In Paphos, city of Cyprus, famous for sunny beaches and warm people, 31 people gathered for a youth exchange – “Bridge to the Future” to share insights into their career and professional background. Youth workers from Cyprus, Georgia, Lithuania, Hungary, Turkey and Italy arrived on 21st November and worked together to navigate the sea of careers, engaging in several activities and workshops, such as: role playing, simulations, brainstorming and social experiments.
Besides the formal sessions the participants shared their culture, presenting their songs, dances, cuisine and traditions on the intercultural evenings. During the project they have tried an amazing Italian pasta, Hungarian chocolates, Lithuanian party games and Turkish coffee. All participants let
their voice out and also learnt Cypriot songs on the street by local people. The history of Paphos was discussed with strangers, who were eager to share their knowledge with the youth.
“The best part of the whole exchange was meeting other young people that have similar struggles in the choice of a career path. We established a sense of community and mutual understanding in a phase of our lives which is surrounded by a lot of uncertainty and doubt. It is inspiring to listen to other people’s stories and perspectives and learn valuable lessons through them.”
Sofia, Italy, 22
“This youth exchange was an amazing experience to me as we had a fun and productive time in Paphos. I got inspired a lot by the participants and got to understand how diverse our nations are. We ve been a really colorful group of people who taught and learnt lots during the week. I wish we could stay longer.” Balazs, Hungary, 25
“Frankly, it was an awesome experience and I’m so thankful for everything regarding the project. The above-mentioned Erasmus project gave me lots of opportunities, so I will use them for the better changes in the future. Meeting with the other participants from the other countries struggling with the same issues was crucial personally for me.” Rezi, Georgia, 22
“It was my first experience in Cyprus, Paphos city that has a reputation for being friendly, warm, welcoming and fun loving to the visitors. In every corner of city, people are ready to help you and listen to you. We could also witness the great atmosphere with a very diverse group of people. It was
a great pleasure to meet people from different countries with different experience and expectations.” Elene, Georgia, 21
Overall the project was successful in terms of implementing our knowledge and skills. Certainly it gave us more awareness about ourselves and our position in a social environment while gifting us unforgettable memories and magic moments. All participants have improved and stepped out of
their comfort zones. It is not always easy to do so, but the facilitation and trainer helped the youth a lot to fulfill their potential and have some personal development by the end of November. All of us gained friendships, learnt languages, got closer to our career goals and had a lot of fun. We will never forget Paphos, Cyprus.
