From July 24 to July 30, 30 young people from Croatia, Cyprus, Romania, the United Kingdom and Latvia gathered in the guest house "Ērgļi" to implement the youth exchange project "Your Health, Your Wealth", reported by Liepāja Youth House Project Manager Daira Knipse. The project was saturated with various activities. Mornings began with yoga, breathing and stretching exercises, but during the day, activities developed in other health-related directions. Young people themselves took the initiative and formed their master classes from physical training to natural toothpaste workshops.
Youth participants had the opportunity to work in agriculture and prepare healthy meals from the collected rural goods. Active engagement in the fieldwork encouraged young people to participate in open debate and create interactive nutrition presentations, all of which were immortalized in a special, cookbook set up by each.
Youth also had an opportunity to get acquainted with the active lifestyle of Liepaja by mastering the wakeboarding and trying out the "Tarzan trail" in Beberliņš, as well as visiting the baths and saunas developed by the Latvian tradition.
Participants who were driving away expressed their appreciation for their achievements and experiences. “It was an opportunity to learn, gain knowledge and new healthy habits based on the essential principle of the non formal learning - learning to do. They were open and sympathetic, so friendship was born right away. Spending time in nature and in the cities made me fall in love with Latvia as a country and I believe I will come again - either as a participant of another Erasmus+ project or just like a tourist" Iva from Croatia.
Adrian, team leader of Romania expressed his thoughts saying: “The project was a fantastic opportunity for young people from five different countries to learn from each other about how to live healthier, and to try different activities that would never have been experienced, such as wakeboarding, sauna, yoga, meditation, etc. We learned that it does not matter where you are from - we are all people who share the desire to live healthy. "
"I can not express my gratitude for the opportunity to have such a wonderful experience. We lived close to the forest and the sea, which is rare in my country. In the project, we have also found the heartfelt, so the frustration was a sad note. The most important lesson I learned - it's important to try to make yourself more happy, to be among the healthy people and to always remember that I deserve more than a mediocre life, "said Spyridon from Cyprus.
"Last week I was among the great people in a beautiful place in Bernate, where I had a unique experience," says Nikole from Cyprus. "Exploring the Latvian forests, dipping in the Baltic Sea, tasting local cuisine and participating in all health-related activities, created memories that I will fondly keep for life."
The project was also attended by the Latvian Anna Audere, who taught master classes in making natural toothpaste, as well as yoga and meditation classes. “Although I have been active in my daily life, I learned a lot about healthy lifestyle”. Jordi Evans from England adds: “I gained so much knowledge in these areas, but i will leave you with a nugget of information. I found out that it matters not which country you are from or what your background may be, there will always be people willing to stay up until obscene hours in the morning and dance the night away.”
"I was really pleased to work with young people who are so open and full of positive energy," says project promoter Monta Norkuse. "We ourselves, young people, created this unique experience and believe that with such enthusiasm, true values will not disappear among different cultures."
The "Your Health,Your Wealth" project is funded by the European Commission's "Erasmus +: Youth in Action" program supported by the Youth International Program Agency in Latvia.
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