Our volunteers started their fourth month here in Latvia by having a very sunny picnic at a park and by seeing their very first ice hockey game. Nothing less than Canada versus Latvija! They also enjoyed a spontaneous feast at Lido (for they have grown fond of their garlic bread) and had the chance to travel a bit.
Laure and Khristina took the bus to Liepaja and explored the city at their own pace, went to the beach (beautifully quiet and peaceful) and to the harbour, and to Liepaja’s Museum – where they saw a lot of art and historical & cultural items. They also met with some friends and drov to Papes Dabas Park, where they saw wild cows and walked among wild horses. “One of the most wonderful, liberating experiences so far”, they say!
Mid-month, the girls went to a school in Vilanu Iela to present BaMbuss to the youngsters there and to receive an award as a youth organization. They also had an EVS Volunteers Meet-Up in our organization, where they had the chance to meet new volunteers from Riga and exchange their experiences and projects here in Latvia.
Khristina also launched a Green Campaign with new recycling containers to sort waste and recycle in the studio, as well as to collect batteries and responsibly dispose of them. BaMbuss is getting greener day by day!
At the end of the month, the girls were invited to Nica to celebrate the night of the museums by making a workshop on how to make pictures on wood. It was very popular among the youngsters! Then they spent the night over in Liepaja and explored Karosta, visited the old prison, and had some fun catching sunsets by the sea.
This May, Laure also had a great time by going to a festival in Latvia, enjoying techno musi
c and meeting new people. She also had the chance to give archery a try with Khristina in a recently-open spot in the Old Town! On her side, Khristina had her first solo trip to Tallinn (Estonia), went to see Zero-Waste pioneer Bea Johnson in an exclusive workshop she held in Riga, and took part in a self-defense training (and kicked some ass!).
Being already here for more than one trimestre, the girls got their Latvian IDs at the Immigration Office and prepared themselves for the following months to come. They also continued to learn a bit of Latvian; this time about food, the time, the numbers, some verb conjugations, and even asking for directions to strangers on the street!
Project “BaMbuss Volunteers” is financially supported by the European Commission “Erasmus +: Youth in Action”, which is managed by the Youth International Program Agency in Latvia.
