The "Social Farming" project

At the end of March I had the pleasure of helping organise the "Social Farming" project, together with Youth Voice Plovdiv and JCI Plovdiv. It was funded by the new European Erasmus+ programme and brought together 48 young people from 10 countries (Spain, Italy, Serbia, Romania, Greece, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Portugal and Macedonia). For a week, Park Hotel Plovdiv became an arena for debating different ways of tackling unemployment in rural areas. Together with their Bulgarian partners, the young Europeans shared experience in social farming based on biodynamic agriculture and non-formal education.

Social farming is a new social and entrepreneurial model that aims to include young people with disabilities or from disadvantaged backgrounds in farming and in activities beyond ordinary agriculture. The approach brings a wide range of social and ethical benefits, together with non-formal learning methods that can have a strong therapeutic effect on young people with special needs and open new horizons for learning and employment based on their skills.

During their stay in Plovdiv, the international participants took part in specialised training sessions with leading professionals in the field. Prof. Stoycho Karov from the University of Food Technologies in Plovdiv gave them a wealth of information about biodynamic farming, and the special guest speaker was Dimitar Stoyanov ("Uncle Mitko"), owner of the only official social farm in Bulgaria. Participants also learned from Zornitsa Staneva how to apply for Erasmus+ projects and what opportunities the programme gives young people in the European Union. Kamelia Dumitrache from Romania tested the visiting Europeans' entrepreneurial skills: each of them got just one potato and had to trade it 10 times for things of greater value.

As a facilitator and one of the organisers, these few days were full of work for me. I was responsible for making sure the training ran smoothly and that all participants felt good during the project. But the week was not only full of commitments, it was also full of good emotions. Along with the fun, the international participants gained valuable experience in a multicultural setting, and each of them changed their outlook and grew as a person. Before I share my own view of those seven amazing days in March, here is what two of the guests thought.

Javier Rodriguez (Spain)

After a week in Plovdiv I realised that the most important thing is to feel good about yourself, to be comfortable with the different people around you and to make them feel good in your company too.

I really liked this project, and Bulgaria too. Even more, I managed to become a better person. Now I feel great in the company of different people, and I am more talkative and relaxed. I saw that good people are everywhere, and that if you want to be a leader and build a better future, your origin and history do not matter that much.

I appreciate your effort, the ice-breakers and energisers, and that you always had a smile on your face! It is amazing how a person can change the mood of everyone around just by smiling.

This was my first international project, and even though it was hard for me, I believe things worked out perfectly. I have already changed for the better, I understand things I could not before, and my whole mind is open. I want my family and friends to feel the same way and to share my happiness with them.

Someone once told me that it takes time to appreciate something. Now I know it is true.

Keep it up and keep bringing people from different countries together in one place to open their minds. I am convinced this is how we build a better world. It was a pleasure to meet you, Petar!

Ilektra Papadaki (Greece)

The social farming project got us to use modern methods that you can only see in practice and turn them into knowledge that we, in turn, can pass on. The different participants and their rich experience were an essential part of this experiment. I am grateful I had the chance to take part. I hope there will be more projects like this in the future, built on the ideals of Erasmus (mobility, people and ideas) and held in the amazing atmosphere that only young people can create.

For me personally, and for the whole team, it was a big challenge to welcome so many people from different countries and cultures, of different ages, with different jobs and interests. But once the project started and I saw so many positive, active and cheerful young people, everything fell into place, and we spent seven unforgettable days of talks, discussions and fun activities. By the end, no one wanted the project to finish. It was an unforgettable experience that I will always remember.