Born to Be Alive
Thanks to our organization Youthfully Yours, we had the opportunity to take a part in the program Born to be Alive which took place in Raches, Greece. The area and nature around our venue were magnificent: right by the sea and surrounded by mountains. Our Slovak team consisted of 6 girls from all over Slovakia. Other countries that participated were Spain, France, Denmark, and Greece. All of us became very good friends quickly and had an amazing time. The hosting Greek organization Fthia in Action prepared a program, connected with a lot of outdoor activities and projects concentrated on the environment.
Our Slovak team arrived at the Athens airport, and we had a full free day in Athens. This was an amazing opportunity for us to explore the city while waiting for the pickup and joining other groups. We saw the city center and many unique historical monuments such as Acropolis.
During the first days of the project, we were doing many ice-breaking games, where we got to know each other. It continued with us doing presentations in groups about climate change, global warming, sustainability, and pollution. As we were situated in this beautiful environment, we did a lot of activities outside such as kayaking, paddle boarding, playing volleyball, and biking.
The owner of the whole venue Nisi, where we were staying, did many interesting activities with us. Such as the ceramics workshop, scavenger hunt, and inspirational presentation about his own volunteering organization Wheeling to Help. We learned about their volunteering programs in countries like Africa and Nepal. All of us were touched by their videos documenting what they did for these people.
The highlight for us was going on 2-day trips. One was a little hike along the river to beautiful waterfalls, where we could swim. The second one was visiting a typical Greek city of Lamia, where we learned a bit about the history and their sustainable building powered by solar panels. Afterward, we could relax in natural thermal springs, located few minutes away from the city.
During this project, we had the opportunity to meet amazing people from different countries and thus gain a new perspective on the world. We have learned a lot from each other but most of all we have created wonderful log lasting friendships. I definitely speak for everyone when I say that we are looking forward to more youth exchanges and opportunities that Youthfully Yours offers.