This project showed me that people around the world are active and engaged regardless of age…
Making acquaintances and networking are important parts of the project. The ability to look at various problems, as well as possible solutions from different perspectives, is very educational and encourages reflection. Although at the beginning a different age of the participants of this study visit may seem to be an obstacle and make it difficult to communicate, we quickly managed to find a common language (not always English 😉). I learned about the culture of North Macedonia, its capital city of which is located in a beautiful mountainous area; however, while you are walking around the streets, you could immediately spot such problems as a huge amount of litter or homeless dogs roaming around. In spite of that, I think it’s a beautiful country full of places worth seeing. Habitants of Macedonia are also very outgoing, nice and willing to help other people. The cuisine of this country is very tasty, similar to other Balkan cuisines. During the study visit, we had the opportunity to taste many types of cheese produced directly by the goat breeder. They were diverse and very tasty, and the goats had very good living conditions, and it was apparent that they were treated with affection. The community garden we visited was very beautiful, with different types of plants growing in each section. We could taste strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes or chilli pepper and meals for the guests were made from some of the vegetables planted there. The way the garden is managed is admirable; all people care about the common good and follow established rules. I’m grateful for possibility to meet so many wonderful people and for being the part of such interesting project, full of networking and adventures. I would like to thank the LEVEL UP Association for enabling me to participate in a study visit in North Macedonia and for their support and advice before as well as after this visit. I would also like to thank wholeheartedly Zelenata Arka and especially Ilona Olehlova for being with us during the whole project, taking care of us, providing support and advice and also sharing the knowledge. I also thank all participants for creating a wonderful atmosphere and sharing the knowledge with others. Thank you!
I highly recommend participating in international trips because they allow you to meet many engaged people from all over the world, from whom you can learn a lot. Their experience can be an inspiration for us and the possibilities of international cooperation are unlimited. Moreover, friendships made on such trips are very unique, because neither age, country of origin, nor language intervene.
Wikoria, 18 years old, study visit, Skopje, Macedonia
The project in Macedonia was exceptional for me as it was a study visit…
There were no age restrictions, which led to a wide age range of the participants. However, what was amazing was the fact that we were all able to find common ground and make good connections with each other. I was particularly moved to see how everybody was united by the ecology topic and creating space for people for whom it is equally important. I would like to appreciate the organisation that went to great lengths to make this short project in Macedonia completely packed with all kinds of various experiences, to be as interesting as possible for participants, which they definitely succeeded in.
I definitely recommend this kind of trip not only to my peers, but also to all people who are involved in some topic-related issue and are looking for others who are also passionate about it.
Szymon, 20 years old, study visit, Skopje, Macedonia
