In July 2017, six children from Bragin and Loev districts spent 3 weeks in the international camp “Youth for a Green Future” in Switzerland. The trip became possible for the children due to their knowledge and technical abilities that they had showed successfully during contests and tournaments held by the GCB NGO in 2016 and 2017.

The Green Cross Switzerland Team as the main organizer prepared an intense and interesting programme which was a ground for addressing the main camp’s tasks such as learning about environmental movements and technologies, rehabilitation, intercultural exchange and development of communication skills.  

The camp became a home for three weeks for the children from 6 countries – Belarus, Italy, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine and Japan that are included into the SocMed Interational Programme aimed at providing support to residents of regions suffered from man-made catastrophes and wars.

One of the unifying elements of the programme was a theatre performance. Rehearsals took most of the time during the first week which took place in Vimmis - a picturesque town at the foot of three mountains. Each country offered their own legend in which it was possible to find references to the global problems of the humankind. All six legends were included in the performance “Youth Being in Love with the Planet” as a small episode, and were framed by the general idea of ​​careful attitude to the Earth. The first night took place in Vimmis, and later the performance was played in Zurich, Winterthur, Uster and Tun. The stories performed by the children aroused genuine interest of spectators everywhere; on passing by, many people stopped and remained to watch the performances to the end since they were played generally in the street. 

The audience was deeply touched by sincerity and seriousness of the children who played their roles, as well as an important idea of ​​the performance that concerned everyone.

Thanks to the rehearsals, language and communication games, the children managed to know each other better and make friends, which affected an overall warm and kind atmosphere. Friendship was also strengthened during travelling: hiking in the mountains, excursions on Geneva, Winterthur, Zurich and Tun, having fun on lakes and at aquatic centers.

When travelling, the children accepted environmental ideas vividly. Certainly, the most memorable event was visiting Umwelt-Arena – a modern exhibition centre containing the maximum information about environmental issues and ways to address them. Our children were most interested in topics on energetics, electric transport and minimization of food waste, which they told their friends during presentations in the following days. The children also shared their impressions of interacting with young entrepreneurs who built their businesses on environmental ideas: the girls described the Zero Waste movement in detail (waste minimization, rejecting packages), and the boys talked about different options to give a new life to old things and materials. The children intend to apply new knowledge in their lives, and perhaps, they will push somebody to organize an environmental movement in their homeland.

Master classes on health were held very extensively. In the camp, doctors held entertaining talks about healthy living, relationships and proper nutrition. The invited local specialist introduced the Swiss system of Kneipp water therapy and some exercises which the children did till the end of the camp session, and plan to do them everyday.  

Certainly, national evenings were the funniest part. Each team briefly talked about their countries, showed photos and videos, talked about problems the children faced in their regions. Serious topics were changed for general fun during games, dances, songs and performances. Each participant of the camp took home a piece of another country – a souvenir often made with a participant’s own hands, as well as new knowledge, good memories and new friendship, and we hope that it will last for many years and will become a basis for new joint ideas and projects.

Thanks to all the managers and participants! Thanks to Vimmis! Thanks to Uster!

Let’s protect our planet! Let’s protect our future!