The Impact of Us: Youth exchange in Croatia

The Impact of Us is another project of Asociatia Babilon Travel. Its main activity is a youth exchange that will integrate 63 people from Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia.

Each partner will select 23 participants:

• 19 youngsters with fewer opportunities, age 13-30:
  • Mental disorders;
  • Physical disabilities;
  • Economic obstacles;
  • Social obstacles;
  • Geographical obstacles;
• 2 youth leaders, age 18+;
• 2 accompanying persons, age 18+.

Costs are covered according to the Erasmus+ program: accommodation, food and travel is covered.

Summary of the project:

This project was developed by a group of young people with disabilities and fewer opportunities to tackle the challenges they face in everyday life when it comes to their physical and mental wellbeing. These challenges are identified by participants on the following levels:

1. Individual – lack of knowledge about where to exercise; fear of falling; the nature of the impairment can produce pain; lack of energy;
2. Social – depending on parents more than their peers;
3. Physical education – teachers lack professional preparation or equipment and have to exclude youth with disabilities; lack of friends to play with; (3) environmental – lack of place to play; barriers in outdoor areas. The emotional and psychological impact that sport and physical activity can have on young disabled people are significant for their personal growth.

Project objectives are to:

• Increase knowledge of participants on where and how to exercise as well as how to adapt physical exercises to different categories of youth with disabilities;
• Support social inclusion and develop social skills of the participants;
• Increase confidence and self-esteem of the participants;
• Increase motivation of participants to actively practice physical and recreational activities;
• Develop language and intercultural skills as well as a sense of belonging to the European community;
• Promote Erasmus+ and its Inclusion and Diversity Strategy, as well as Youthpass certificate.

Participants tasks:

* These tasks are part of active participation in project that means it is mandatory to participate in them as well.

1. Participants have to arrive on 30.09. and depart on 08.10.2022. In case you want to come before or stay more in Zagreb, please, let us know and we can discuss it.
2. Participants have to prepare a presentation of their countries and present it on a project during evening leisure activities. Presentations can not be longer than 30 minutes. Participants also need to bring some traditional food and drinks for tastings.
3. Participants have to participate in dissemination (sharing) of project results which will happen online (on their social networks like Facebook) and in their city where they will make 1 public event together with their sending organization.
4. In case participants want to make some extra workshops please write us suggestions on tae.maksimir@gmail.com.

Participants responsibilities:

1. Every participant has to actively participate in all activities.
2. Participants should take clean shoes (sneakers) for the gym hall and comfortable clothes
3. Participants are expected to disseminate project results after the project mobility ends.

The European Health Insurance Card: Citizens of the EU have the right to European Health Insurance Card – get one before coming to Croatia. The European Health Insurance Card (or EHIC) is issued free of charge and allows anyone who is insured by or covered by a statutory social security scheme of the EEA countries and Switzerland to receive medical treatment in another member state for free or at a reduced cost, if that treatment becomes necessary during their visit (for example, due to illness or an accident), or if they have a chronic pre-existing condition which requires care such as kidney dialysis.

Youthpass: At the end of a project you will get Youthpass. More about Youthpass here www.youthpass.eu.

Accommodation: We will stay at Funk Lounge Hostel at address Rendićeva 28 (Zagreb), +385 1 555 27 07 Link for hostel: www.funklounge.hr/. Funk Lounge is a friendly, clean and modern hostel that welcomes all travelers on a mission to explore Zagreb. Enjoy the laid-back atmosphere of our hostel and let your stay in Zagreb begin with beautiful smiles, free welcome drinks and funky music at the hostel’s bar! Hostel is centrally located within a walking distance to Old Town of Zagreb, Zagreb’s most beautiful park Maksimir, city Zoo and football stadium.

Participants will be divided in rooms by gender with participants from other countries to share cultural diversity.

Travel tickets: Keep your travel tickets, boarding passes, invoices, etc. because without these documents we are not able to reimburse travel expenses. Travel expenses cover public transportation (economy class). Taxi is not an eligible cost. The host organization will transfer travel expenses to your sending organization and they are the ones who will give you your travel expenses back. Travel expenses will be reimbursed after all participants implement dissemination of project results.

In case you are interested to participate to the youth exchange, please fill out the application form.

The info pack can be downloaded from here.

For furthere information, please do not hesitate to contact us at office@babilontravel.eu.