Hello everyone, I am genuine Halis Berk. I participated in the Erasmus + youth exchange program in Botoşani, Romania on May 1- 5 . I have been participating in European Union programs since 2018 and have been working in the field of youth for 5 years and I am working in Istanbul as a trainee lawyer.
What is the Erasmus Youth Exchange Programme?
These are the projects that are carried out within 5-21 days in which young people between the ages of 13-30 participate, without the requirement of a foreign language, by the coming together of at least two countries, and while doing this, they are inspired by the European Youth Goals.
Young individuals conduct workshops on many subjects with participants from many countries, and thanks to these studies, a cultural innovation is created and positive experiences such as empathy, effective communication and socialization among young people are realized.
Every young person should participate in a youth exchange and I recommend that they pass on their experiences to other individuals in their country. Thus, the dissemination and sustainability of Erasmus + programs will reach thousands of young people.
We are starting the Romanian Journey…
With 7 different youth organizations from 5 different countries (Romania, Turkey, France, Italy, Czech Republic), we carried out a youth exchange program called “Smart Choices for Health Lifestyle” in the city of Botoşani, located in the north of Romania, between 1 and 5 May 2023.
Our project was about raising awareness of young individuals on Mental Health, healthy life and sports, and a healthier lifestyle in the lives of young individuals. During this 5-day period, the positive energy of nature and the active efforts of the participants made it an excellent and experienced project. During the project, I learned the cornerstones of healthy life by carrying out many activities such as youth workshops, simulations, sports activities, nature walks.
Although it took a short time, I left behind sincere friendships, unforgettable memories and an emotional farewell.
How did you reach the project area?
First of all, I will not say that it is an easy journey… Romania is a country with very old trains, although the railway is developed. The “Smart Choices for Health Lifestyle” project took place in the Romanian city of Botoşani, in a region close to the Moldovan border. On this trip, we actually completed a part of our journey by coming directly from Istanbul to Bucharest by plane. But I didn’t know that the journey was just beginning…
The real journey begins now,
After getting off the plane in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, I took a 7-hour train ride to Iaşi, a city near Botaşani. It was a very uncomfortable and tiring journey for me as the trains were old and slow. After arriving in the city of Iaşi, we took the buses to the Project area and reached a training facility intertwined with Nature after 2 hours.
By empathizing with me now, you understand how long a journey I have gone through… I made a journey that took about 10 hours, including plane, train and bus.
There is also air transportation to the northern parts of Romania, but I had to pass through Bucharest because there were no flights on the dates I went.
Although it is long, I realized that train journeys in Romania are fun. If you happen to be in the north of Romania, you should definitely try it.
What was the location of the project like?
The “Smart Choices for Health Lifestyle” project took place in a training facility in the vorona region close to the city of Botashani. The training facility took place in an environment suitable for the subject of the project, as well as having a position that is intertwined with nature. I would like to say that the educational facilities’ project halls, sports facilities and a large garden increase the quality and benefit of our project.
Realizing a project in an environment suitable for very productive activities in terms of mental health and sports allowed me to increase my experience and experience. Thus, I realized a very beautiful and unforgettable nature project.
The things that the project brought me;
I would like to say that I gained a lot of fun and unforgettable memories from the moment I joined the project until the end and I was very lucky in this regard.
In each project, we say goodbye with a memory box and go through an emotional process. In this project, I gained a cultural awareness by getting the chance to meet 42 young friends from 5 different countries. By learning about their cultures, an innovation took place, and as a result, I gained sincere friendships.
42 sincere people I can’t forget…..
In the projects, you get the opportunity to discover many historical places along with learning basic words in many languages. By getting the chance to see many cities, especially the natural beauties of the country you are visiting, your vision and horizons expand, and as a result, you gain a good experience.
Yes, you want to participate in Erasmus+ plus youth exchange programs. What should you do?
Youth exchange projects are projects that every young person between the ages of 13-30 can benefit from without any participation conditions. In the project I participated in, I had the chance to participate by filling out the motivation forms opened by the partner organizations and evaluating the gender, region and qualification criteria equally. In the projects, the ratio of boys and girls is generally chosen equally and there is no language requirement. But if you want to take an active part in the project, I recommend you to be at least A2 level language level.
If you know your vocabulary and basic phrases about the subject of the project, the project will be more fun and useful for you.
You buy your own transportation tickets during the project process. Then, when you submit your invoices to the Coordinator institution, you will receive a refund up to the transportation fee amount included in the infopack.
In the project I participated in, it was said that a maximum of 275 euros would be paid between Turkey and Romania. I bought my plane and train tickets by paying myself. By presenting the invoice of the tickets to the institution, the Coordinator institution reports these tickets and refunds you within 6 at the latest. Thus, both transportation, accommodation and food and beverages are covered by the European Union, and young participants benefit from such a beautiful and beneficial program free of charge.
Travel days before or after the project (it’s up to you personally)
In Youth Exchange programs, 2 days before or after the project were allowed to visit. If you are selected for these projects, you can optionally visit the country like a tourist before or after the project and have the chance to discover many places. But let’s not forget that you have to personally pay all the expenses you spend outside the project dates. Unfortunately, the European Union does.
After I finished the project in Botoşanide, I had a nice experience by coming to Bucharest by train. I had the chance to visit the historical structure, old houses and large gardens of the capital and made a nice touristic trip.
Yes, we are slowly coming to the end…..
Youth Exchanges is a program that must be done by every young person. You can be sure that you will not regret it and you will have a lot of fun and learn.
Take very good care of yourself..
Halis Berk Abaşoğlu
İstanbul/Turkey
for contact
Gmail: halisberkabasoglu@gmail.com
İnstagram: @berk.abasoglu
Linkedin: Halis Berk Abaşoğlu
