ReConnection project - The First Youth Weekend Workshop Took Place
„Seeing further, being seen”
We had scarcely let go of the memories of the last occasion of 2025's training for for young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, when our 2026 training series within the framework of the ReConnection project had already begun. This time, young people from the villages in the hills around Gemer (SK) were in the spotlight, who came to us because of their socially disadvantaged backgrounds (including participants from children’s homes) in order not only to be seen, but to see further over time by attending these weekends.
We traveled up to Kokava nad Rimavicou (SK) to meet them personally and to create a safe and accepting environment where they can feel at ease. The high level of interest was a great source of joy for us; however, we had to make a difficult decision: due to the large number of applicants – after consulting with teachers – we had to limit the number of participants to 21 people.
At the beginning of Saturday, getting to know one another still played the central role, which gradually led into deeper processes built on self-awareness and cooperation. During the morning, exercises came into focus that helped the young people become more aware of their own feelings and express them with increasing precision, even in a reflective way. Emphasis was also placed on being able to name and share how they see themselves, while also experiencing the importance of cooperation through shared tasks.
The participants could also try themselves in situations through our outdoor activities where they could give space to their creativity, show some aspects of their personalities, and also have the opportunity to safely test their own boundaries.
We closed the evening with a relaxed but thought-provoking career orientation game of a preparatory nature, which also served as a kind of introduction to the programs of the following weekends.
On Sunday, we continued our shared work with a morning rich in experiences, which we could once again spend outdoors surrounded by beautiful natural scenery. This was followed by the closing of the weekend: during a shared reflection, the participants had the opportunity to look back on the past days, organize their experiences, and express all that they take with them – whether realizations, lessons, or personal experiences.
It was especially good to hear that the participants said goodbye already looking forward to the next occasion, when we can meet again after four weeks.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to making this weekend possible.
Our journey was supported by the HRB Car Rental (Komárno), for which we are also very grateful.
The training was implemented with the support of the European Union.
More information about the related ReConnection project can be found by clicking here.
This article was written by Viktória Zsoldos.
