The youth exchange took place during October 20-29, 2022, near the Turkish city of Bursa, in the suburban complex "Nefes Dağyenice Park Resort". The large-scale international event took place with the support of the NGO "Development and Initiative" and the project coordinator Kateryna Priazhnikova. This is not the first youth exchange under the Erasmus+ programme in this suburban complex with the participation of female students of our university. Earlier, students Anna Nesterenko, Mariia Pashchenko and Kateryna Hotra represented Ukraine at the project dedicated to sports and health "Pedal for life".
The project participants actively discussed issues of discrimination, migration, tolerance, bullying in social networks and gender inequality. The above-mentioned sub-topics were divided among the national teams of the Netherlands, Hungary, Turkey, Ukraine and Lithuania, the task of each participating country was to prepare a workshop dedicated to a certain issue.
"I liked the workshop prepared by the Netherlands on the topic of migration the most, for our country this problem is now more relevant than ever. Thanks to the presented tasks, I deepened my own knowledge about migration processes and realized how difficult it is for migrants to start life from scratch in a foreign country," – shares her impressions project participant Oleksandra Datsenko.
The Ukrainian team presented the topic of bullying in social networks, in addition to participating in various master classes, the participants prepared a mini-video in which they clearly showed the terrible consequences of bullying on the Internet. According to student Valeriia Dubovyk, the girls' joint work helped to reveal the actual problem of cyberbullying.
However, the project consisted not only of training sessions and workshops, the facilitators organized a one-day trip to Bursa for the participants of the international youth exchange. The girls managed to visit a real Turkish bazaar, see the city from a panoramic restaurant and taste a traditional kebab.
"This mini-trip to the city allowed us to get to know the local flavor, try traditional food and buy souvenirs that will remind us of this wonderful Turkish city at home. I want to thank the members of the Turkish team for a short tour, thanks to which we saw the real Bursa," – says Valeriia Syvak with a smile.
Cultural evenings have become a traditional part of every Erasmus+ youth exchange. The Ukrainian team could not ignore the topic of the full-scale invasion of the russian federation on the territory of our state, therefore, after presenting their country, the students decided to hold a charity auction as a sign of support for our Armed Forces of Ukraine and war victims. The girls plan to donate all the funds to the Serhii Prytula Foundation, support for the families of Azovstal defenders, and the Kyiv Humanitarian Center.
"When we turned on the video about the brutal realities of the war, I saw how the eyes of many participants were filled with sadness and despair. After our presentation of the country, many foreigners approached and were interested in how it is to live in the conditions of war. They showed real support at the charity auction. Thanks to their support, we collected about 2,000 hryvnias, which we will soon transfer to the fund," – added project participant Vladyslava Kaliuzhna.
Such international projects have become a great opportunity for Poltava Polytechnic students to improve their English skills, get acquainted with the cultures of different countries, and expand their knowledge of current social problems through travelling and communicating with foreigners.
"This project not only gave us the opportunity to deepen our knowledge on current topics such as discrimination, migration, tolerance, bullying in social networks and gender inequality, but also to find new friends and get rid of the language barrier. We are extremely grateful to the NGO "Development and Initiative" and the project coordinator Kateryna Priazhnikova for the opportunity to participate in such an extremely motivating youth exchange. We also express our sincere gratitude to our teacher – Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Germanic Philology and Translation, Anna Pavelieva, who helped us prepare for the project and supported us at all its stages, and who always encourages us, students, not to be afraid, to believe in ourselves and our strengths and try ourselves in various academic exchange programs, gives advice and helps," – commented the project participants.
Previously, future translators studied the preservation of natural resources and economic growth of young people through a healthy lifestyle, a student translator became a participant in a youth project against discrimination, xenophobia and bullying, Polytechnic students took part in the Erasmus+ project dedicated to the development of environmental awareness among Europeans, and held a charity auction, philology students mastered practical skills in the field of ecology and environmental protection, considered the problem of alcohol addiction and methods of combating it, raised the level of awareness of cultural diversity, studied the problem of refugees/migrants and internally displaced persons.
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National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”
