Chance Group II – Transcarpathia Project
The Project helped 160 Hungarian students and their 16 Hungarian teachers from Transcarpathia in two groups to spend a one-one week at Balaton, in Zamárdi, in July, 2016. The students and teachers came from thirty settlements of Transcarpathia and from more schools. The students and the teachers were recommended by the Alliance of Hungarian Teachers in Transcarpathia regarding their tireless study and work which deserve our attention and esteem. The aim of this vacation was, on one hand, to provide a holiday opportunity and, on the other hand, to strengthen the participants’ identity and to create a community.
First Camp
Zamárdi, July 11-17, 2016
The participants of the first week camp crossed the border on 11th July where the buses were waiting for them to take them for a more than 400 km long trip to Balaton. The group arrived to Zamárdi on late afternoon where the camp leaders welcomed them. The tiredness of the travelling did not stop the students to take a discovery trip in the city after dinner.
Most of the students had never visited the Balaton before. They earned this holiday with their prestigious prizes and results in various academic, sport or art competitions. Most of the students came from primary school, but there were older, secondary school students as well. One could discover in them curious, talented personality traits with a desire to build their future purposefully, so this is why it was a privilege organizing events for them.
The teachers from Transcarpathia came to rest also and to help organizing the events in the camp, so the camp leaders tried to provide as much free time as it was possible for them and organized the camp’s schedule to make everybody feel good during the week.
After the long trip of the first day, everybody played socializing games to get to know each other well, because the participants did not know each other, since they arrived from different settlements and schools.
On the second day, the main event was bathing in Balaton, followed by a small walk and eating ice cream and on this day’s evening a guest musician taught songs in the apartment’s garden and the day ended with dance house.
The third day was a bit rainy, so instead of bathing, indoor activities took place in the schedule organized by the staff. Thanks to the apartment’s excellent facilities, three different events were organized at the same time. The creative students could participate in making handicraft items, others could compete with each other in trivia, and the third group could play table games. Afternoon a drama teacher joined the camp and divided the group into three smaller ones. Each of them got a scene to play and they made costumes and decorations for their presentation. These events helped to forge a good community. In the evening joint singing and music was on the schedule and watching a movie closed the day.
The main event of the fourth day was a trip. After the breakfast, the group took a big walk to the ferry and travelled to Tihany by a ferryboat. There the group was divided into two smaller ones, one group went to visit Tihany, the other to discover Tihany’s Inner Lake. The latter group learned about how the Balaton was formed, Tihany’s unique microclimate, flora and fauna. The former group visited the Tihany Abbey and learned how the “Echo of Tihany” works, and then they had an ice cream on the main street. Everybody ate their lunch at the Inner Lake and after a little rest, the groups switched programs. At the end of the day, the participants became really tired, but they could return to the camp with a lot of new and fascinating experiences.
On the fifth day, free time activities were in the spotlight, but bathing in Balaton and joint singing and music were inseparable parts of the schedule.
On Saturday, bathing and the real Balaton mood played the main roles in the life of camp. Afternoon a birthday party was hold which was followed by joint singing and music. The evening and the week was crowned by the participants’ traditional dance house. Despite the fact that the participants came from different settlements and schools, a really good community was forged during the time of camp.
On Sunday, when the group left the camp, goodbye tears showed up in the eyes. The camp shirts became covered by the names of new friends. Then the three bus left for their 400 km long journey to the border where saying final goodbyes was really difficult, but the hope of reunion comforted everybody.
Zamárdi, July, 2016
Second Group
Zamárdi, July 17-24, 2016
The second group with their teachers crossed the border on July 17. The buses were waiting for them which took the first group to the border. The students and teachers arrived to Zamárdi late afternoon, where the camp leaders welcomed them with the remaining students from the previous group: they were happy to volunteer in helping to organize the second camp.
The long trip did not stop the new group to take a walk in Zamárdi after the dinner; the night of Zamárdi enchanted everybody.
The participants of the second group were secondary school students. They also earned the privilege to participate in the camp by winning educational, sport and art competitions in Transcarpathia. One could discover in them curious, talented personality traits with a desire to build their future purposefully, this is why it was also a privilege organizing programs for them.
On the second day morning the students and teachers got to know each others better by playing socializing games. Bathing followed the introductions. Most of the students had not visited the Balaton before, like in the case of the first camp. On the evening, sport activities were in the spotlight, soccer, volleyball and badminton were the favorite ones. Joint music, singing and learning new songs closed the evening, since a musician also joined this camp.
The third day’s schedule was a big walk after breakfast, then travelling to the North Coast by ferryboat. There the group was split into two smaller groups, one to discover Tihany, the other to take a trip in Tihany’s neighborhood. Those who took the trip visited the Hermit’s Place and the famous “Levendulás”. The other group learned how the “Echo of Tihany” works, visited the Abbey and discovered the settlement. The lunch took place at the Inner Lake and after lunch, the groups switched programs. The stormy and windy weather made the road back to the camp really exciting. Movie night was the closing program on this eventful day.
Also on the third day, not only the students, but also the Transcarpathian teachers took a trip. They visited Budapest where they had a city tour, visiting the most famous monuments in Budapest, like the “Bottomless Lake”, City Woodland Park, Danube Promenade and Castle Hill. After the city tour, the teachers had a delicious dinner and returned to Zamárdi.
On the following day of the camp József Pintér, historian and teacher from Debrecen, joined the camp and gave a guest speak on National Identity. The first part of lecture examined the idea and correlations of being Hungarian and being human, including his insights and experiences on how the Hungarians’ national identity is formed inside and outside of the Hungarian borders. The second part of the lecture discussed Hungary’s historical flags in interactive way. The audience was pleased with the lecture, and sang the National Anthem. After the lecture, sport activities were on the schedule. The students also could go to bath and they could play soccer and volleyball with the staff and volunteers. After lunch, an optional psychology training was on the schedule and thirty-five students signed up for this event, organized by Viktória Gajdos, mental health professional from Debrecen. Joint singing and music was the evening program, and movie night closed the day.
Thursday was also an extraordinary day for the students. By dividing the group into three smaller ones, everyone could play Number War, could do creative handicraft items and participate in sport and intellectual competitions. Afternoon traditional dance house was the main event, because more of the students are talented folk-dancers and folk-singers who taught the rest of the group basic steps and presented an amazing folk dancing show.
The Friday schedule were sport activities and bathing in Balaton. Joint singing and music was the evening program and at this time the students could craft their own instruments. Before bed-time, the students organized a Hungarian Evening where everyone could share what their Hungarian identity means for themselves.
On Saturday, everybody insisted to bath in Balaton. On the last night joint singing and music, and dance house were the evening program as well.
On Sunday, everybody started to pack their stuff, saying goodbye was heartbreaking, the camp shirts became covered with signatures of new friends.
In both camps, we had countless meetings with exceptional young people, we look forward to nourish these new friendships.
Zamárdi, July, 2016