two days, exploring Dartlo and the strength of its chacha.

Actually mentioned liquid was the reason why we stayed there one day more than we planned;) As all good things come to an end, the time to say goodbye came soon and we needed to continue our trip.

Next stop – Omalo. Finally we did some hiking, around 20 km. This time we decided that we have to use the tent that I was carrying all this time! As soon as we reached Omalo, we chose the perfect meadow. Put the tent and try to fall asleep to start early in the morning another, this time longer hiking. 

Omalo

Waking up in the middle of nowhere and seeing just overwhelming beauty and flock of sheep around you. Priceless. We started hiking without much hope we will meet some car on the way. Did some kilometres, stopped for a short break, ate something and start joking that just dancing can help us to find some lift from this wilderness. So we started. Believe it or not but again we heard a car coming.There it was: an old pickup. 

Funny way when you seat on the metal frames without anything preventing you from falling into precipice just behind u. Great feeling, especially when you suffer from fear of heights.In the end we survived, seeing breathtaking mountainous landscape, experiencing snow in the end of June and having cognac on the pick of the mountain. Safe and happy we reached civilization. 

Lucky polish bastards. I think our Czech friends – Eva, Libi and Petra, who had been in Tusheti one week before us and had to walk a big part of the distance on foot, can admit how lucky we were.

Alicja

EVS volunteer

Human Rights Workshop

During last month me (Alicja) and Anna (SIQA EVS volunteer) were implementing the idea that Anna came up with some time ago – workshop on human rights. After a long time of discussing it, we finally came to an action. Preparation period took less time than I expected. Thanks to Alek’s help we found interested school very quickly and just after two weeks started work with motivated, smart and creative young people from school number 2 in Old Rustavi. 

  


During one month of working together, we had chance to discuss many different topic including general significance of human rights but also gender equality, citizenship or democracy.

  

All workshops were quite busy, full of interesting observations. Seems we managed to create some kind of open space for our participants to express their point of view and share experiences in different fields. More or less connected with main topic of our meetings.   

What to say, times flies inevitably and  with the end of the school year the end of our workshop came.  As a way to thank for active participation we decided to reward students with certificates. A small piece of paper which can remind them after some time about our work. 

All in all, seems that both of us, Anna and me can say that realizing this idea was one of the best choices we could have came up with and fulfilled. Wish it could be a bit longer. There are still some topics we would like to discuss!

 

Alicja 

EVS volunteer