Laona for youth, youth for Laona 2.0 : How Erasmus+ can change a community

When we first imagined “Laona for Youth, Youth for Laona 2”, we didn’t picture a “perfect” group of young leaders. We pictured real teenagers and young adults – nervous, shy, curious, sometimes angry at how things work, often unsure if their voice matters at all.

Last summer these young people from Cyprus, Latvia and Estonia met in the tiny village of Pano Arodes. They arrived from busy cities and quiet suburbs, from rural areas and social risk backgrounds, some flying for the very first time. Fourteen of them were minors, many had never been in an international group before, and at least half carried labels like “fewer opportunities” in official documents – though no label could describe their courage to step into the unknown.

For 10 days they shared traditional village houses, long evenings under the stars and early mornings with sleepy faces at breakfast. They cleaned rubbish from Avakas gorge with their own hands, talked with local experts about real environmental problems in the Laona–Akamas region, and turned trash into mosaics and art pieces that told a different story about waste. They played Occaterra – a demanding role‑play on democracy – and discovered that making decisions together is messy, emotional and sometimes frustrating, but also possible when everyone stays at the table.

Not everything went smoothly. Some participants struggled with English. Others were homesick or overwhelmed by the intensity of the programme. There were tears, conflicts, moments when someone wanted to give up and go home. But this is exactly where the quiet magic happened: in reflection circles at the end of the day, in one‑to‑one talks on a bench, in the way group leaders, the facilitator and peers sat next to someone who was having a hard time and simply did not let them disappear.

One evening the main square of Pano Arodes turned into a mini‑festival. Local residents, tourists and children gathered to watch dances and songs from three countries, taste food prepared by the participants and listen to their stories. For some of our young people it was the first time on a stage. One girl from a small Latvian town later wrote that she had always believed “the stage is for others, not for people like me”. That night she performed twice.

What stays after such a project is not only photos and official numbers. It is the Estonian participant who went back home and joined a local youth council because “now I know I can actually say what I think”. It is a Cypriot boy who told us he had started sorting waste at home and convinced his parents to do the same. It is a Latvian group that organised a small workshop in their youth centre to teach others the democracy game they experienced in Cyprus.

For our organisations, this project was also a test. Could a new foundation in a rural area host an international youth exchange with 14 minors and a high percentage of young people with fewer opportunities – and do it safely, meaningfully, with dignity for everyone involved? The answer, after many months of preparation, risk‑planning, mentoring, late‑night leaders’ meetings and a lot of learning by doing, is yes.

We are proud of the official results: stronger skills in communication and teamwork, more democratic participation, higher environmental awareness, new partnerships and follow‑up projects already on the way. But we are even more proud of the small, invisible victories: the participant who dared to speak in English for the first time in front of a group, the moment when the whole team waited for one anxious girl to be ready before starting an activity, the friendships that now live in WhatsApp messages and video calls across three countries.

Laona2 reminded us why we work with youth in the first place. Change does not start in parliaments or conference rooms. It starts when a 17‑year‑old realises that their opinion matters in a simulation game; when a 15‑year‑old from a remote village feels at home in a European group; when a young person learns that caring for a mountain path full of trash is also a political act.

To everyone who was part of this journey – participants, parents, local community, volunteers, partners from Latvia and Estonia – thank you for trusting a small village and a big idea.

And to the young people reading this: if you ever feel that Erasmus+, democracy or “green Europe” are not for you – for people from your background, your school, your town – remember Laona. These projects are exactly for you!

“Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or The Foundation for the Management of European Lifelong Learning Programmes. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.” #ErasmusPlus #IDEP #Laonaforyouth #ErasmusCyprus