Linda's EVS story - 7 month in Latvia

               On 2016, Cold January night in Tbilisi international airport I felt like the most confused person in the world. I was saying goodbye my family for seven month and holding tears of fear. I had no idea how my future was going to be during my EVS time in such a long distance. I was afraid because this was my first time being far away from my home country, family and friends. I was even afraid of my first flight but my motivation to change something was much stronger than all the fears I had. I could never imagine that this cold January night was the day when I started totally changing my future and took steps toward to start personal and professional development.

               On my arrival day I was already in shock because of high temperature difference, which was followed by culture and food differences. I had feeling that I discovered new world here, because everything is totally different from my country, even mountains, my eyes are still sometimes searching big mountains in the horizon. To be honest my adaptation period took too long time probably first 3-4 months and during this period I didn’t enjoy living in Latvia. I had really terrible time and I just wished to go back to Georgia. Also hard was to get well with children and work with them. But time to time everything turned better and better. I understood the character of children which made my work easier.

               I realized that I shouldn’t compare between countries, as every country has something unique, something its own, which you have to discover by yourself. So I started to think different, came out from box and saw that Latvia is incredible country, with cool people and interesting traditions. Latvia changed whole my life, gave me new and unforgettable experience, my EVS story is full of different kind of adventures. I learnt and experienced lot of stuff here, like: living at school building, walking in the dark and long corridor alone without any fear, using all skills of body language and understand foreign languages when you don’t know any word, manage events by yourself and do master classes.                                                                               

                Also EVS gave me a lot of new skills, I surely can say that I grow up through EVS in Latvia and I want to say thank to you everyone who is part of my happiness and life changing moments here. I also want to mention my guitar teacher Vilis, who made my dream real and finally, gave me, chance to learn how to play on a guitar.

                Now it’s my last days in Latvia and there are no words to describe the emotions and feeling I have inside me. I have huge love of this country and people. I have uncountable memories from every part of Latvia, from my home Village Rekova and from my sweet home (school). Definitely, these seven months were the best time during my 20 years life.

                When I compare my feelings about first month of EVS and now, I can see a huge difference in myself. I adore this country, if before I wanted to go back now I am dreaming about staying forever, because Latvia is already my second home-country. I can’t imagine how hard it will be to leave great friends, the best and coolest roommate ever, the cutest mentor and every other colleague, who were taking care of my comfort and happiness here. For me EVS is international, unbreakable chain, on which you add your experience, people and memories to make it as longer as possible.

             And at last I want to add that I will definitely come back in Latvia to meet everyone again, see my home, my village and let Latvian stories to continue.

2016 წლის ცივი იანვრის ღამეს, თბილისის საერთაშორისო აეროპორტში თავს მსოფლიოში ყველაზე დაბნეულ ადამიანად ვგრძნობდი.  ჩემს ოჯახს ვემშვიდობებოდი და შიშის ცრემლებს ძლივს ვიკავებდი. წარმოდგენა არ მქონდა ჩემი მომავალი როგორ გაგრძელდებოდი EVS-ის განმავლობაში ასეთ შორ მანძილზე. მეშინოდა, რადგან პირველაად იყო ჩემი ყოფნა შორს სამშობლოსგან, ოჯახისგან, მეგობრებისგან. ჩემი პირველი ფრენისაც კი მეშინოდა, მაგრამ მოტივაცია იმისა, რომ რამე შემეცვალა ჩემში ბევრად უფრო ძლიერი იყო, ვიდრე ის შიში რაც მქონდა. ვერ წარმოვიდგენდი, რომ იანვრის ეს ცივი ღამე იქნებოდა დასაწყისი ჩემი მომავლის სრულიად შეცვლისა და ნაბიჯის ჩემი პიროვნული და პროფესიული განვითარებისა.

ჩამოსვლის პირველივე დღეს უკვე შოკში ვიყავი დიდი ტემპერატურული სხვაობის გამო, რომელსაც მოჰყვა კულტურული და საჭმლის განსხვავება.  ისეთი გრძნობა მქონდა, თითქოს ახალი სამყარო აღმოვაჩინე აქ, რადგან ყველაფერი სრულიად განსხვავებულია ჩემი ქვეყნისგან, მთებიც კი, ჩემი თვალები ხანდახან ჯერ კიდევ ეძებს მთებს ჰორიზონტზე. გულწრფელად რომ ვთქვა, ჩემი ადაპტაციის პერიოდს საკმაოდ დიდი დრო დასჭირდა, დაახლოებით პირველი 3-4 თვე და ამ დროის განმავლობაში ნამდვილად ვერ ვერთობოდი ლატვიაში ცხოვრებით. მართლა საშინელი პერიოდი მქონდა და მხოლოდ სახლში დაბრუნებაზე ვოცნებობდი.  ასევე, რთული იყო ბავშვებთან დამეგობრება და მათთან მუშაობა. მაგრამ, დროთა განმავლობაში ყველაფერი უფრო და უფრო კარგისკენ შეიცვალა. ჩავწვდი ბავშვების ხასიათს, რამაც უფრო გამიადვილა მუშაობა.

გავაანალიზე, რომ ქვეყნებს შორის შედარება არ უნდა გამეკეთებინა, რადგან ყველა ქვეყანას აქვს რაღაც უნიკალური, რაღაც საკუთარი, რომელიც შენით უნდა აღმოაჩინო. ასე რომ, დავიწყე განსხვავებულად ფიქრი, გამოვედი „ყუთიდან“  და დავინახე, რომ ლატვია არის წარმოუდგენელი ქვეყანა, უმაგრესი ხალხით და საინტერესო ტრადიციებით. ლატვიამ შეცვალა მთელი ჩემი ცხოვრება, მომცა ახალი და დაუვიწყარი გამოცდილება. ჩემი EVS-ის ისტორია სავსეა სხვადასხვაგვარი თავგადასავლებით. აქ უამრავი რამ ვისწავლე და გამოვცადე. როგორიცაა: ცხოვრება სკოლის შენობაში, სიარული გრძელ და ბნელ დერეფანში შიშის გარეშე, სხეულის ენის გამოყენება და უცხო ენების გაგება, მაშინ როცა ერთი სიტყვაც კი არ იცი ამ ენაზე, სხვადასხვა აქტივობებისა მოწყობა და მასტერკლასების ჩატარება დამოუკიდებლად.

EVS-მა, ასევე შემძინა ახალი უნარ-ჩვევები. დარწმუნებით შემიძლია ვთქვა, რომ მე გავიზარდე EVS-ით ლატვიაში და მინდა მადლობა ვუთხრა ყველას, მათ, ვინც არის ნაწილი აქ ჩემი ბედნიერებისა და ჩემი ცხოვრების ცვლილებისა. ასევე, მინდა აღვნიშნო ჩემი გიტარის მასწავლებელი ვილისი, რომელმაც ჩემი ოცნება ამიხდინა და ბოლოსდაბოლოს ვისწავლე გიტარაზე დაკვრა.

ახლა ლატვიაში ყოფნის ბოლო დღეებია და სიტყვები ზედმეტია იმისთვის, რომ აღვწერო ეს ემოციები და გრძნობები, რასაც განვიცდი. უზარმაზარი სიყვარული მაქვს ამ ქვეყნისა და ხალხის.  უამრავი მოგონება მაქვს ლატვიის ყველა მხრიდან, ჩემ მშობლიურ სოფელ რეკოვადან და ჩემ ტკბილ სახლიდან (სკოლიდან). ეს 7 თვე ნამდვილად ყველაზე საუკეთესო პერიოდია ჩემი 20 წლიანი ცხოვრების განმავლობაში.

როდესაც ვადარებ ჩემს გრძნობებს EVS-ის პირელ თვეში და ახლა, უზარმაზარ განსხვავებას ვხედავ ჩემში. ვაღმერთებ ამ ქვეყანას, ადრე თუ მხოლოდ დაბრუნება მინდოდა, ახლა ვოცნებობ აქ სამუდამოდ დარჩენაზე, რადგან ლატვია უკვე ჩემი მეორე სამშობლოა. ვერ წარმომიდგენია როგორ რთული იქნება დავტოვო შესანიშნავი მეგობრები, ყველაზე მაგარი და საუკეთესო ოთახის მეზობელი, უსაყვარლესი მენტორი და ყველა სხვა კოლეგა, ვინც ჩემს ბედნიერებასა და კომფორტულ ცხოვრებაზე ზრუნავდა.  ჩემთვის EVS არის, საერთაშორისო, გაუწყვეტელი ჯაჭვი, რომელზეც ამატებ შენს გმოცდილებას, ხალხს და მოგონებებს, რომ გახადო ის იმდენად გრძელი, რამდენადაც შესაძლებელია.

და ბოლოს, მინდა დავამატო, რომ მე აუცილებლად დავბრუნდები ლატვიაში, რომ ისევ შევხვდე ყველას, ვნახო ჩემი სახლი,  ჩემი სოფელი და გავაგრძელო ჩემი ლატვური ამბები.

EVS project „Ten incredible months in Vilaka municipality”

Supported by Erasmus Plus program 

Hosting org: NGO “Dardedze”, Vilaka, Latvia

Sending org: Association "Georgian Youth for Europe" 

6 months EVS in Romania - Etunas, Avto and Lasha stories

Hosting org: EXPLORATOR Association 

https://europa.eu/youth/volunteering/organisation/62000669249_en 

Sending org: Association "Georgian Youth for Europe"   

www.gye.ge 

AVTO

My EVS life was very good. I liked my daily job, i mean working with disability and with autistic children. It is really huge experience in my life. Honestly to say i was expecting totally different project about ecology, in the beginning i was a lit scared when i saw the fact that i have to work with kind of children, but time by time i get to use in and right now i feel myself very close with children. I think its great thing what I was doing here in Romania, we had different kind of outdoor and indoor activities with them.

   With autistic children i worked two days in a week and three days with disability children. We did several times events for them and collected some money, it was kind of donation, we celebrated world autistic day together seconds of April with them in the city center and organized flash mob especially for them. I am happy when i see their smiley faces.

   During this project we had twice Greening day. It was kind of activities about ecology with children in kindergarten and with the children from different school. We explained them how to care about your nature, the area where do you live, how to protect it. We planted trees and flowers together, had a several types of games and they have been so happy because of it :)

   The members of my hosting organisation are so lovely and friendly, they are really nice, they always stand next to us whenever we needed them. We had also mentor and once in a month we hafd a meeting with him. Shortly to say they are absolutely brilliant, i love them.

   So my 6 months of EVS was amazing, only I were missing my country, my family, my friends, my lovely dog for sure and the situation of Georgia. I were miss everything what is connected with Georgia. When project was over finish, I started counting the last days of mine. J

LASHA

I am Lasha , i had EVS in Romania, nice country with great people , i love that country,i love my Job. I were volountering in activities for children with special needs , like Autistic Children. I cann’t say that it was easy for me to work with them. At the begining it was really difficult but later work went more easier. I like it very much.  Children was so lovely and kind, all the time they were trying to hug me. We were  doing sport activities for them. My project is over but i am so sad that i had to leave them .

Last year i had Erasmus studies where i was parting all the time but now  when i compare it between each other i can say that it is two competly different lifes . During of my EVS i started to think a lot. Thinking about everything  about my future life . I grown as a person . For now i have different values . I think now i became more serious :)

Now i am going to tell you a Little about my life in Craiova (Romania). I can say that here i met a great people. I really love that country .  Romanians are such a kind people. I became really good friend with one Romanian coupe . I love them , they did a lot for me. They were helping me in hard situations. Most of my time i was spenting with them. Here i arrived together with two more Georgians – Avto and Etuna. For few month we were living togather but later me and Avto moved to other place. We were living six in a Flat . We were cooking, drinking and haveing fun always togather .

During my EVS i had nice and sad expariances but at the end i want to say that EVS is great life and everyone has to try it :)

ETUNA

A walk to remember

I could say everything went great. Well, it didn’t at first. I searched for meaning, for purpose, and for a sense of utility. Many of those things I couldn’t really find at all times. But then again, I found friends to help me along the way. 

Then there were a small amount of troubles, petty disagreements, niggles and squabbles. They festered, and in time, threatened to derail the story. But they were frozen in a winter of discontent, made glorious summer by this sun of…Romania? Much later, when unfrozen, they were found to be irrelevant and unworthy. And so it came to pass that I came to the present, where I have different outlook on my situation. A much sunnier one, where everything is going great. Where the sun grows brighter every day. Where I get to work, travel, and help people in equal measure. Where life is fulfilling on a personal and professional level. Thereby I do highly recommend doing an EVS. It can change your life. It sure did change mine. 

More information about EVS project GAIA in the fallowing the links (from both the website and Facebook page): 

http://gaiacraiovacommuni.wix.com/gaiacraiovacommunity

https://www.facebook.com/GAIA-Craiova-Community-1498283857168866/?fref=ts 

BE HERE TO DARE, 8 month EVS in Latvia

Association "Georgian Youth for Europe" (GYE) already for many years have cooperation with Vecpiebalga Youth Centre "Balgas Strops" from Latvia. Together we have been implementing many youth exchanges and trainings. Therefor when "Balgas Strops" decide to host their first EVS, they gave us this honour to be their first sending organisation from partner countries. The main aim to carry out this project was to change geographical and social isolation of young people from Vecpiebalga region to the active participation based on possibilities; to give local youth not only the chance for those who can go some time to some youth exchange, but also to all local youth with fewer opportunities to experience different cultures, to know different traditions, histories and politics and to get new skills, attitudes and views. The mission of the project - with support of European volunteers open the world full of opportunities for local youth in Vecpiebalga region.

Giorgi Beridzishvili from Georgia (Sending organisation GYE) done his EVS service in "Balgas Strops", Latvia from 15.01-31.08.2015. Giorgi about his motivation to take part in this project: "As in future I want to find myself in youth work, this project was the start, I could test myself how good can I be in this field. Improve my skills, gain new experiences, travel around the country, spread information about my own culture and learn about new one-are my motivation for EVS. You might ask why I choose Latvia for my EVS. I’ve never been there before but I have Latvian friends and knew some things about it. It seemed to be a very interesting. So I really liked to get know the people, their culture and their way of life. Besides, I always wanted to visit northern countries, so that was twice interesting for me."

More about Giorgi experience and Vecpiebalga Youth Centre "Balga Strops" activities you can fallow in their blog -https://youthcentrevecpiebalga.wordpress.com/

Also if you are interested to apply for EVS there, please contact us! liene@gye.ge 

Project was funded with support of Latvian National Agency of Erasmus Plus EVS programm. More information here - http://ec.europa.eu/…/erasmus-p…/discover/guide/index_en.htm

Long Term EVS In Slovakia

My name is Tornike Togonidze and I had a wonderful one year EVS in the  beautiful country of Slovakia, so I would like to share some feelings, emotions and experiences that I had during this time.

I became a member of the Non Governmental Organisation "Georgian Youth For Europe" in 2013.  I was involved in several exchange programs in Georgia just before going for Evs.  It was my firs time going abroad, so my sending organisation made a pre departure meeting and  explained everything.  Later, they helped me get a visa.

My hosting organisation was friendly and everybody treated me like a new member of the family they gave me Slovak language lessons and they have never been late.  Also, for delivering pocket money on the .first one month at new home was little bit difficult I had to get used to a new culture, new people, new traditions, and a new language, but after the  first month I felt at home.

What about work and free time  We had to work from 30 to 35 hours per week, so if you worked 7 hours during 5 days and if you also worked in shifts during the weekend next week you would have 3 free days to visit the surrounding sights not only in the capital city but also in neighbouring countries.

One of my favourite parts of EVS was On arrival and Midterm trainings when you with other EVS volunteers from all around Sovakia meet and get to know each other. We had a little bit  of a delay because of the new Erasmus plus project, but it was worth the wait.  During this time I met new people from all around the world and got to known lots of different cultures and traditions gained new friends.  We were like family, we had parties almost all the time and what is the best thing during mid term is that after training you can visit them in their cities and villages.  They also come and visit you too, so you never lose contact or friendship

Something negative about my EVS was that you  always miss your family, friends, and relatives.  I was wanted to see them just for one minute, hug them and get back to EVS.  Also, winter in Slovakia is so long that even in mid April it is possible to snow.  We had -12 degrees once, so it is a little bit boring because you can not go out from the house, but you figure out how to spend your time.  With table games, you can survive!

To make a long story short,  now I am in Georgia and I really miss Slovakia.  If you compare how many possibilities you have when you are EVS, you will realize how great the opportunity is.  I want to thank everyone for helping me to become EVS and helping me to find myself and let me enjoy the best one year in my life.  I advise  all youngsters to try EVS once in your life .  After finishing it, you will feel that one year, simply is not enough.

Romania EVS story of Tamaz

Volunteering in local school

Hello , my name is Tazo . I did my 1 year  EVS project in Romania, in organization called YMCA . Organization staff was friendly and helpful during this time. We did lot of events, trainings, that was fun to participate. My project was about working with children from the ages of 5 to 14. I went to schools in the city , nearby village and to gypsy children in Romani Center. I had one project partner , her name was Salome and she was from France. After couple of months working together we formed a really good team and working was really fun. Here is a picture at one of our schools .

Beauty of  nature in Romania

Except us there were other volunteers in my town . I met good people , which are now my friends and we keep in touch after our projects. After work, on weekends and vacations we went hiking, swimming, travelling in Romania, made dinners together. Living and understanding people from all around the world is a really great experience. I managed to learn Romanian language , to know more about other countries and traditions. Romania has beautiful nature , I went there with the intention to see as much as I could . This is the picture from Transfagarasan , we were heading to Moldoveanu peak.

Tazo and his travel mate during free days of his EVS service time

To sum it up, I am glad that I did EVS. I gained lot of friends and positive features during this time . I encourage people to do it, because it`s a good adventure.

Tazo

GYE note:
Tazo Kvitashvili done his EVS service in Romania from April 2014 to March 2015 in the frame of project "YOU(TH) ARE GOLDEN".
His sending organisation was Association "Georgian Youth For Europe". 
Hosting organisation: YMCA Romania. 

Please find links to have a better idea about the  project outcomes and activities.

http://ymca.ro/2015/2-european-voluntary-service-volunteers-are-finishing-their-service-ymca-romania-_-youth-are-golden/

Some of  videos created by Tazo and project partner:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTzdoS65tjo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1K-cmOFsZI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWVRxHN0E7A

DO YOU WANT TO GO FOR EVS AS WELL? VISIT US!

GYE office is located in Batumi str 22, Rustavi city, Georgia. We are open for visitors every working day from 11am till 6pm.