On-arrival seminar in Dolní Lomná

New generation of volunteers is here! How was the On-arrival seminar? Bulut, our Turkish volunteer will tell us more..

"We are in the second week of September, and all the volunteers had settled into different cities in the Czech Republic. Everyone had already started to get used to their workplaces, homes, and roommates when it was time for all the volunteers to come together. Our three coordinators, Katerina, Mirka, and Terezie, who are the best at this job, had already planned a beautiful seminar for us. From September 10th to 14th, 2023, a wonderful seminar awaited us in Dolní Lomná.

On the first day of the seminar, everyone who had roommates in the same city boarded the train to leave their respective cities, and all the volunteers were on their way to the meeting point. At the train station, all the volunteers came together, and a small introduction took place. Everyone had a lot of questions in their minds. Everyone was curious because 15 people from 10 different countries had come together. Everyone spoke different languages in their daily lives, listened to different songs, and lived in different cultures. I think everyone was eager to get to know each other.

After settling into our rooms, we were ready for the seminar, and we started the first session by forming our first circle. Everyone started to introduce themselves, where they worked, and where they lived. We began to get more ideas about each other. Then our coordinators told us about the plan for the week. The plan included meal times, evaluation meetings, the goals and expectations of the host organization, writing letters to the future, meeting with supervisors, and plenty of coffee breaks. We were all having fun from the very beginning. By playing a lot of games that required teamwork, we talked about the goals and objectives of the year. During this time, we would have the opportunity to get to know each other closely. We planned the international evenings to be held on the second and third evenings and decided that everyone would prepare a presentation introducing their own country. These evenings we had fun, and we learnt about each other's countries. Every night, we had more and more fun. We tasted traditional sweets, danced, and had more opportunities to chat.

Our coordinators had planned a day where each volunteer would spend time with their supervisor. In this plan, all supervisors would spend more intimate time with their volunteers and have the opportunity to get to know each other better. We had a great time with our supervisors; we made plans for the future, talked about our goals and expectations, and planned activities to implement throughout the year.

In our weekly plan, there was another activity where we could meet local people and observe their towns. Early in the morning, everyone gathered and prepared for this trip to Jablunkov and Písek; we divided into groups. We had a checklist in our hands, and there was a town in front of us that we had never visited before. We started to explore it. We met new people and saw new places. We had great experiences in this plan as well. At the end of the day, we lit a fire together and gathered around it. While Mirka sang beautifully, we ate marshmallows. We sang songs and had a lot of fun. Everyone felt a bit sad that this night was coming to an end. We made travel plans for the future, and we promised to visit each other's towns.

The next morning, we ended our week with a melancholic evaluation of the seminar. We left our hotel, which was surrounded by beautiful green grass and trees, and set out on the road again to board the bus. I don't think anyone will forget this first seminar and our three coordinators who are absolutely lovely. We thank you for this wonderful week and new experiences. We hope to see you again soon." (Bulut)