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Bright Future, organized by Smokynia Foundation, took place again.
Same place, same goals, same values, but different participants.
Thanks to the great response this project received in the two previous editions, it was the most natural decision to make it happen again.
Volunteers from 18 countries came together to work and mature in Mrachenik, a small village in the Karlovo region of Bulgaria.
This project has two goals, one visible and one you can’t see. The visible one is the renovation of the old school of Mrachenik and its surroundings. Volunteers are working hard to repair broken things, decorate ugly things, destroy what cannot be saved and create what is needed.
Meanwhile, something else is happening under the surface: this large and diverse group of volunteers is learning about each other’s cultures and habits, about each other’s feelings and goals in life, growing closer and closer. Being together all the time in an isolated space unites them and overcomes cultural and language barriers.
At the same time, volunteers learn a lot about themselves.
How they feel about living far away from home, how they deal with difficult situations, what their physical limitations are and much more.
The first days of the project were focused on team building. The participants were brought together to do some group activities, not only to get to know each other better, but also to learn more about the values of the Smokynia Foundation, such as youth empowerment, integrity, sharing and understanding. Then the real work began and the participants started to get into a routine.
Every day starts and ends with a meeting where both the participants and the Smokynia team members are present.
During this meeting, people have the opportunity to share things in front of the whole group, whether it’s feelings, complaints, or requests. It is a safe place to speak up and bring clarity to the community.
During the day it’s when the volunteers do their work, every morning they choose which activity they want to participate in, they have 7 options and each activity is supervised by a team member.
Action Team Kitchen:
This team is responsible for cooking the meals. It’s mostly typical Bulgarian food prepared by two team members with the help of three volunteers.
They are also in charge of the coffee break, which is very important because three times a week the villagers are invited to have coffee with us. This is a great moment to connect with the locals and even with many difficulties to talk and learn more about the place that is hosting us.
Action Team Festival:
The supervisor describes it as exciting, mindful and creative! This team is responsible for preparing the party that concludes the volunteer experience.
The team has to come up with a schedule and a list of activities for the party. They are the heart and soul of the festival. They also have to promote it in the village to convince the locals to join us and see what we have done during our stay.
For now, they have created a motto, the name of the festival “Mrachenik Youthquacke” and started preparing some games and activities.
Woodwork action team:
This team is all about creating something from scratch. Whatever we need that can be built with wood, we just make it. So far we have built a bookcase, several types of benches, and a firewood rack. It’s not just about having muscles, but also some imagination and a willingness to learn!
Garden Action Team:
This team is in charge of taking care of the nature around the campsite. They give the garden a new look, removing bushes, rocks and plants to make it more enjoyable for everyone.
Village Action Team:
This team is working on the area outside the campsite. So far they have improved the wall that gives access to the tent area and the road in front of it. If anyone from the village wants work done on their property, the Village Team is the one that can help.
Media Action Team:
Thanks to this team, everything that is done is open to the public. The main goal is to spread information about what we are doing at Bright Future, whether it is pictures, videos or actual words.
The work of the social media team is important to attract new people who want to get involved in the project or to inspire people to start one themselves.
Construction Action Team:
This team focuses on renovating the interior of the school. If there are some walls that need to be torn down or something that needs to be painted, that is their job. Despite the division of tasks, two groups often come together to work on the same thing, or when one group is done with the day’s tasks, they start helping another group.
We are all about working together and helping each other to make our little Mrachenik a better place. We are now halfway through the project, many things have been done but many others are still to be discovered. Stay tuned to discover more!
Should you have a question, contact us: info@smokinya.com.
This program is co-funded by the European Solidarity Corps program of the European Union.
The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an
endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be
held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. //
Подкрепата на Европейската комисия за изготвянето на настоящата публикация не представлява
одобрение на съдържанието, което отразява гледните точки само на авторите и не може да се търси
отговорност от Комисията за всяка употреба, която може да бъде използвана за информацията,
съдържаща се в нея.
