EVS Stories: Similar or not? – by Belinda Ihily (III)

People are people, read the story of Belinda, a lesson about tolerance, acceptance and empathy.

How different you think Romania is from New Caledonia, an island located in southwest Pacific Ocean, near Australia? Probably most of you would say there is no way these two countries share some similarities, but I hope my examples will change your opinion:

1. The life in the village is very similar, for example, the people wake up early in the morning and go to work in the fields.
2. In Maramures, the cultural heritage is very important for the people and they make efforts to keep it alive, like in my country.
3. Every Sunday, when we hear the sound of bells, we know it is time to go to church or just to pray, in silence.
4. When sensitive topics like the violence against woman are brought up, most of the people are having a hard time discussing or sharing their opinion.
5. Traditional festivals are an opportunity for people to gather and have fun.
6. Football is the national sport, when there is a match, the world stops, especially for men.
7. The people from the village are more open than the people from the city.
8. In the village, the relationship between the children and the teacher is very strong  because most of them are local and know each other, thus making their relation easier and helping them feel more comfortable.
9. People are going in the nature to feel good and be happy.
10. Non formal education and after school programs penetrated the rural areas, to the delight of the parents.

Belinda Ihily (New Caledonia) is hosted in Baia Mare by Team for Youth Association, in the “Life Skills for Rural Education” project, a European Voluntary Service, financed by the European Commission, through the Erasmus Plus Program.