George:
”This was my first Erasmus+ exchange. When I first applied, I didn’t expect that I would gain such a wonderful and unique experience. I had the opportunity to meet with so many amazing people. Each one was different, each one was unique. I feel grateful that I managed to collaborate, to chat and to connect on a deeper level with everyone who participated in the project.
I will never forget how supportive and caring everyone was. I also had the time to reflect on myself and to unwind from everyday stress. I returned home with a different perspective on life, I now have set different and more meaningful goals. I also gained so much knowledge of topics I was very inexperienced; I can now understand the struggles that transgender people have to go through, I understand what it really is to experience body dysphoria.
During this project, I literally hugged myself, I accepted me for being myself. I feel grateful to have experienced such a life changing project and I can’t wait to plan a follow up with my favourite Active Rainbow teammates!”
Kelly:
”Activists Assemble was an amazing Erasmus+ project that taught me a lot about queer community and also about myself. I had the opportunity to meet amazing participants and great trainers that helped me get out of my comfort zone and try new things.
I challenged myself and learnt more about activism, getting over my fear of being a leader and how to express myself. I hope everyone has the opportunity to participate in projects like this, that promote personal growth, active listening and lifelong learning.
Lastly, I would highly encourage other participants who think about joining programs in Active Rainbow or with Roes Cooperativa to do so, because both organisations have very high quality projects with safe and secure environment that encourage people to grow and discover themselves.”
Aristidis:
”One of the most important life lessons I gained from this Activists Assemble Erasmus+ project was the value of self-care and self-love. The importance of these values is often neglected by society. One magical moment I experienced was when the trainers asked each of us to take some “me time” (i.e. each one to dedicate some time to themselves); I really needed that. Thus, this time I could be able to realize how significant self-love is, while before entering the project I didn’t take it so seriously.
All in all, this experience was one of the most life changing ones we ever faced. The emotional connection, the supportive environment and the amazing experiences we created as a team will remain in our hearts. As Greeks, we can’t wait to continue creating magical moments not only through the follow up actions, but also through our really strong bond we created. We would also love to meet with our foreign teammates if possible, because we really miss the experiences we all lived together as a family.”
Freideriki:
”This project was one of the best things I have ever done! I travelled to the other side of Europe and in a span of just 12 days, Burtnieki felt like home and some strangers became friends. I had the opportunity to learn, teach, exchange ideas but most importantly, give and receive love & respect.
I will never forget the receptive (that’s the new word I learnt!) environment, our dances in the rainbow room, our laughter in the middle of the night while making sandwiches, our fun walks to the lake and all the smiles on those lovely faces. Through these moments I learnt how to be a better ally, how to set and respect boundaries and how to dig deeper into myself. This is just the beginning of my activism journey. SLAY!”