Stories by Participants: We Can Do This!
Youth Exchange (21-28/07/2022) Magdeburg, Germany
By: Christos Galanos
Having already passed a few days since my participation in the “Yes, we can do this” program in Magdeburg, Germany, I believe it is the right time to talk about my experience and my thoughts about this interesting exchange.
This program was my second contact with youth exchanges, as a few months ago I had again participated in a similar program. Although the expectations from the first exchange were high, the exchange in Germany was exactly what I expected and more.
The program took place in Magdeburg, a relatively small city in eastern Germany, two hours from the capital, Berlin. What characterized the city of Magdeburg were the classic Saxon buildings and the river Elbe that ran through the city.
During our stay in Magdeburg, we stayed in a classic building-palace or villa as the organizers called it right in the forest and nature. The premises were beautiful, all the employees were kind and always willing to help and of course there was no shortage of large meeting spaces where we did our activities and our events.
The content of the program was quite interesting and topical. We learned how to organize in groups, how to cooperate and how to consciously work together to achieve a goal. During the various activities we had the opportunity to work and get in touch with the other children from the other countries, thus having the opportunity to develop the appropriate language and group skills that were required. At the same time, we dealt with alternative learning through various “extracurricular” activities and discussed the necessary elements and ideal virtues that a good leader should have. An important part of the exchange was the excursions we did during our stay. One of them was in the center of Magdeburg, where we got to know the main sights of the city through a fun activity and came into first contact with German cuisine. Also, taking advantage of Germany’s excellent transportation, we visited the city of Leipzig by train, which is characterized by many as the jewel of East Germany. We confirmed the above claim, as most of us were positively impressed by the beautiful buildings, people and shops.
In conclusion, the “Yes, we can do this” program will remain with all of us as a very beautiful and unforgettable experience. The cooperation with the KANE organization and the corresponding organization in Germany was very good as all the people we talked to and worked with were extremely kind and helpful. I hope I will be given a similar opportunity again and experience something similar again!
-Christos Galanos
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