The Erasmus + project, ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ visited Scoala Gimnaziala in Magura, Romania in November 2016, where staff and students from France, Turkey, Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden and Romania were wholeheartedly involved in the projects set up by the Romanian team. It was encouraging and great to see how the school worked to implement the subject of recycling around their school. Student work showing various ways of recycling in their school and community decorated their corridor walls as well as many projects developing this project and all it entailed and what countries were represented. They had organised further projects for all the students and staff to create and develop over the next few days. One group of students created costumes made out of recycled plastic, cardboard, metal and other material that would be used by the students in a play about recycling. One group of students continued to develop their bags they had begun creating in their home nation out of recycled materials with various themes. One group rehearsed and later performed a play about recycling and its importance. Another group graffiti painted recycled plastic containers that were stuck on a fence behind the school with all six nations represented.
Alongside work around the daily Erasmus+ project activities, all of the teams were bussed around to various locations of interest. We got to walk along a Berca Mud Volcano, tour one of the royal palaces, Pelisor Castle, the towns of Brasov and Sinaia, and the monastery of Chiscau which led to the Bear Cave in the Apuseni Mountains. On our final evening, we discovered the castle in Transylvania, known as the Bran Castle or the ‘Dracula castle’. (It is claimed to be one of many castles in that region that inspired Bram Stoker to write his classic novel). We also got to visit a recycling plant, Green Wee International, www.greenweee.ro, in Buzau which was educational in finding out how Romania is developing recycling as a routine in this beautiful nation.
Our Romanian hosts had worked hard to organise a week of activities and trips that would give us an insight into the history, the culture and the Romania of today. It was a joy to not only learn about the growth of recycling in Romania but to learn so much about the culture and it's beautiful people. It was truly a privilege to be hosted by them and share these experiences with students and teachers from the other six nations that we had the privilege to spend time together and get to know.
As Mrs Umerkajeff stated in her speech to the Mayor of Bazau on our final morning in Romania:
‘As representatives of Sweden implementing this project of Erasmus+, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle , we have focused on the "joy of learning". Building bridges between people as something more than just an abstract metaphor. We have done this by meeting in one another’s environment over the past year through our trips to Poland, France and Sweden thus far. Being part of this project changes us forever. We must question our preconceptions about each other’s nations and cultures and we do that for sure by meeting in different places and discovering the truth for ourselves. During these days in Romania, we have encountered a beautiful country, but particularly amazingly sweet and welcoming students, staff and local families, who have embraced us with open arms. Thanks for inviting and hosting us.
La revedere! (Goodbye in Romanian)