Video time! - Healthy children, happy children

What happens when our organization gives two volunteers a video camera and the task of producing a video about healthy lifestyle and how to keep kids active? See for yourself! grin emoticon

The OLE project went to different schools and discovered what the teachers do to help the kids - and what else could be done. We hope you enjoy :)

And you can also see the poster we made with some of the most important information!

Dance like a Portuguese

Are you afraid of physical contact?

Are you 2 left feet?

You don't know how to speak Portuguese?

But in the end...do you like to move?

Welcome to the Portuguese Traditional Dances!

You don't need to be afraid of being 2 left feet, physical contact and even understanding Portuguese.

We have traditional dances for every styles so everyone can enter and join the party.

The traditional dance is easily found on countryside or in places with very strong origins.

Capital and big cities, somehow are losing the tradition and getting more difficult to transmit to future generations.

If you fun of creativity and high risk, here you have a dance from the region "Trás-os-Montes", which is on the northeast of Portugal:

If you are fan of vocals, you can go to "Alentejo", which is on almost the south of Portugal:

Something more mixed, o "Regadinho", which can be found alonge the north of Portugal and the seaside. I hope you enjoy:

Are you ready for it?

"Lectura pentru educatie" goes on!

Have you ever recolected more that one thousand books?

That is the question what Daniel and me wondered when we finally finished with the Second Hand Books Campaign. Because although the event for collecting money was in December, our work were not. Thank to the help of all the workers of the Philology Library of the University Complutense of Madrid, we were able to have more books for our campaign. It meant extended the place which bringing more books, more knowledge for the children. It was a very big donation that came from Spain in six full boxes.

“The knowledge” was written in English, Spanish, Romanian, Greek, even in Russian. At the beggining we tooke a look to the books and shared them by languages. We decided to devide up on different schools as Nicolae Balcescu, Dimitrie Tichindeal-Scoala Preparandia, Liceul de Arta-Sabin Dragoi-, and Mihail Eminescu school.

Venues which needed books, education in words. In addition the schools hadn´t enough material for the children, so their libraries were old and useless.

In other hand, Nicolae Balcescu school was the most grateful. They were who helped us to recolect the books in Arad, making a great event with music, songs, choir etc. For all that reasons we made the decision to gove the favour back, giving them the books.

Finally, thank to the help of Violeta, history teacher at Nicolae Balcescu, our ideas has been valued, throught an article in a Romanian Newspaper written by herself (here)

http://stirialert.ro/stiri-alert/donatie-inedita-carti-romanesti-donate-de-o-universitate-din-spania/

Macedonian folklore

Macedonia has a long history and it is a country with rich tradition and culture. The traditional folk dances together with the costumes, folk instruments and music represent the life of Macedonians many years ago when we struggled with wars, poverty and hardship but are also witnesses of the perseverance and courage of our small nation. The traditional folk dances have been passed on with centuries from one generation to another. Most of Macedonia's folklore consists of folktales, aphorisms, traditional folk dances, folk embroidery, colourful costumes, folklore music and pottery.

One of the best forms through which you can discover the Macedonian culture and tradition is traditional folk dances performed with passion by people of all ages. There are many traditional folk dances in Macedonia with different styles, choreographies and customs that they express and all are beautiful in their own way. 

The last month, we tried to teach the students from the General school No.1 “Mihai Eminescu” some of our traditional folk dances. Although it may seem a small thing at first, one of the most difficult things to do was to get all the students moving at the same time or moving the same leg. We slowed the tempo, demonstrated the steps in various ways so all students had an equal chance to learn the dance.

Adriana - recent activities

It is already mid-February, time flies. So far I have been in OLE project since November, and the activities I have participated in have been very diverse: from helping packing presents to playing with children.

My main activity is going to General 1, a school for children aged 7 to 12, where I and another volunteer help the teacher to orientate the class. We do stretches, warm-ups, help the teacher when he needs help in coordinating some specific activity or most importantly: to present games for children to play. These games can be both brain and physically stimulating, but the most important is having the kids to enjoy them and put them smiling, no matter how tiresome it is! It is also good for me, as it is the time of the week that I have to get in shape together with them.

More recently, me and André also went to a centre where they manage after-school activities, where we used the games with the children at schools with them and they loved it. I think for them were different activities than the ones they are used to.

What is more, this last month we have also started to work on OLE magazine, where we explain some of the games we use, information on ERASMUS+ program, and parents and teachers’ interviews.

Peace and Non-Violence Campaign

1. The “School Day of Non-violence and Peace” (DENIP), founded in 1964 and also known as World or International Day of Non-violence and Peace, is a pioneering, non-state, non-governmental, non-official, independent, free and voluntary initiative of Non-violent and Pacifying Education, which is now practised in schools all over the world and in which centres of education, teachers and students of all levels and from all countries are invited to take part. Because of I studied Human Rights in Spain, I thought that the campaign could be a chance of sharing different cultural points, and show to the children that It doesn´t matter the skin, nation, or country, if all of us fight for the Peace. I give them examples like Gandhi (religious man), Martin Luther King (politic), John Lennon (singer and activist), Malala (activist), different behaviours contending with violence. The campaign was done in Nicolae Balcescu school, German school, and Mihail Eminescu school

2. It advocates a permanent education in and for harmony, tolerance, solidarity, respect for human rights, non-violence and peace.

3. It is observed on January 30 or thereabouts every year, on the anniversary of the death of Mahatma Gandhi. In countries with a Southern Hemisphere school calendar, it can be observed on March 30 or thereabouts.

4. Its basic message is: “Universal Love, Non-violence and Peace. Universal Love is better than egoism, Non-violence is better than violence, amd Peace is better than war”.

5. The method of teaching this activity of education in values should be one of experiences and it can be freely applied in each centre of education according to its own teaching style.