We went at Atanati, Vaideeni

The second week of June, We participated of some activities in a school-kindergarden in Atlanti, a rural area in Valcea county. We went there three days, and we spend some mornings with the kids while we were doing some activities. At the beginning we were concerned about what activities to do, after the first day sincerely our main concern and motivation was to collect some child smiles, and the activities were the excuse ...

"I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection" . Leonardo da Vinci

Foorum Theater 2 !!!

Again some of volunteers of our grou and participated in Forum theater play. The topic this time was: Dicrimintion, and bulling at school and high school.

The play, this time was presented in "Liceo Economic, Ramnicu Valcea".

If you want to check some more detailed information about forum theater, we leave you the next link:

http://theforumproject.org/whatisto/forumtheatre/

If you want to check our older play, and our short training:

Forum theater training, with some volunteers of Dragasani

Forum theater play, at school number 4, last year.

#Freedom2Me

Our Portuguese friend Isabel, that is also volunteer in Ramnicu Valcea, but from another project, proposed us the idea of participate in this campaign that we are sharing in this post, we loved the idea.

"In 1945, the Second World War ended after more than 6 years of hostilities, persecution and murder. After this period of atrocities, the world said never again, and to that end the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. Today, in 2015, we commemorate the end of the Holocaust and World War 2 70 years ago. But is there really freedom in our world? What does freedom even mean? Is freedom defined the same way in every country? Do some people have more freedoms than others? It seems like a lot of people take freedom for granted. Not everybody in the world is free. In what way are you limited in your freedom and what kind of freedom would you wish for the future?"

The Anne Frank House invited everybody to reflect on what freedom means. To participate in their campaign: Take a picture of yourself holding up a sign with the text #Freedom2Me… and your personal definition, hope for or significance of freedom. Share it using social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and don’t forget to add #Freedom2Me in the post. Encourage your friends to also take part in the campaign by nominating them in your post using tags.

The website where you can see the pics, and get more info: http://annefrank.org/freedom2me

The facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Freedom2Me?fref=photo

We the volunteers of YVRA, and some other volunteers, friend of us, from other project also. 

  Book Club / Clubul de Carte

                

Next Friday at 05:30pm the Antim Ivireanu will held the second meeting of the Book Club in the city of Râmnicu Vâlcea. The meetings are organized by a volunteer from the Young Volunteers for Rural Action program, whom works as a facilitator within the group, bringing materials to be studied as well as theories methods of analyzing literary texts. The objective of the club is to integrate readers from the Romanian community and from the (worldwide) volunteer community resident in the area; and to work with different resources in the general theory of art.

Would you have the guts?

Beginning with a post-modern piece, the short story chosen for the forward meeting is Guts (Chuck   Palahniuk) from the novel Haunted (2005). The author is well-known for his best-seller psychological Fight Club – which inspired a homonymous movie.  Considered by some as horrifying, disgusting or simply as a nice original story Guts can be easily found for free online reading. Would you have guts to finish such a controversial story?  

The club is free. For more information and/or contact with the volunteers go on: https://www.facebook.com/YoungVolunteersForRuralAction?fref=ts

              

                

 Local: Biblioteca Antim Ivireanu

 Time: 05:30pm – Friday 15/05/2015 

I discovered more treasures from Rroma communities

After the treasure hunt activity where the volunteers discover about history and traditions from Rroma communities in Vâlcea, I decided interview people who decided don't follow traditions to have a different life.

The first woman I spoke is Raluca Cretu, she was born in a Rroma community in Dragașani, and lived with the parents, sisters and brother. According to her, the parents always said that it was important get marriage early and with the husband they choose. Or, keep the same job of the mother and use clothes that all the women use. She had confrontation with them for many times, because she did not want follow these traditions. Her life started to change when a friend told her she could go to university. Without the parents know she travelled once week to Bucarest to attend classes. But even after they discovered, she keep studying Law. Today she lives and works in Râmnicu Vâlcea helping people from rroma communities. She said when someone want succeed in life is importante don't have negative thinking, such as, “I don't need study anymore”, because with education you can grown and have more oportunities.

The other one is Anda Costache, who received me in the Primăria Municipiului Râmnicu Vâlcea where she works nowadays. She was born in a small community named Băile Olanesti, and knew since young that she did not want only get marriage and end up in the house taking care of the children. For her is importante have education and a career also. Different from Raluca, their parents supported her to any decision in her life. For example, she graduated in Law from the Constantin Brancoveanu university and will get marriage (with a man not from Rroma community), and the parents support this. When I asked what she thinks about money, she answered “when you work, money will come”.

Finally, I was happy to talk with Luciana Idu, expert in Rroma issues who received me in the Prefectura județului Vâlcea where she works. She is not from Rroma communities, but helps and make social activities with them. For example, she is the friend who encouraged and supported Raluca to go university, not only her but many others as she showed me. This year on 7th of April she helped in the celebration on Rroma Day, where people could discover more about the traditions of Rroma.

In my opinion, they are a really good example, not only for people from Rroma communities but anyone who wants succeed in life.

Alexsandra da Silva Lázaro

Saptamana Alt Fel

Some of us this week we decided to work on the concept of Trust, but more related with trusting in the others. We showed videos about how the Trust is such an important thing in our day by day lives and how it can make life so much better, easier. It's not a easy concept to work with the kids because we know that they joke and play all the time but it actually worked. After showing funny videos and also a video about someone willing to receive hugs from unknown people on the streets to see if them would actually hug him or not, we tried the same thing in the classroom. Why not receive hugs from class mates whether they know you or not? So, close the eyes and let's feel, and trust, and also enjoy a hug moment together. The other part of the class, we worked on Trust related to working in a team and how well a team can go if everybody trusts everybody. So, have enough courage to trust and let's make this world a better place to live.

Spanish, Samba and communication in school Urși

Debora and I went to school Urși on April. Everybody from the school were warm and friendly with us. The activities included: energizers, Spanish, Portuguese, Samba and games about communication. It was a pleasure, especially because Diana (our mentor) is teacher there. We want to thank everybody from the school.

Thank,

Alexsandra

Village Museum, one of the most interesting places in Ramnicu Valcea

in 14 of January, Volunteers went to visit the Village Museum which one has an old story about ancient Romanian people. It was a sunny and beautiful day. Traian (coordinator of village museum) showed them around of museum. It was a good experience to see which conditions Romanians used to live in old times. They learned history of village museum.

They saw the old houses and the church. There was two types of house. One of them for big family (between 7-11 people). One of them for small family(3 person). Also There was big inn like restaurant. After of visit and get information about museum, all volunteers and coordinators( Georgeta Munteanu, Catalin Soare) met to celebrate birthday of two (Carito Díaz Kelly and Meltem Çoban) volunteers inside of inn. Traian offered traditional drinks ( palinka) to everybody.They shared good time together. I think every person should visit that amazing place.

If you want to get more information about Village museum you can click this link

.

http://www.muzee-valcea.ro/index.php?f=muzee&m=3&lb=en

EVS promotion YVRA

Proposition of European Voluntary Service, at Matei Basarab high school.

The last two Wednesdays we had a presentation with the highest classes of high school Matei Basarab, to promote the European Voluntary Service (EVS) projects. We informed them with the basic information, we shared our experience in our projects, we answered all their questions and we offer them to make some activities together if they wish.

We hope that one day they can have one magnificent experience in a EVS, as we are having so far in our project. Meeting new people from all around the world, growing and improving a lot in a personal and in a professional way, open our mind in every way and quickly, travelling and knowing fantastic places, and having a lot of fun while at the same time we help the local community in different ways with our work and activities. This last 7 months have been great !!!

Our Prezi presentation with some information if you want to check, click on the next link: 

Presentation about European Voluntary Service

Website with information of the approved organizations by European Union commission to receive and send volunteers to work in EVS projects: 

Database with information about EVS opportunities

Some Funny Video that we made to share with them :)

EVS Promotion YVRA

AND SOME PICTURES !!

International Woman's Day

"The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights" Gloria Steinem

“Each year International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. The first International Women's Day was held in 1911. Thousands of events occur to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. Organizations, governments, charities, educational institutions, women's groups, corporations and the media celebrate the day.”

This year, this special date, was on a Sunday, so the YVRA volunteers with the collaboration of some other volunteers of other projects, together we decide to make something to express our support and affection to the woman in their special day. We expressed in some posters our wishes about equal opportunities, equal rights and the total respect of the woman from all point of view. And after we went to the street to share this posters with everybody !!!!!! The change, to succeed in this matter, it has to happen in our minds, . we must create the debate whenever we can, and convey by example.

If you want to know more about the International Woman’s Day, check the next link:

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/about.asp#.VQqlBI6sV1Y

Some pics and one video :

Spanish lessons in Colonia Nuci school !!

This last days in Colonia school were very good with the class of 6th degree, besides in the beginning we had some problems to catch their attention and interest.

For that reason we asked them about their interests and if they wanted to learn Spanish, and actually, they were really interested !

This last days we started whit the Spanish lessons, and it was very good because we felt that the kids were really interested, almost all participated in the class in a very productive way.

Libertad started teaching the alphabet, the numbers, the days of the week and some phrases useful tho start a simple communication.

Not everything that is said, is with words

The last activities in School number 4 had to do with the power of different types of way to expressing ourselves. Not only the words have meanings, but our body itself has a powerful way of communicating as well. We showed short videos that were mute but fun and easy to understand. Videos that were not Romanian made but had common human expressions in it, expressions that we know all over the world. How does a person that feels: confused, excited, happy, sad, nervous look like? Can we understand their feeling by seeing their faces and body language? Yes, we can! After the videos, we had a small discussion about how important is to use the body to communicate and how is useful for us (that we live in a foreign land) the body language when we don't speak the country language. We had communication problems when we just arrived (We didn't speak romanian) but with the body language, we were pretty much understood. Then we played some dynamic games to put in practice the body language and the team working. So, how can you organize a team with no speaking? Or how can you understand the other speaking a totally different language? BODY LANGUAGE, a powerful communication tool!