Read about the experience lived by Oliwia, a participant of our partner Erasmus+ project!

Between August 30th and September 9th, 2024, I had the opportunity to participate in the ‘Own Less, Be More”’ Erasmus+ project, which took place in Dolo, Northern Italy, and was organized by Jonathan Cooperation, in partnership with YoWo Poland. During the project, we discussed ecology and reducing global pollution, but we also touched on many other related issues such as time management and capsule wardrobes.

The first few days were dedicated to getting to know the other participants. Thanks to the great facilitators, Martina and Luca, we learned many interesting things, such as how much the production of a simple cotton shirt pollutes the environment. We had the opportunity to meet the creator of the Malfette Venezia brand, who told us how the brand was created and what sets it apart. Then, during a video call, we had the chance to talk to Sara Zampollo, who shared with us the secrets of finding ‘pearls’ in second-hand stores. In the emails, it was also mentioned that we should bring something we no longer needed. As it turned out later, we exchanged these items with other people we met on the street, ensuring that the value of the exchanged items was the same or higher.

Another task during the project was to make a designated item from readily available materials and then convince others that our product was better than the product of another group. Based on descriptions, we created capsule wardrobes for designated people from our clothes, and then there was a catwalk where we presented the results of our work. We also evaluated different people’s visions for allocating the city’s budget. We were also shown the Priority Matrix, which makes it easier to manage time and prioritize tasks.

Of course, the most interesting part of the project was the intercultural nights, during which we had the opportunity to learn about the culture, traditions, and even taste dishes from the countries our friends represented. Thanks to being able to participate in the project, I met many great people from various European countries and gained a lot of memories and experiences, so I wholeheartedly recommend taking part in such a project. And I won’t hide the fact that there were many tears shed during the last moments spent together on the project. 

Oliwia

Read also the memories of other people who were with me on the project:

The ‘Own Less, Be More’ project was a wonderful experience for me.

Spending time together with such interesting and open-minded people was a truly uplifting experience, which allowed me to see the world from a different perspective and break the language barrier to communicate in English. The Polish team on this project consisted of incredibly supportive, friendly, open and helpful people. I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this project.

Kuba

This Youth Exchange was funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme.

This article was written by Oliwia Siwoń, YoWo Poland volunteer.