REFLECTION DIARES
At my first day in the project I met all participants and we started with some breaking ice activities it was fun to do and knowing a little bit about everyone also we had drawn a portrait of each other and it was a masterpiece
In the next couple days we talked about our organisation we went to the beach and prepare for the cultural night while having a lot of projects during the day such as first aid , Journey of experiences through arts, team games and a school visit .
I had a great time and learned so much about my health mindset and how can I express myself through different types of art and rearranging my thoughts through meditation. And I learned so much about teamwork and how to deal with different personalities and making the job done .
MEDYEN, JORDAN
Through the past week and a half, I learned so much about achieving your goals but with different approaches. Mental health affects our daily routine, some of us may be trying to overcome their social anxiety, depression, low confidence, or maybe something more serious. There are many ways to try to overcome these struggles, some would lean toward art, handicrafts, etc... others might prefer more physical activities. There is no wrong or right the only thing that matters is that you would listen to your body and do what would make you feel happy, more relaxed, and appreciated. Help people with your knowledge, be a team player, and be a good example to others because you don't know who is going to be affected by your actions. Remember you will matter, you are important and you deserve to be happy.
I truly cherish the opportunity I was given to be part of this exchange, it was a fantastic experience with wonderful people.
OLA,JORDAN
The youth exchange project that was held in Cyprus with the participation of 6 countries (Jordan, Cyprus, Belgium, North Macedonia, Armenia, and Ukraine) was an excellent opportunity to learn how to maintain a healthy mindset. By participating in activities and discussions with other young people from different cultural backgrounds, meeting new friends, communicating with them, and learning useful things from them, the participants gained new perspectives on mental health and learned strategies for coping with stress and promoting well-being. We may also develop skills in effective communication, conflict resolution, teamwork, and being active in sports, all of which can contribute to a more positive mindset. In addition, exposure to new experiences and ideas can broaden one's outlook on life and increase resilience in the face of challenges. Overall, a youth exchange project provided an enriching learning experience that promotes a healthy mindset and helps young people develop valuable skills to navigate the complexities of modern life. It was a new experience for me through which I learned a lot and gained new experiences, and I met new nice friends who respect others and their culture, we exchanged conversations and activities and we worked together as one team, and I tried to transfer my knowledge and experiences to others as well.
DANA,JORDAN
The youth exchange program that took place in Cyprus aimed to promote a healthy mindset for social inclusion, The program included six teams from Jordan, Ukraine, Belgium, Armenia, Cyprus, and Macedonia. it created a supportive environment that fostered personal and social development through various activities to encourage positive thinking, self-reflection, and mental well-being. The teams participated in many workshops and discussions that focused for example on mindfulness, stress management, and self-care, providing them with tools to manage their mental health. Physical activities such as hiking, swimming, and team sports were also included in the program, promoting the benefits of physical exercise on mental health. The participants were encouraged to maintain a healthy lifestyle by making nutritious food choices and getting adequate sleep. By promoting a healthy mindset, the youth exchange provided a valuable opportunity for the participants to develop personally and create lasting connections with people from different cultures and backgrounds .for Me, I discovered a lot of things, learned many things, and got to know many friends, and among the things I learned was how to keep my mind clear, how to do first aid, logical and correct thinking, and interact with people despite the existing differences. The experience I gained was full and very important. It will benefit me in my practical and personal life
KHALED,JORDAN
​Firts of all i want to mentioned it that this is my first Erasmus project and to be honest i felt really gilty how is going to be. I met so nice, kind people full with positive energy. I am so close with everyone and i’ve had many conversations with many people here but the closest one are my roommates ( guys from Armenia). I really feel connected with them and also i already miss everyone . I really had good experience with Belgium and Jordan team. Also this Erasmus project helps me with my confidence, public speaking, teamwork, also i learned so much about other cultures and i fell in love a little with one girl…. . Right now from this angle iam really sad because tomorrow we are leaving i dont want to. I hope that i will be on touch with many people after this project and maybe see them again. And very big thank to you Renos because without you nothing from this would have happened.
BORIS,NORTH MACEDONIA
Dear Renos,
I think the project went well. The activities were amazing and were really connected to the title of the project, also I had alot of fun! I really liked the writing and meditation workshop because it relaxed me. Also the accommodation was really nice and the place was amazing.
Thank you!
FILIP,NORTH MACEDONIA
My exceptations of this project were met close to what i have imagined.
Some of the workshops that we had here presented and created i would like to use in the future and also personal life.
Personally i followed all the people with attention that wanted to show something, to share some of their knowledge and experience.
Communicating and meeting different cultures was one the best part of my learning experience. It makes me to be become more a man of culture.
As far as i am concerned i dont have any people that i would like to mention that i felt connected during the workshops. Yes i did engage and communicate but thats all.
PETAR ,NORTH MACEDONIA
Dear Renos,
The youth exchange went really well. I really liked the activities especially the ones outdoors and art.
The accommodation was really nice and the place is beautiful.
About the time schedule, I think it was allright and on time. The activities really corresponded with the title of the project.
Thank you
MIA,NORTH MACEDONIA
The youth exchange in Cyprus was a wonderful experience for me. I made friendships. I learned about different cultures. I had the opportunity to apply my knowledge of English in practice.I learned to accept the differences between people from other countries, I socialized, I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful beaches in Paralimni.This was a wonderful time spent with wonderful people in a wonderful place that will forever remain in my memory.
HRISTINA,NORTH MACEDONIA
As my first erazmus + project I could say that it has been very successful, helpful i met a lot of great, amazing people along the way. Different countries, different nationalities combined as one it was an amazing experience, the activities and the workshops were good, I learned a lot of new stuff, new perspectives and lessons.
MARIJA,NORTH MACEDONIA
During my intercultural exchange experience, I had the opportunity to explore and immerse myself in various new cultures. It was a fascinating journey of learning and discovery, as I gained insights into the unique customs, traditions, and values of each community.
One of the most remarkable aspects of this experience was the sense of kinship I developed with the Jordanian team. They embraced me like one of their own and treated me like family, creating a warm and inclusive atmosphere that made me feel at home.
Through my interactions with the team and other participants, I learned valuable lessons about effective communication and group dynamics. I discovered that listening attentively, speaking clearly, and being open-minded are essential skills for building strong relationships and fostering productive collaborations.
This intercultural exchange also challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and embrace new experiences. Whether it was trying unfamiliar foods, participating in local customs, or engaging in cultural exchange activities, I found that being open to new experiences allowed me to broaden my horizons and grow as a person.
Overall, my intercultural exchange experience was incredibly enriching and rewarding. I came away from it with a deep appreciation for the diversity of our world and a newfound respect for the importance of cultural exchange and understanding.
LAYLA,BELGIUM
After the arrival it became really clear that the exchange fulfilled in all the basic provisions. Therefore I felt really comfortable and ready to meet all the new participants. I really liked that the ´getting to know eachother´ was in the activities itself. We just did some icebreakers and energizers so it felt really easy to get to know eachother without putting extra attention and wasting time. I also liked that the practical things were completed after the first two days so we could focus on the subject ´healthy mindset´ for the rest of the week. There was a good variety in activities indoor and outdoor. Besides the preparing and carrying out of projects and ideas I still feel as if I experienced some Cyprus. Especially the hike and the visit to the school lead to me feeling closer to this unexplored country. Additional activities like ´Let me show you my passion´ and ´secret friend´ resulted in group development even after the ´getting to know each other introduction´. Also the intercultural evenings helped with building relationships and respect towards each other. In the beginning there were some tensions between certain people but I feel like after these intercultural evenings there grew some more tolerance and it calmed things down a bit.
LONI,BELGIUM
It was my tirst experience with a project like this and when I look back I really feel it's something that added value in a lot of ways.
It was interesting to meet people from different country's and connect with them.
Learn from the differences but see a lot of similarities too. I liked the conversations with people who do similar things in their daily life and get inspired by it. For instance the Ukrainian team that developed games for children based on history or their projects with kids and police. But also the personal connections I built and country's I want to visit. I'm planning on going to Jordan when possible.
As a youthworker I also see the possibilities in a project like this for the network of young people I have. It's something that I'm going to share a lot and I already had a lot of reactions by sharing story's on Instagram. Maybe For me personally a coaching project is something I want to do in the future so l'm happy that by doing this something that added value in a lot ot ways.
It was interesting to meet people from different country's and connect with them.
Learn from the differences but see a lot of similarities too. I liked the conversations with people who do similar things in their daily life and get inspired by it. For instance the Ukrainian team that developed games for children based on history or their projects with kids and police. But also the personal connections I built and country's I want to visit. I'm planning on going to Jordan when possible.
As a youthworker I also see the possibilities in a project like this for the network of young people I have. It's something that I'm going to share a lot and I already had a lot of reactions by sharing story's on Instagram. Maybe For me personally a coaching project is something I want to do in the future so I'm happy that by doing this project it introduced me to other interesting things.
KEVIN,BELGIUM
I’ve really loved this experience, i didn’t really knew what to expect because it was my first project.
Even tho I came 1 day later because i lost my identity card, i managed to get here.
The day I arrived i immediately felt a good vibe between all the participants.
I came in to the room to put my stuff there and immediately made a few friends form Jordan because we slept in the same room.
I got a tour and really loved the location.
There where a lot of interesting people i met and i will definitely hear again after this project.
I learned a lot about new cultures and country’s.
I really liked the fact that everyone has a diffraction background and now we got the chance to talk about this because of this project.
MEDINA,BELGIUM
This Youth Exchange I had the opportunity to observe how the project was led and implemented and it was a good learning practice for my career as Youth workers. It was very helpful to understand other cultural aspects from countries I knew very little about like Armenia and Jordan. In particular, it was interesting to talk with them about traditions, values and gender equality in their country.
GINA,CYPRUS
During the last few days I got my first experience of Erasmus + projects. And even though the healthy mindset activities were not really as I expected and some participants weren't feeling well sometimes, I must say that I enjoyed it all immensely. I loved the energizers (especially the Llama one), teamwork preparing interviews and creating the Walnut app. However, the part I loved the most was my first big intercultural experience. I can surely say that despite my usual shyness I made great friends, like my roommates Emma and Hristina, Kevin, Sasha, Dana, Ola, Reem and Anhelina. I felt comfortable during team reflection time and my teamleader has been very supportive. In the time of the project I learned about stress management, mental health practices, the reality of the spread of healthy mindset in different countries and I discovered cultures that had been totally new for me. I liked the time we drew portraits in an exciting way, how we exchanged cards and gifts, how the guys and I were congratulated on your birthdays, the reflection in groups and some of the dancing parties in the evening. Thank you for these amazing days
ORYNA,UKRAINE
The project “Healthy mindset for social inclusion” helped me develop both professionally and personally. Over the past days, I was able to overcome my fear of public speaking, spread my knowledge on the topics of mental and physical health. In addition, I met quite different people who differ from me in terms of religion and ways of thinking, which was useful for personal development. I was glad to meet old friends, both from the Ukrainian team and from others. It was a good time that was filled with education and fun at the same time.
VALERYA,UKRAINE
So far I learn to how organise first aid because it is very important knowledge. I like way Lera presented first aid. Also, workshop about stress gave me understanding what is stress causes and how to fight with it. Energisers and team building activities gave to me tools how to work with young people. It was cool to prepare activity in school because for me it is new experience interact with pupils. Cooperation with different nations increased my awareness about tradition and develop my tolerant attitude.
OLEKSANDRA,UKRAINE
During the project I had a possibility to learn how I can help myself and other people to have healthy mindset. Besides, I learn how provide the first aid. Also, knowledge about influencing the stress to my body become very helpful for me. I very like our teamwork in this project, because this is a good opportunity to take other people's exchange and to share my own. So, I really satisfied to meet a lot of talented, clever, creating young people, because every one of them is full the interesting ideas and excellent experience. Finally, I would like to thank organization for this opportunity
ALINA,UKRAINE
This project highlighted the importance of mental health care. This is especially relevant now for my country, which is currently at war. So this is important for me, because living under shelling is quite stressful.
In addition, the project stimulates me to develop: I train English and acquire new skills.
On this project, I learned how to reduce stress.
ANGELINA,UKRAINE
I took part in Erasmus+ project which took place in Cyprus. We used to live in a cozy apartments which were located in Paralimni, Cyprus. Our schedules were fulfilled with fascinating and challenging activities such as workshops/activities related to healthy mindset and of corse there were cultural nights in order to share our cultures. All in all, the people with who I was surrounded with were amazing people from Armenia, Macedonia, Jordan, Belgium and Ukraine. I’d like to express my gratitude to NECI Cyprus for an unforgettable experience .
VALERY,ARMENIA
The 11 days of the program passed quite quickly. Although I had different expectations of what the project is going to be like I'm quite happy with the experience. The reason for that is other participants. I felt especially connected with the Jordanian and North Macedonian teams. The Jordanian team taught me so much about their culture that I cannot wait to travel to Jordan to meet them again and see their country. In the beginning, I thought that we would be so different but at the end of the day, we are all the same
TATEV,ARMENIA
Participating in the Erasmus+ project has been a remarkable experience that has enriched me in so many ways. One of the most striking things about this project was the opportunity to meet people from different cultures. I had the chance to interact with people from various countries, learn about their cultures and way of life, and make lasting friendships. This experience has broadened my perspective and has helped me understand and appreciate the differences in people.
Additionally, the Erasmus+ project allowed me to engage with kids, which was a first for me. It was a challenge at first, but I gradually learned how to interact with them and create a comfortable and fun environment for them. This experience has taught me patience, compassion, and the importance of being a role model for young ones. Teamwork was also a significant aspect of this project. We had numerous team assignments that required us to work collaboratively towards a common goal. Through these activities, I learned how to communicate effectively with my team members, appreciate their contributions, and how to manage conflicts that may arise in a team setting. Moreover, the Erasmus+ project helped me develop valuable skills like punctuality and first aid. These skills will be beneficial to me in other areas of my life as well. Overall, the Erasmus+ project has been an eye-opening experience that has taught me so much about myself and the world around me.
SOPHIE,ARMENIA
From day one, I was very impressed with the methods that NECI used as an icebreaker, such as energy, games, and how they try to connect each member: for example, it was drawing our portraits and placing pockets next to the portraits.
This makes sense, because we have to start taking care of our friends.
I liked the way we studied: to be more understandable, we had topics and we worked as a team. I learned more things and I like this project.
Thank you for this opportunity!
SERINE,ARMENIA
I will talk about the program only positively. Thank you for the organized program. It gave me the opportunity to self-educate. To be more active. The visit to the organized school was very interesting. Because this is my first chance to work with children and it gave me the opportunity to get to know myself better and discover myself. I was able to get to know different nations. with cultures and exchanged myself with the culture of my Country Top 10 Very Special Interest every morning starting the Program