Between 17-24th of September, young people from 5 countries took part in a Youth Exchange organised by our association on the topic of the SDGs. The groups of 7 person in each came from Greece, Italy, Portugal, North Macedonia and Romania.
The first day of the Youth Exchange was about getting to know each other, because in order to start working together, it was necessary to learn more about each other. In addition, young people were able to discover the jewels of our small town during an adventurous game. This was followed by the actual work. During the program, we worked with 5 SDGs:
- Affordable and clean energy
- Sustainable cities and communities
- Responsible consumption and production
- Climate action
- Life on land
On the second day, the young people presented their own country’s situation regarding the 5 goals, and then illustrated it by creating infographics. Over the next few days, we dissected each goal in detail, started each day with a presentation about a certain goal, and then there were practical activities. Thanks to this, we were able to see the traditional process of baking bread and making cheese, visited the nearby solar panel farm and a house with solar panels, we were also able to see a kitchen garden, and we collected waste with school students in the school’s courtyard and later in the town area.
In the afternoon, young people worked on a magazine presented on the penultimate day at a local school, raising awareness on the importance of the SDGs. The magazine also contained practical elements that, if followed, can bring us a little closer to achieving these goals. On the last day, the program was closed, evaluation, continuation opportunities and project ideas were discussed during the day, and the Youthpass certificates were given to participants during the dinner.
