Find your inside – outside Dihovo, Bitola, N. Macedonia, 12. – 20. June 2021

SFERA INTERNATIONAL together with Youth Develop Denmark and Z.S.STICHTING LEARNING BY OUTDOOR AND EXPERIENCE implemented a training course in the village Dihovo, Bitola, N.Macedonia from 12 June until 20 June.  The training was the first part of the project  “Find your inside – outside” which is a multi mobility project consisting of one Training Course and 2 Youth exchanges, funded by the Erasmus plus programme.

The main aim of this  training course was to train youth workers from the partner organisations  to be able to develop, organize and facilitate (outdoor) programs for personal development, team development, coaching of youth, gain new skills and methodology for increasing physical and mental health. At the end of the training, the participants developed schedules for 2 youth exchanges, one in Denmark and one in Czech Republic, that they will organize to practice everything that they learned during this Training.

The trainers for this project were Gerrit Onstein and Katerina Popovska. Gerrit trained the participants in developing hard and soft skills and how to use outdoor methodology to work with youth,  and Katerina trained the participants on how to create the schedules for the youth exchanges and how to manage and organize youth exchanges using non formal methodology.

The training through the eyes of the participants:

In this training we had participants from Denmark, Netherland , Czech Republic, Croatia and North Macedonia. In these 7 days we had different kinds of activities such as preparing for bivouak which was the main activity of this training course and was held on the 5^th day. In this order, first оf all we had activities for team building in which we could connect as a team and gain trust which was really important part of this training course , afterwards we  started with developing  our hard skills , so we were learning  how to make a fire without using the tools  that we normally use for fire making  instead we were using Magnesium Flint Firesteel then they  learned how to use rope for different purposes , how to navigate and use the tools for navigation like maps , compass  and last how to build the bivouak . The bivouak  was the result and it showed to the participants  that all of the things that they  were learning on the activities including  tools and outdoor methods were successful , as they  managed to do everything as it should be .

After bivouak  the last two days all of the participants divided in two groups  were  preparing the program activities for the youth exchanges in Denmark and Czech Republic inspired , motivated and with gained knowledge and skills from the training course . According to this we are expecting amazing youth exchanges in Denmark and Czech republic .

Personal Stories:

Two weeks ago, I had the privilege to be part of one training course called “Find your inside outside“.

Find your inside outside, correct words literally because that was what happened.

Amazing experience I could say that it was one of the best projects in which I have ever been!

First thing I want to say about the group, because it is really important thing on the projects with who do you work and learn , so I could say it  was a deep  connection maybe not from the first moment  because most of them were tired from the traveling but yes it was a deep  connection from the second day . We had morning routine to go on swimming on the place so called Kapenci, then we had the activities. That is the most important part for me because with this activity I learned a lot about myself.

Let me start, First we had activities in which we learned how to make fire with fire sticks , second  we were learning how to use the compass and map for orientation  , afterwards how to use the rope and last how to make the bivouac .  With this activity we developed our hard skills and soft skills. Between every activity we had some interesting energizer connected with the activity and after the that  we would gather in circle  and discus about what we learned in that day and mostly the trainer would finish with some good quote or message  ,  with which you would think deeply about it   , ask yourself  something  and of course  motivate yourself more  . The most beautiful day for me  it was when we were hiking and making the bivouac , after we prepared everything for the bivouac we were all enjoying  in nice conversation , food , fire and starry sky .

Normally after the end of the project you have the so called post project depression , but this time it is not that scary because the other great  and different thing about this project is that we will have the second part a youth exchange in which we will meet again and  beside that  we will have the opportunity to be trainers and pass all the knowledge that we gained  to other participants , so I am looking forward to it .

~Evgenija Geramitchioska, participant from SFERA INTERNATIONAL