We did it! Since the end of December 2011 in St. Mary’s Nyamarimba High School, Province Oboch, Kenia, new kitchen and dining hall has started it’s functioning. Thanks to the efforts of our Association members, especially President Henryk Józefowski and Mr Jakub Macierzyński, who also are teachers in 8th High School in Poznań, a school in Kenya has received from the Small Grants Fund of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs 12 000 Euro to complete the investment. The project was completed successfully and the magnificent buildings have been put into use. This is significant event for the local community. As token of gratitude, hall was named after the Patron of 8th High School in Poznan – Adam Mickiewicz, famous Polish novelist.
As a sign of courtesy, we’ve received thanks for the support from our young friends from Norway. Their letter is a response to our condolences, that we send them after the tragic murder of the young people on the Utoya island. We join with them severely condemning this act of terror. We always support efforts undertaken to integrate young people, foster tolerance and a sense of community between people as well as break down barriers and counteract discrimination.
We can now boldly say – after many months of preparation III EYM Project has been implemented successfully! Over 1600 young Europeans on September 18-24th creatively spent time in Poznan. They could see with their’s own eyes how important are for the Europe young people. Creative interaction, good fun, mutual understanding and breaking down barriers – it is certainly a domain of the “Meeting”. We believe that involvement of young people as well as efforts of teachers and organizers for both are extremely valuable experience.
More information and photos from the Project can be found in the “EYM Project” section.
On the occasion of overtaking the leadership over the European Regions for Youth Network by Wielkopolska Region, on September 19-24th in Poznan was held an Annual General Meeting of the ERY Network. We had a honor to organize this event together with the Department of Education and Science of Marshal Office of the Wielkopolska Region. Our young members were taking care of 7 European regions delegates. They were also conducting workshops and various activities as well as coordinating the implementation of conference programme. It was a great honor and a valuable experience for our team. We hosted official delegates and youth from the Aquitaine Region (France), Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy), Gozo Region (Malta), Samara Region (Russia), Vastra-Gotaland Region (Sweden), Valencia Region (Spain) and the Wielkopolska Region (Poland).
The film presents 2nd European Youth Meeting in Poznan, prepared by our Association. For organizing this meeting we were awarded with the prestigious European Language Label Certificate.
Film has been made by ‘Dębinka’ junior high school students.
II European Youth Meeting, Poznań 2007, Poland
At the request of Wielkopolska Region schools we are helping in making contacts with foreign schools in order to initiate students’ and teachers’ exchanges. Thanks to the courtesy of Marshal Office of the Wielkopolska Region and Poznan City Office we sent characteristics of these schools to the partner regions and cities. International exchange of students is an extremely interesting way of working with students and brings many positive effects. It promotes not only education, broadening horizons, making new contacts, but it also opens youth to global problems, develop tolerance and build a sense of being citizens of a united Europe.
Members of the Association on 11-14 May with a delegation of the Marshals’ Office of the Wielkopolska Region Department of Education and Science represented our region at the Technical Meeting of the Network European Regions for Youth. The meeting was held in Bordeaux – the capital of Aquitaine region – a member of the Network, which also includes Wielkopolska. During the meeting the most important issues related to the functioning of the ERY Network were discussed. Our Association promoted the III European Youth Meeting. We covered also the question how to integrate the plan of visit of ERY Network representatives in Poznan, with a plan of the III European Youth Meeting and the issue of European regions’ representatives participation in the III EYM, because these events are held in a similar period. This will create an excellent platform for discussion on youth policy and to meet young people from all over Europe.
Thanks to members of the Association, Saint Maria High School for girls in Nyamarimba in Kenya got 12 000 Euro needed for to build kitchen and canteen for schoolgirls and local community. The money for school will be given by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland from Small Grants’ fund. To get this money, the Association and teachers from High School number 8 in Poznan together with staff from school in Nyamarimba had to write a motion in English and Polish, and show it to Polish embassy in Nairobi. Preparing an estimate in local prizes, details of build work, needed equipment and setting the terms demanded a lot of effort from both of the sides. Especially, when taking into consideration the fact that there is no power in Myamarimba and, what is involved, access to the Internet is limited and there was very little time for requesting. However, long distance and connected with it communications problems didn’t prevent from reaching positive effects. After requesting, embassy prepared application to MoFA, which answered positively. On the 4th of April we received a piece of information that, taj the money for building had been granted. Until the end of the year, the school in Kenya has to accomplish building of the kitchen and canteen. Our friends from Kenya are going to have a ceremonial opening of those places. There is a chance that teachers and schoolchildren from Poland will take part in it. It’s a very important event for the school. Current conditions are unacceptable. The new canteen will have place for 300 people. That will improve level of education, motivation, and eating hygiene. High school will become more attractive. That will make the number of girls from nearest villages, who attend school bigger. It will give them higher chance to get a job or continue education. Giving a name of Adam Mickiewicz to the kitchen and canteen just like in High School number 8 in Poznan is a very nice gesture of friendship and cooperation from Kenyan side.
