UK sign-off (from Ruth)

Since being back in the UK I have returned to work at the pub and I've hardly had two minutes to get over the jet lag never mind blog so apologies for this late thank you. It's now Friday night and I've just finished my shift so here goes...

Firstly, these past few weeks in Uruguay have really made me realise that I have so much to give and potential to fulfill. During this project I have used skills that I either didnt know I had or that I have not used in a very long time. This has really pushed me into new ways of thinking and I am applying this positive attitude into work and other related projects.

This week I am looking forward to reflecting on my time in Uruguay, filling out a self-assessment form as well as updating my CV!

Finally, and most importantly, I would like to thank Youth in Action, Momentum World and out friends in South America for giving me this incredible life-changing experience. I truly believe it has and will continue to benefit me and my future. I will speak of this project to others with passion and with a huge smile on my face! I can't speak highly enough of just how much a person can gain from these projects, both in terms of life experience as well professional and personal development. I am really looking forward to doing a bit of research and seeing what other projects I can get involved in in the near future! Thank you again! I owe you!

Film About The Project

Enjoy this short film about Oceans Divide, Youth Unites

Competition Time

See how many times Amy 'photo bombs' this project video - she should have been in a project in Scotland, don't know how she ended up in South America!!!

Lights, Camera, Action!

The project is slowly coming to the overall end. Ruth has returned to Britain while I have travelled back to Paraguay for the final evaluation of the programme.

We have looked at the successes of the project and how we can improve this is the future. The impact it has had directly of the life's of young people and the inspiration it has created.

Tuesday was rather a surprise and spontaneous trip to a local television station. I had no idea this trip was coming on how close I had been to this location during my time here in Paraguay. We were taken into the TV Studio and asked to sit on the sofa to be interviewed for the morning breakfast programme. I was instantly a little worried as the programme was to be in Guarani (my basic Spanish would not be enough). However I spoke briefly about Momentum World and my role out in Paraguay, which was translated.

 Not only was appearing on the channel an interesting experience, but for a Film and TV graduate like me it is was like being in a toy shop. I visited the gallery and walked around the small studio that had several different sets all build in, pulled out of walls and ceilings. Through all of this what surprised me most was that there was only three members of the team visible, 1 the presenter, 1 operating 3 cameras and 1 on vision mix. I wanted to know more about why this television studio wasn't packed full of young volunteers and luckily for me the director of the company agreed to meet with me.

I met Tobias Wiens the founder of the TV station. He was a young man who told me that him and his brother started the channel Cristal six month ago as they both have an interest in this field. We spoke about the different programming that they conduct here and together tried to explore any future projects our two organisations can work on together in the future. Tobias tells me that there are no qualifications or areas of studies available here in Cuidad del Este for young people interested in film. For this reason they travel to Brazil.  He hopes that over the next few months they will be ready to receive young people interested in this field, and I agree that this is something we can explore together.

Overall I greatly enjoyed my time visiting Cristal studios, I wish I had found it sooner. I very much hope that in the future we can create a community project using film which benefits and develops both our culture and young people. 

P.S. I had great fun pretending to be an on the scenes reporter hehe :)

Adios amigos

Today I had to say goodbye to Carmen, without whom I wouldn't have been able to experience as much as I did. Thankfully the goodbye was short and sweet because I don't think I had enough tissues left after yesterday's goodbyes! Carmen has been a fantastic travel buddy and I feel very lucky to have met her. A constant laugh and a great friend. Thank you Carmen.

Before heading to the airport I had a few hours to kill so I headed to Montevideo with David, Andres and Adrian. We toured the capital, ate food and went to visit Uruguay's national football stadium! A great afternoon keeping busy...just what I need before the return leg of this epic journey!!

Departure lounge reflections...

Today marks the end of my time in Uruguay and what a magnificent experience it has been!

This project has really opened my eyes to different cultures as well as developed me as a person, in both a personal and professional sense. 

It has given me the confidence and belief in myself that I can go out and achieve things as an individual. I have been open minded and embraced the kindness of others and their cultures. I have made friends and developed professional contacts with people from all over the world. This can surely only be a good thing as it provides me with contacts and opportunities for my future, in both a social and professional capacity. I am now heading home with a new sense of energy and mindset as I look toward my future.

To anyone reading this blog and contemplating getting involved in a project...dont think twice about it!! There's something to be gained for everyone...no matter how big or small!

As for the job shadowing it has provided me with the opportunity to learn about the initiatives and opportunities available to young people in the local and rural areas of Colonia. I have been able to draw  similarities and differences between that of Colonia and the UK regarding the issues that young people face in education, as well as the opportunities available to them in both education and life in general. It has encouraged me to think differently about my own situation as well as made me think about my own necessities in life. 

I have also been able to provide Momentum World with a global platform, promoting their work and 2020 education. I hope the contacts I have made will help develop a network of likeminded professionals that we can work with in the near future.

The project itself has brought people together from similar organisations across the globe and has enabled them to share best practice and ideas for future projects. I hope very much to be a part of these as I use the relations I have made to help carry out their inspiring work.

This project really has exceeded my own expectations and it has made me realise the power of international projects for young people like myself.

Ciao ciao

Today I said goodbye to my host Andrea and her family. I was invited to a BBQ by Mariana, a colleague and friend of Andrea's with whom I have spent a lot of time with (both professionally and socially) over these past two weeks.

We met her family and enjoyed fabulous food at her family home. Conversation was in full flow...even if we did speak different languages.

After a while it was time to confront the inevitable and start our goodbyes. We exchanged home addresses and gifts, as well as hugs, kisses and tears.

Afterwards Carmen and I walked back to the hostel across the beach, reflecting on our times together out here. Our goodbye comes tomorrow...I'm definitely not looking forward to that one.

The people out here have been so warm and welcoming and it has been a pleasure to be made a part of their lives these past two weeks. I have learnt so much, not just about their work but about them as people and in turn I have learnt things about me too. I would like to say a huge thank you to all those who have made this experience one of the best I have had in my life so far. Without them it definitely wouldn't have been the same. The warmest of wishes to them all. Muchos gracias amigos.

Amy's closing thoughts

Today concludes the Oceans Divide Youth Unites seminar. Some of our new friends will return home, whilst others (including myself) will travel to Paraguay to evaluate the overall process and how we can continue to create fantastic international opportunities for young people together.

The project has been over several months and I feel as though each stage has taught me something new. Hosting job shadower's in the UK allowed me to see Momentums work from a different perspective and how we can work in different ways. Visiting Paraguay allowed me to really learn about another culture, way of life and community which differs to that of my own. An experience that has helped me develop as a young person and really appreciate the opportunities I have been given.
I will bring all that I have learnt back into my future work with young people and strive towards giving others those opportunities.

Overall this project has real potential to create long lasting international connections and partnerships. This work is important to the development of young people and needs to continue.

Road trip and tour

After finishing our evaluation session on this weeks seminar we went to visit a local winery.

This consisted of over one million litres of wine stored in the biggest barrels I have ever seen (and to say I work in a pub I've seen a fair few!!)

We learnt of the process involved in making wine, from the grape to the fermentation and the maturation of the wine itself. We even saw how they bottled the wine a sealed the cork.

Then came the tasting. We tried a taster of a full bodied red...its fair to say it went down well!

After visiting the winery we headed off to a local farm house and museum. We were given a tour of the museum by its founder and world record holder Emilio Arenas. He started collecting pencils at the age of ten and he now owns the world record for the most amount of pencils owned, currently standing at 16, 262.
His pencils were displayed in cabinets for all to see and he had a logical filing system going on. He was clearly very proud of his collection, some of which had been given to him by US presidents.

After the tour we sat down in a group and played games before being treated to an epic BBQ...Latin American style!! A double griddle and meat galore! After food we enjoyed watching a traditional dance before being asked to join in ourselves. Lets just say some were more apt than others...

Tomorrow people start to depart as they head home or to Paraguay for the remainder of the evaluation seminar. I'll have the tissues ready at breakfast!!

The start of the goodbyes...

This morning we visited the Manuel Lobo workshop for the final time. I got to see and meet the people that Ruth had been working with throughout last week. I saw young people working together making various pieces of furniture out of wood. A great bunch of young people and an appropriate working environment for young people outside of education and training. Top work!

Well Done...

I would like to say a very big well done and congratulations to Amy and Ruth for producing a blog that has been educational, fun, informative and generated a greater insight to both Paraguay and Uruguay.

It is opened my eyes to how different we are, yet at the same time shown there are common issues that need dealing with. This project is one of the ways some of these issues can be addressed.

I hope over time new 2020 Education (www.2020education.org) projects can be developed with both these countries and we put young people at the centre of coming up with solutions to some of these bigger global issues.

Thanks Amy and Ruth, keep up the great factual storytelling

Paul - Creative Director (Momentum World)
www.momentumworld.org

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Paul Oxborough | Creative Director | 07990 578684

www.momentumworld.org    |   @momentumlive

Social Media site | www.2020education.com

Time, Space, Action and Communication...and Energy!

This morning we carried on with our group presentations. This involved analysing our job shadowing experiences using a framework proposed by Péter Wootsch, a Hungarian youth expert and trainer working within the ODYU project.

We saw presentations from Bolivia, Hungary, Spain, Paraguay, Uruguay and the UK. These consisted of analysing our own personal experiences using the concepts of Time: how did you use your time? How did the host use the time? What was your perception of time during your job shadowing experience?; Space: Where did you stay? Where did you work? What did you notice about the culture/environment/ places you visited?; Action: What laws/procedures were followed during your job shadowing experience? What activities did you do? How did these match up to your expectations?; and Communication: How did you communicate with the people you met? Did you use signs, symbols, gestures for example. Was the language barrier a problem? How did you overcome this? 

Through using this framework we could make clear comparisons between different countries and the job shadowing experiences that were provided.

Importantly, we got the views of both the host country and the opinion of those who went to job shadow in each country. It became clear that there were differing perspectives of the concepts and how they would be/were used during the job shadowing process. This feedback will be summarised and taken on board in the planning of future projects which we will discuss further in the next coming days. 

This afternoon we went to visit Montes del Plata, a power plant used to extract pulp from the trunk of a eucalyptus tree as well as converting the excess bio mass into energy. Unfortunately we were unable to tour the plant itself as it was undergoing construction. It is aiming to be the global leader in pulp production and for that it needed some work. It aims to produce 1300,000 tonnes of pulp per year. To produce one tonne requires 3.5 cubic meter of woodland so I'm sure you can appreciate the the amount of work they hand on their hands clearing space for such a large amount of trees!

The plant is also used for researching and testing tree production, assessing what environments are most effective for pulp production. 

After extracting the pulp the rest of the tree (the bio-mass) is used to create energy. The plant aims to produce 164mw of energy per year. The plant itself uses 90mw so they have 74mw left over for the national grid. This fuels roughly 200,000 houses per year. 

The plant and its import/export terminals caused quite a lot of disruption to the village it was built in. As a result the village and its people had to relocate. As a way to minimise damage to the neighbourhood the plant runs projects with the local people bringing the benefits of the plant directly to these people and their homes. For example, the plant has brought with it improved transport routes in terms of ease of access to the area itself. The plant also runs training courses for local people, training them up with the skills required to work at the plant. Thus the plant has actually created more jobs and better job prospects for the people of the village. Approximately 68% of the people working at the plant are from this village. Also the plant runs a domestic help plan with the people of the village in order to ensure the energy produced by the plant is used effectively in their own homes. 

The group is working hard and making good international connections. Hopefully this will continue over the next few days and create strong, meaningful future projects.

Plaza performance!

Today the group began sharing their individual experiences during the job shadowing programme. I won't linger on this for too long, as me and Ruth will present tomorrow and share this with you.

On a cultural note we went to the plaza this evening and the group witnessed a interpretive performance from a group from Barcelona. 

It had a great turn out and there was a fantastic atmosphere. The people of the city are so friendly and welcoming all chatting with one another and using this time to meet others.

The performers pulled Marton our friend from Hungary up into the performance. Where he played a very convincing fridge. 

Great way to make new friends and see what the city has to offer. 

The group ends the night looking out across the sea to Benos Aires and watching the sunset. Before a busy and productive day tomorrow. 

Formalities and fun

Yesterday evening Carmen and I arrived late back in Colonia, or at least what we thought to be late. However we were pleasantly surprised to find our new collegues and friends still up waiting. We exchanged hellos and introductions and immediately headed out for food...in Colonia you can always find food regardless of the time!

Today we started the Oceans Divide Youth Unites Seminar. This involved an initial speach from the mayor of Colonia. He welcomed us to Colonia and spoke about current government initiatives being run for the rural areas of the community. He reiterated what I had learnt last week about the mobile health services. He also informed us that each child in both the rural and local schools had been given a laptop. This allowed young people and their families immediate access to the internet which was particulary beneficial to those living in the rural areas of Colonia. It meant that they could access education and training courses online without having to travel to the centre. As a result they could save both time and money and remove the issue of travel as a barrier to education.

The mayor wished us well in our work during our time here in Colonia. He spoke of his belief in the work that we are doing and the benefits that this work can bring to young people and social action. He also encouraged us to share best practice amongst ourselves and others.

After the mayors speech we sat in a circle and introduced ourselves and our organisations. We went through the agenda and discussed the ways in which we would present our job shadowing experiences to the group tomorrow.

This afternoon we went on a tour of Colonia allowing the newbies to get their bearings in this beautiful place...Carmen and I are like locals in comparison!

We also attended the WIT talk (Welcome Information to Tourists talk) which consisted of a fun cartoon timeline, music and a panoramic video room and film.

This made me realise just how much Andrea had packed into our first weeks work...I have literally seen and experienced about 75 percent of what Colonia has to offer...and that's a lot!! For that I thank Andrea for her hard work and continous engagement. Gracias!

Afternoon in Argentina

So began my journey from Paraguay to Uruguay to participant in the international seminar that we have been working towards for the past 6 months.

However this wasn't just a quick flight and arrival. One bus, plane, taxi and boat later I finally arrived at my destination a little tired but really excited to start the next part of my adventure.

Although before my boat trip I got to spend the afternoon in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Wow what a vibrant and diverse city. The few hours I had were not nearly enough time to see the wonders this place has to offer, but I certainly got a taste for the city and its love for Tango and Salsa.
I spent some time wondering a round the colourful streets (like the photo loving tourist that I am), shopping in the markets and visiting antiques stalls. But my favourite part of the afternoon was navigating the winding staircases in La Boca.

La Boca is a European build city which was inhabited by Spanish and Italian immigrants. The people living here often worked at the docks and used left over paint for the ships on the sides of the metal sheets that covered their home. This soon became a colourful symbol of La Boca and in turn Buenos Aires.
The streets are full of artists and dancers and it is now a huge tourist attraction for the city and I understand why.

I have read and heard a lot about the social issues in Buenos Aires and the variety between the classes living so close to one another. The culture can change in each street. I will visit the city again on Saturday so hopefully I will have a lot more to report.

For now I have finally arrived in Colonia and am looking forward to starting the seminar, sharing experiences and catching up with friends.

P.S. Ruth this is as close as I have been to riding a horse.

Capo Polonia

Capo Polonia is beautiful, theres no disputing that. It is a popular destination for tourists and hippies in the height of the latin american summer (January and Feburary) and here are just a few reasons why...

Today (Sunday) as I was eating my breakfast I looked up to see dolohins playing together in the glistening sea. I then lazed in the hammock and closed my eyes for a while letting my food go down.

I took a walk across the beach in the beautiful morning sunshine picking up seashells as I went.

On Saturday I made my own footprints in the sand dunes of Capo Polonia, with no one elses to be seen for miles around. I also walked up 132 steps to the top of the Faro Capo Lighthouse to capture some incredible views, including that of the sea lions congregated below.

Its a place to go to really be at one with yourself and your own thoughts (hence why I'm only uploading these blogs now as I had no signal or wifi).

I feel well rested and a little sun kissed,  perfect preparation for next weeks work in Colonia.

The adventure continues!

Today (Saturday) started early...at 5:42 in the morning to be precise! After staying in a hotel in Montevideo, Carmen and I headed out to the bus station to catch the 7AM bus to Capo Polonia.

The journey took four hours so I was able to catch up on some sleep on the way.

We arrived at the bus station in Capo Polonia to glorious sunshine...at last, this was the latin american sunshine I had been craving all week! Get in!!

We waited at the station for our lift...it was an open top four by four truck with large treaded wheels. This immediately gave me an idea of the kind of terrain we'd be crossing to get to our final destination.

We arrived in Capo Polonia about half an hour later and my first impressions were mixed. The views were breathtaking, the sea, the sand dunes, the rockery, the lighthouse but the houses and hostels were not as I had expected.

I quickly learnt that Capo Polonia is home to just 50 people and that these people literally build everything from scratch. They use only natural materials from the beach, the land and the sea to construct their homes/hostels. A random bit of rope to make a toilet roll holder. A washed up sea shell to use as an ash tray. A bit of drift wood to make the next sign. Some things I thought were really cool and creative, but some things were a little too far outside of my comfort zone...I won't tell you about the shower!!

We stayed in a hostel with our host Gabriella. She shared her story with us explaining that she had moved here from Montevideo six years ago as she loved the place, the people and the general way of life. She said that there were always things to do out here, whether that be surfing with the sea life, building the next piece of furniture or clearing sand from the entrance of the hostel (because we were quite literally right on the beach!)

We all went to the local 'supermarket' to buy ingredients for our dinner...Gabriella was making us pasta parcels stuffed with three different types of cheese with a ham and onion sauce. To tell you the truth I was a little apprehensive given the facilities being used to make the food itself but I hold my hands up and say shame on me for being so snobby...it was absolutely delicious...the best food I have had in Uruguay so far. 

After dinner we played cards, teaching each other games from our respective countries.

Today has really opened my eyes to another way of living. You dont have to have the best of everything to live...there are other ways of living, getting by and being happy without splashing the cash so to speak. It has really made me think about my own necessaties in life and it has encouraged me to change my attitude toward standards of living in general.

Wet and watery fun!

Today was my favourite day here in Paraguay. Although I actually went to Brazil :).

The Iguaza falls cover the three boarders of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina and today we went to see their beauty first hand. Paraguay doesn't have a tourist centre for viewing the falls so we jumped in a taxi to cross the border. Several stamps in my passport later we arrived at the nature reserve.

Wow was it worth it. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

I obviously took this opportunity to try out the waterproofing on my new GoPro so hopefully there will be some wet footage to follow. I was totally soaked and smelt of mineral filled water. But the sun soon dries you out here and it was an amazing way to finish my job shadowing here in Paraguay, on a wet and soggy high! 

Down time

Today myself and Carmen went on a well earnt day off to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. Thankfully we had some great tour guides in Andrea and Soledad to help us on our way!

We first explored the old town of Montevideo. This was built around a river in order to see incoming enemies. I learnt that England invaded Uruguay twice, once in the 1809 and again in 1810...both times we were unsuccessful.

English people also published the first ever newspaper here in Montevideo. It was called the Southern Star.

After exploring the old town we passed through the gate (quite literally) into the new town. Here we saw the very large Salvo building. It was built in anticipation of the future as the people of Montevideo did not expect houses to be a place where people ate. They predicted they would only be used for people to sleep, wash and dress...which we now know to be a very big underestimation!! As a result the building had to undergo refurbishment in order for it to adapt to 'modern' use. Many myths surround the building itself but I didnt stay long enough to find out what they were...I have goosebumps just thinking about it!

In the new town we also visited the museum of art and dance as well as passing by where the current president works and in theory should live. However Montevideo's current president actually lives in a rural area of Uruguay and he travels to work by car every day. He also donates a large percentage of his wage to the people. The building is rather 'open' and easily accessible by the public compared to being closed off and protected. I think that this is a reflection of the presidents attitude and message toward the people of Uruguay, that is, equlaity amongst the people.

Tonight we are staying in a hotel in Montevideo before rising early to catch the 7AM bus to Capo del Polonia...the adventure continues!!

Speak to you in the morning folks. Night!

Tourist lost in a busy city

This morning I went into the centre of Ciudad del Este to see what the city has to offer a tourist, and put it this way if its shopping you've got it. Especially electrical goods, so for a camera geek like me it was heaven (I could have blown my overdraft).
With restraint I ventured round the indoor markets and hurried past the traders trying to get you to come into their stores. Negotiating and hackling the price is common practise in this area so I needed some inside help.

After spending hours roaming the streets I FINALLY picked my souvenir. A Tereré flask, cup and straw. The herbs will go into the cup and the ice cold water is poured from the flask into the cup. So many lazy hours spent sipping my Tereré when I get back into the office I think Paul.

Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone

Today marks my first full week in Colonia, Uruguay and what an adventure it has been!

I have pushed myself further than I ever have in my life...quite literally to another continent! I have made professional and personal friendships with people from all around the world, some of which speak little to no English. And I have got stuck in to every opportunity going...

Yesterday I was welcomed to the official inauguration of the Manuel Lobo school of woodwork and building. This celebrated the work of the young people as well as reinforced the importance of the school itself, offering part-time courses to those aged 16-25 outside of education and training. It was great to see so many people there. There was a real sense that everyone could feel and see the good that they were doing. 

Afterwards the young people encouraged me to make cement and bricks with them...naturally I obliged!

In the afternoon I went to ride a horse for the very first time. I was a little apprehensive at first but I soon got into the swing of it. Out here it doesn't cost a lot to ride a horse compared to the cost in England. As a result the opportunity is available to just about everyone. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and it has given me the confidence to do it again.

Next week I am going to a foreign Japanese food cooking class and this weekend I am going to explore Montevideo and Perla del Cabo before returning to Colinia for the second weeks seminar.

My moto from this experience so far is that "if you never try then you never know" :)