Our KA2 project that addresses bullying in high-schools has held its first activity: a study visit in Kayseri, Turkey.
Between 17-22 of April, Katerina Gjorgjevska, who teaches in the technical school of Kumanovo, together with Sara Mihajlovska, Monika Spasikj and Bisera Stojkovska attended the study visit in Kayseri, Turkey.
The study visit had the purpose of introducing the partners to the institution of the applicant partner, but also to start discussing and planning activities on how to address bullying in schools. For this reason, the study visit was designed to include diverse activities. Besides the regular sessions in which the participants presented and discussed about various types of bullying, the group made several visits in town to the municipality, mosques and public places. They had the opportunity to present their countries in front of all the school staff and pupils, which was an element of surprise for all the participants.
One of the brightest moments of teh study visit was a flashmob that teh participants organised in the center of the city. The flash mob was a dance that used the sign language, to offer support for people with hearing impairment. Another artistic activity was drawing posters with messages against bullying and marching with them through the city.
Our participants were very satisfied with the visit. They mentioned that one of the striking cultural differences they noted was the role and the treatment of women in a smaller community, compared to the situation in big cities. They also noted the warm and enthusiastic welcome that they received by the locals, mentioning that such an event is not a common occurence in Kayseri, which is why the locals were extremely curious and willing to get to know the guests.
On the last day, the group made a trip to Cappadocia, a historical place with beautiful landscapes. In teh emantime, the coordination team of teh project had a meeting to discuss about the rpeparations for the next activity.
Monika Spasik, one of the participants, is hoping that she will have the possibility to keep being part of the project, due to the learning impact that this visit had on her:
This was a beautiful, fun and interesting experience. Maybe one of the most interesting events was when my friends and I presented our country because that was my first time to speak in front of 200 people and dance the traditional “oro”. On the last day we visited Cappadocia; we saw beautiful houses carved into rocks, then we had lunch at a very beautiful restaurant. After that we went to a place with amazing frescoes, visited an art gallery and went wine tasting. I hope I will see them soon again.
Following this activity, the participants will conduct a survey amongst youngsters in high-school in Kumanovo, with questions related to experiences of bullying. The results of the survey will be used for developing the following activities. The next activity in the project, an exchange of staff, will be held in Macedonia and hosted by CID.
