The Talita Kum Project – From Scotland to Romania | UK Office of the European Parliament

The UK national winner of the Charlemagne Youth Prize for 2009 is the Talita Kum project, entered by Lewis Ross from Inverness. The other team members are Phi Macdonald, Mhairi McGowan, Kayleigh Berg, Daniel McWilliams, Fraser Kane and Sarah-Jane Savage - all from Millburn Academy.

From Scotland to Romania The ‘Talita Kum’ project involves taking seven senior schoolchildren (and an adult volunteer) from Millburn Academy in Inverness to the Jimbolia region of Romania as volunteers.

The project is organised by a UK charity called Blythswood Care.

The volunteers take a number of children from the poorest families in Jimbolia on a ‘summer holiday’ to a camp for two weeks. The time at the camp acts as a rare opportunity for the children to escape the difficult circumstances in which they live at home.

The focus is on entertaining, educating and providing for the children who can engage in activities which are often unavailable back home.

To finance the transport, accommodation, activities for the children and various other expenses the Scottish group will have to raise £5000. They are organising a range of events designed to be accessible to and provide entertainment for young people in Inverness.

The events also have an aspect of educating people about Romania and Romanian culture. The trip promotes understanding between Scotland and Romania.

Mix of cultures

The seven volunteers will be real life examples of Scottish culture and will show the children of Jimbolia a completely different culture and way of life than they are accustomed to.

However this is a two-way process, the two weeks spent immersed in Romanian culture will certainly be an eye opening experience and give the Scots an insight into a way of living they have not encountered before.

It will give both sides a unique and positive chance to understand each others’ way of living.

All of the previous groups in Talita Kum have felt a real bond with the people they have met and almost everyone involved over the last six years has expressed a desire to return to Romania. This is an example of the positive influence of the Talita Kum project and how it brings different nationalities under the EU together in harmony.

On their return the volunteers conduct a number of talks and presentations across Inverness to spread the word about Talita Kum and give local people a glimpse into life in Romania.

Bear Lake

The UK national winners now go forward to the European level. The Charlemagne Youth Prize for 2009 will be awarded in Aachen on 19 May.

The Charlemagne Youth Prize is for people aged between 16 and 30 who have been involved with projects helping to promote understanding between different European countries.

Judges were looking for projects that would serve as role models for young people living in Europe. They wanted to see practical examples of Europeans living together, whether through the organisation of youth events, youth exchanges or internet projects with a European dimension.

´´The European Charlemagne Youth Prize´´ is awarded jointly and annually by the European Parliament and the Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen.

Attachments:
1. RLD_Talita_Kum_Project_2009_slide_EU
2. RLD_The_2008_Trip
3. RLD_The_declarations_for_all_the_2009_volunteers_EU_thing

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