First Days

After a 2 hours long flight while I admired the beautiful blue sky, I arrived to Budapest.

The plain went off, and then I made my first step on the Hungarian soil (unlikely it was raining).

I hastened to get back my bag, and find my mentor.

He was waiting for me with a little paper, “Nicolas” written on it, so I found Gergő, then we took the bus to the direction of the train station, to get the train which had been taken us to Szeged.

Mission completed, the train seemed like another era, with cabins, that remind me the decor of Harry Potter or the Anastasia.

The landscape was running fast next to the window, but after two hours, the train slowed down, then it stopped, here we come to the point!

We arrived to the station and there we found, Laci and another boy and "Boogie", after a short presentation I was in the car of "Boogie", my suitcase in the luggage rack, towards the apartment which will be mine during my stay.

I then discovered a kind of subdivision, a group of three buildings about 5 floors which are not that young...

After pushing the imposing and old door, I took a few stairs and then I discovered the threshold what I will call "home."
Gergő, let me briefly visit the place, and let me settle down, then he finished what he had to do.

My installation is finished, my bag is empty, let’s go for a visit with Gergő, then I noticed that the shelves doesn’t contain the same things (even though I suspected it) and the price of the different items and I had to convert them into Euro.

The visit had been finished, we went back to the apartment and after a few hours rest, Gergő came back to pick me up and bring me to are with bar atmosphere.

First not real night in Szeged, direction to the tram, with a bit of modernity at the middle of this place with the buildings which are really old looking.

At the end of the course route, we arrived to the bar atmosphere, this type of music reminds me of rock, and I found the "Hungarians"

Gergő gave me my first Hungarian beer (0.5 cl) comparing it with the French they are generous.

We were talking outside so I met different people, reviewing Laci and "Boogie" and even have the pleasure of speaking French with a Hungarian student from Caen (in France).

My head was turning around after an evening with full of meetings and my legs were hurting after  the long day, I found my apartment and my bed.

During my weekend that began with Friday, I visited Gergő’s apartment, I also went walking which
ended up with I had been lost.

During my walk I had to realize a few more old buildings, some cars, and the language used by the inhabitants, Szeged isn’t so different from the cities I know in France. Against of all, the streets are impressively calm there and the whole atmosphere is very silent, but when you are nearby a park, or a bar you can hear the noise coming out.

About the Project

In our project, called Inter-cult-tour we are hosting one-one volunteer form Germany and from France for 6 and 7  months in Szeged. The volunteers will involved in out youth projects (Tree of Ideas – together for disadvantaged young people living in colonies, Mentoring program for integration in South Great Plain (www.migransmentor.eu), in Budapest and in Youth is Tolerance). The target groups of the project are the youngsters with social disadvantages and migrant background (third-countie citizens). At out organisation the volunteers will get to know more about the methods, ideas, good practices of intercultural and global education, and they will also have a look at the situation of marginale groups in Hungary.

 

The volunteers will work with the mentors in the mentoring program, they will organise workshops with the topics intercultural and global education, help at other kind of youth programs (summer camps, youth exchanges). In the second part of the Evs project they have the opportunity to develop and realise their own mini-project. We organise interculural evnings also, where the volunteers can present their culture, counrty, sending organisation, and in that way they propagate the Youth in Action Program.

The Volunteers

Here you can see our volunteers. Nicolas is coming in June, and Damaris in August.

Nicolas

Hi, my name is Nicolas Bossard. I’m 21 years old, and I was born in Cholet. I live in France, in Cholet with my parents and with my sister and my brother. My brother is Romain and he is 16 years old, my sister is Elodie and she is 24 years old. My mother work in school and my father is a truck driver. I have a dog, her name is Eden.

I studied French cook, and I have a diploma in French cook, waiter, and for to work with children. During 4 years I worked in different restaurants as cook, after I worked for the summer in bumping cars for children, now on the weekends I work in ice-rink. I did practice rink hockey as goal guardian, now I practice ice skating and freestyle ice skating.

I did travel in Vietnam during 2 months and Indonesia during 2 weeks.

And now I wait to go to Hungary. . .

Damaris

My name is Damaris and I’m from a small town in Germany.
After having been a student for 13 years, I want to experience new things. With my work as a volunteer I want to face the challenge of living in a foreign country. By doing this I am determined to expand my horizon and collect new experiences.
I think EVS is a great opportunity for me and I am really looking forward to live and work some months in Hungary and get to know the Hungarian culture, people and language.
I hope that the voluntary work is filled with a lot of new experiences. I desire unforgettable impressions and a memorable time which have influence on my character and show me the right ways for the future.
In the past I did voluntary work at our church. Moreover I gained a lot of experience while I absolved an internship at a kindergarten. It makes me very happy to work with children! 
So I look forward to August to meet you!

About Us

What is DARTKE?

Our association DARTKE (Dél-Alföldi Regionális Társadalomtudományi Kutatási Egyesület), founded by university professors and social-science researchers, studies the social changes and transformations in the South Great Plains Region of Hungary and beyond. Our main activities include the examination of ethnic and cultural diversity in our region. Our experts participate in studying the processes associated with strengthening civil society at the regional and national levels.

Where are we?

 

Szeged is the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county town of Csongrád county.
Szeged is often called the city of sunshine, for its 2100 hours sunshine/year, no wonder it is a popular tourist destination. It offers a unique experience for its inhabitants and visitors: its sights – like the Votive church, the Synagogue, the Hero's Arch, the Ferenc Móra Museum – all give a distinct character to the city, that it is safe to say: Szeged is the gem of the region.

Since more than 30 thousand students attend the University of Szeged (including many foreign students), the city is well-equipped for programmes targeting young people. Musical concerts, cinemas, parties are available practically every day, and the city also offers numberous possibilities for sporting (from the swimming, through tennis to wall climbing). Due to the high number of foreign students, many programmes are organised in different languages.

But where exactly?

The office of DARTKE is in the centre of the city. Offices, conference room, place for mentoring and community space takes place int he building. At DARTKE we have computers, internet access, printers, copy machines, equipment for handicraft, special collection of books etc. The EVS volunteers will have access to use all equpiments for their work and we will help them to learn using them in case it is needed.

Ez a projekt az Európai Bizottság támogatásával valósult meg. A projekt tartalma nem feltétlenül tükrözi az Európai Bizottság vagy a Magyar Nemzeti Iroda véleményét, mely intézmények felelőssége a projektre nem terjed ki.