Youth work students in The Reco

On Wednesday 27th January, some students of youth work from the university came to visit our facility. They made a tour around the building while the Reco, the organisation and the work we do there was explained to them.

After the tour, we went up to the meeting room, where one worker of each area explained them which kind of work they use to do. One worker explained them about the youthworkers, another one about the Outreach team, and finally, we explained them a little bit about the volunteers and the European Volunteer Service. It was late and I was the last to speak, so I couldn't speak too much time because the time. However, I just tried to give them an idea about what the European Volunteer Service is and remind them that it's a great oportunitty they can take. I tried to emphasize that that experience is being for me a way to learn about lots of topics, for example: the particularities of the youth work in Ireland, the main issues they have to live with in here, the strategies they use to use, etc. It was great because while they spoke with the students I could understend a little bit more about BRYR, the teams, and little things that I didn't know. I liked listen the workers talking about their work and the reasons why it is how it is.

Before the meeting, when I thought what I could explain them to resume my work and my experience here I realised one of the things why I'm here and I try to make understand being here:

Remind that there are lots of cultures, countries and as ways to think as persons in the planet, that the opportunities doesn't finish in your area, city or country, and that the young people have the chance to take this opportunities (the EVS is just one example of these oportunities).

Horse riding

One of the activities that I use to get involved in is the Horse riding. In the genearl week timetable of The Reco there are lots of activities to do, one of them the Horseriding. It use to runs one or two days per week, from 4:30 to 6:30. The young people who wants to participate in it just have to fill in the form some days before and pay a symbolic price. The van of The Reco pick the young people up from The Reco and bring them to the Equestrian Centre. One or two youth workers and a volunteer go with them.

Once in there, there is a horse coach who lead the sesion and try to train the young people to make the activity properly. The young people who do this activity love it. They learn how to treat with the horse, which movements they need to do with no pain for the horse, etc... One of the most important things they learn in there is how important is the concentration when you are on a horse. There is also an important aspect about the intuition sense you need to develope to feel that you and the horse are togheter and you are like a team!

The Irish President Mc Alisee visit the Reco

The 14th of January the President of Irelend, McAleese and the Lordmeyer of Dublin visited us and The Reco to open the facility up, it was the Official Reco Opening. It was a great experience. I had the chance to see the President and the Lordmeyer. However, I think I lived that experience different than the Irish workers. I mean, as I didn't know even never seen the President I didn't know what it would be like. However, I was looking forward to see her.

Before her arriving I learnt some things about the government structure in Ireland. I learnt, for example, that the President here is only a diplomatic figure who is elected by the party who win the elections. She or he isn't part of any political party. The Lordmeyer is elected every year and she or he isn't neither part of any party. They are important figures as they represent the country or the city but the Prime Minister is who has more power in the government and the political decisions. 

The visit was prepared in detail. First of all, when the President arrived, she made a tour around the different rooms and spaces of the Reco visiting some youthworkers and leaders and also some young people who show her what they use to do in The Reco. After the tour, she arrived in the hall, a big space, where some people, workers, young people, volunteers, etc. were waitng for her. She gave us a speech and talked about the importance of this young facility and, mainly, she told about the main actors and the main reason of this space: The young people. Finally she made the Official Opening.

I was really surprised about the President. She was a kind person, she told with some young people, spoke like a normal person and I felt her like not a very distant person. The Lordmeyer didn't say anything.

Finally we could enjoy a really good dishes prepared by the chefs of the Reco Restaurant.

I finished that event thinking how important is The Reco, how much value the work we are doing have, that we had the recognition of the President. Always it's pleasant that a city, a personality, appreciate what are you doing for the community. 

Christmas in Ireland

Well, I didn’t spend the Christmas time in Ireland because I came back to my country with my family…

However, before the Christmas holidays, when we still had activities and groups in the Reco, we celebrated the Christmas!

It was nice. The main activity about Christmas was the Christmas dinners. Every group, from the youngest ones to the oldest, had the chance to celebrate the Christmas with a really good and tasty dinner in the Reco Restaurant!

During the week of 7th of December, I enjoyed with different groups this celebration. I discovered which kind of food they’re eating during the Christmas, and it is, mainly, turkey. They also had a really good ice creams and desserts.

One of the most enjoyable experience I had during this days was the exchange Christams traditions with the kids and workers from one of the grups of the Aisling Project. They asked me if I could explain them the typical Spanish Christmas to compare it with their celebration and to know something more about another country. So me, as a good catalan, explained them the Spanish Christmas traditions, and the catalan particular traditions.

It was very pleasant to have the opportunity to explain them about my traditions, it was a way to talk about me. They were really surprised with the Catalan “Caga Tió”, our crib with “El caganer” and, of course, with the fancy three magic kings and their three camels!

SOME PICTURES

Begining of December: We put "El caganer" in the Crib

24th December: After gave him lots of food to make him fat, we hit him with a stick and all sing a song. After it, he shit lots of presents for us

31 st. December: We eat 12 grapes for the last 12 seconds of the year.


6th of january: We wake up and we have the house plenty of presents. The three magic kings go in all all the houses puttig presents for everybody. If you have been a good boy or girl during the year, you have more presents!

Open Day, we are already open!

Wednesday 9th of December 2009. Everything were prepared for The oficial Open Day in the Reco... Everyboby arrived soon in the morning to finish the small things for the opening day and to clean the rooms.

1pm. Everything allright, everybody knew where to stay, the atmosphere was joyful. The firsts young people arrived in the Reco looking forward to seeing the new building and enjoy it... And finally...

WE OPENED THE DOORS FOR THE OPEN DAY!

The young people got in the building with a curious smile in their faces. They already knew the building, but now it was reformed, with new furniture, more prepared. Little by little more young people arrived and made a tour around the building. The youthworkers, the managers, the volunteers, and the rest of the workers were glad to open the doors again.

That day all the young people could enjoy The Reco again. The youthclub with a new pool table and more space, the music room, the art rooms, the music room, the hall, the City (the computers rooms), the Green room, the Restaurant. The young people could enjoy the restaurant as an open day and they could have a meal in that new space.

In that day I was mainly in the Youth Club, playing pool and other games, and talking with the young people about the new building and what they thought about it.

After the Open Day that finished at 5pm, the usual activity of The Reco with the groups restarted again.

I finished this day tired but happy to see the reason of all the previous work we did preparing the building. The young people are the reason and they were joyful with the new space. It was pleasant to be there.

The only think I continued thinking once the day finished, was how to transmit to the young people the need to be respectful and take care of The Reco. They already know that need but sometimes it's necessary to remind it because The Reco is like a big house inhabited for a lots of people. It's something like:

If you take care of your space, you are caring of yourself.

Moving to the "new - old" Reco

Since I arrived, at the beginings of October, The Reco had been doing its activities in another building. I didn't know how was the new building but everybody was talking about it and looking forward to going back there. Let me explain... Before I arrived and for many years, The Reco was in a big building that recently  had to be reformed for a safety reasons. So I arrived when that building was being reformed.

At the ends of November the works were almost finished and we started preparing the moving days. It meant to make some meetings to arrange the dates and all the steps we had to follow to move back. Since the last week of November until the 8th of December we did all that work. The hardest week was the last before the Opening Day. In those week I painted radiators and walls, prepared some furniture, helped organising all the stuff, cleaned, etc.

This moving was an opportunity to make of it a chance to give to the building a new atmosphere and to change some things for the benfit of the young people who are using it.

Everybody worked hard to have the new building prepared as soon as possible. It was also a good experience to work with the workmates that I don't use to, to know them a little bit more, and for me, to know the building, apreciate and respect it and feel it as an important part of my work. I think that helped me to understand the need to encourage the young people because they respect the building as it's essential to carry the activities on.

The temporary Reco

The Reco

Volunteer Fair

In two occasions I had the opportunity to participate in a volunteer event in the Universities. These events were meetings in the universities, where a lot of organisations that are working with volunteers had their own tent to present themselves to the students. There was all kind of organisations. The aim of these events was to show which kind of work these organisations are doing and to give a chance to the students who are interested in volunteering.  Actually, there were lots of organisations who are giving the chance of volunteering with them.

My experience was interesting. In one hand, I had the chance to know the university and to speak with the students about BRYR, The Reco, volunteering, and in the other hand, I could show them what the European Volunteer Service is and talk a little bit about my experience, even though my experience was short! I realized that lots of young people don’t know about the EVS, and some of them were really surprised when they found out this opportunity…

One of these events was in the DCU (Dublin City University), and the other one was in Trinity College.

I finished these events thinking how the EVS could be more accessible to the young people… It’s a big and a fantastic opportunity, but it’s still not widely known…