From the roots to the fruits...
What does this mean? That another amazing AEGEE event has just started!
A group of 6 Armenian, 7 Greeks, 7 Latvians and a lot of motivated Spanish people gathered in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to take part in a special event, an event about volunteering. The main purpose of this event is to raise awareness of different types of volunteering.
The first day began with a visit to a Down Syndrome centre (www.asdlp.org) where we had the opportunity to get in contact with Down Syndrome people. It was not just a centre which just organizes some extra activities for them, but a place where they could discover their own potentials and develop their capacities for the labour market.
At first, they introduced themselves and told us some things about their personality and their activities. The most impressive fact was when they talked about their dreams and their future plans. It was really touching listening to people with Down Syndrome trying to achieve their goals. Be sure they will manage to integrate into the society.
Afterwards, the Latvians presented their country and talked about their climate, the Latvian language, their culture and their traditions. The Down Syndrome people were really interested in Latvian language and they wanted to learn some words. What really impressed them was that in Latvia there are many beaches as well but, in contrast to Gran Canaria, they are most of the time covered with snow. What's more, they got to know the LAT, the Latvian currency.
Then, the Greeks appeared on stage. After introducing themselves, they showed pictures of landscapes and many aspects of the Greek civilization. Aside from this, the Down Syndrome people were amazed, so they started to make questions and wanted to know more about Greek history and mythology. At the end, they danced all together "Syrtaki" -a traditional Greek dance- and they had a lot of fun!
Last but not least, the Armenians introduced as well their country and their history. Questions about how far Armenia is were raised. We actually had a short "trip" to Armenia by listening to traditional music and watching videos of their landscapes.
And the task of the Down Syndrome people was to talked about the Canary Islands. They had previously prepared a very nice presentation which was great for the participants to know a little bit more about the amazing landscapes of these islands.
Finally, we had the opportunity to sing all together a very representative song from the Canary Islands "Vivo en un archipiélago..."
Both participants and Down Syndrome people had a very nice experience and we were very sad that this pleasant morning had come to an end. But in the afternoon we met again for a bowling game! We were divided in three teams consisted both from us and Down Syndrome people. It was an unforgetable experience.
Down Syndrome people were really excited about this activity and their smile was the best prize we could get!
After this significant lesson of volunteering, we are sure that at the end of this event the volunteering will have won many new and motivated active members!
We are looking forward for the next fascinating days!
Kostas, Georgia and Hará - AEGEE-Peiraias
Pictures: Jonás Oliva Bolaños
No comments:
Post a Comment