Erasmus+ training course “Combating the Differences” took place in Kaunas, Lithuania on 22nd – 30st of September, 2019. The mobility gathered 24 participants coming from Lithuania, Cyprus, Malta, Turkey, Hungary and Czech Republic. The project aimed to promote capoeira as a therapeutic activity and to teach youth workers key skills necessary to lead capoeira therapy sessions.
The inspiration for the Project
The main motivation for us as a youth organisation to host this project was the chance for a complex problem-solving. As we are working with youth, we aim to make the lives of the young people better. We often see in our work how young people with dysfunctional backgrounds are suffering from a number of issues. Young people with behaviour disorders or coming from disadvantaged families are often insecure and self-doubting. Therefore, they are at risk of social marginalisation and face increased social barriers.
About 650 thousand people (23%) in Lithuania live below the poverty threshold. The biggest risk to live in poverty is experienced by households with one adult and supported children (41,9%). Obviously, these youngsters need not only financial but emotional and therapeutical support as well. One of the ways to help these troubled youngsters feel more confident is through capoeira.
Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that incorporates game, music and dance. It can be used as a therapeutic activity that brings members of a community closer together. “Combating the Differences” seeks to encourage people to engage with their own cultural heritage and to discover all forms of it around the world.
The project aimed to train the youth workers (primarily those who already have experience with physical activities, e.g. dancing), and also worked with youth who have disadvantaged backgrounds were include capoeira therapy sessions in their work with youngsters. Capoeira therapy is superior to other types of therapy in the sense that it develops musical, motoric and social skills all at the same time.
Objectives of the Project
(1) popularised capoeira as an inclusive activity;
(2) acquainted youth workers with the main ideas of capoeira, its physical and musical sides;
(3) generated capoeira games in which everyone can participate;
(4) created channels for sharing skills and tools of capoeira therapy among youth workers in different countries.
24 active people from 6 different countries came to the training course was held in Kaunas, Lithuania. During the mobility, youth workers learned about capoeira therapy. Participants learned capoeira basics and precautions that are taken in order to have safed, enjoyable, inclusive and beneficial therapy sessions. Moreover, they have deepened their knowledge about physical therapies in general.
Project’s Activities
- introduction to various therapeutic methods/learning capoeira moves and music in workshops / discussing physical therapies / learned how to work with youth with fewer opportunities;
- a lecture by a guest speaker taught how to safely practice physical activities with children and youngsters / discussion helped to determine what to look out for when leading therapy sessions;
- brainstorming and presenting of inclusive capoeira games, making tutorials for youth workers how to carry them out / shooting motivational videos for others to join capoeira / getting a closer look into capoeira’s effects on communities, watching documentaries about capoeira;
- a whole day was spent in Kazlų Rūdos “Saulės” school preparing for and leading a capoeira therapy session, as well as other NFE games;
- participants lead a capoeira class in a public space / revise the things learned.
Project’s Success
Project “Combating the Differences” proved to be a success. The participants have learned the key skills necessary to tutor capoeira therapy classes and were able to integrate these newly gained skills into their professional lives as youth workers. During this training course, the participants have learned the basics of capoeira and were qualified to teach capoeira movements, music and history and know how to do that safely and efficiently. They were also able to solve various problems and difficulties within their capoeira therapy practice.
In addition, youth workers improved their teamwork skills. Of course, as participants have learned about social problems the troubled youth are experiencing, the reasons behind it and the ways to tackle them, they became more socially aware. Skills such as cultural awareness were also acquired as people from diverse backgrounds learned and mingled together. The project also strengthened youth workers’ cooperation. Finally, they saw how Erasmus+ projects are implemented and may replicate them abroad.
About us:
- Budapest Association for International Sports facebook
- Budapest Association for International Sports page
- Malta UNESCO Youth Association facebook
- Malta UNESCO Youth Association page
- Seal Cyprus page
- Seal Cyprus facebook
- Czech Youth Association
- European Integration group (Turkey) instagram
- Turkey instagram
- Instagram stories (Turkey)
- European Integration Group facebook
- Kazlų Rūdos mokykla facebook
- Kazlų Rūdos mokykla page
- Cyprus dissemination activity 1
- Cyprus dissemination activity 2
- Cyprus dissemination activity 3
Project’s schedule, activities and material:
