Happy from Schloss Niedernfels
Last March I made a video called “We are happy from Schloss Niedernfels”, a pedagogic centre where I worked as European Volunteer for eleven months. In the video, many children from the pedagogic centre have taken part of it. I had the idea to make it, since the video and the notes of Pharrel Williams’ song "Happy" were populating the web and the kids from the centre loved it. In the video the children, some colleagues of mine and myself danced to the tune of the song around Schloss Niedernfels. For this contest I have changed the song for the copy-right of the music, with another free song. However, the message of happiness of the video it is not changed. All the children performing in the video have the permission from their parents and from the chief of the Pedagogic Centre to appear in websites and on the internet. When I first arrived there, I felt myself in the middle of the cartoon “Heidi”. I spent my childhood watching it and there it seemed like Heidi’s place. The mountains, the countryside, the Bavarian’s landscapes and typical houses and churches. For the first month, I had the idea that this place was a paradise for me: no stress at all, lovely people, amazing food, and great weather. Perhaps I had this feeling just because I could not speak and communicate well with anyone and I could hardly understand what it was going on. I had a “full-immersion” experience on German language from the first day. Nobody wanted to speak with me in English and I was glad to get the challenge, even though sometimes it was very hard and frustrating. Despite the language barrier, I have never had problem with the people around me (colleagues, mentor and children), because whenever I realized that someone could not get the meaning of my sentences, I spoke a mix of Italian, English, Latin and German in order to let everybody understands me. Even though sometimes it was very hard to cope with the foreign language and difficult situations with the children, their smiles and hugs were “bonuses” that rewarded me after putting so much effort. I realised that the body language, respect and mutual esteem are crucial key words in our lives. Luckily, all of them can be used and seen without speaking any word. I strongly believe that nowadays the word “foreign” does not have a big meaning any more. Now one can be the world’s owner if he/ she has a high spirit of adaptability, enthusiasm, desire to meet new people, travel the world and experience new cultures. One may be foreigners in his/ her home country and world’s master everywhere. It all depends on individual’s point of views. I will never stop traveling: I keep positive energy and motivation, while getting to know new places and cultures! Indeed, one can use little gestures or signs in order to speak mutually with somebody else’s country, without a single word but with facts. During the last months, I understood that one can study and learn a lot about the social field, but there are not written rules, which teach an educator to love a child who needs unconditional love. My heart is richer now, and I will always take with me the great memories of my children during my year abroad.
My name is Francesca Aresti, I come from Italy and I am studying International Business Management at Newcastle University. I have spent my third year abroad in Germany and I did a European Volunteering Service (EVS) programme in Schloss Niedernfels, a Social Pedagogic Centre, for eleven months. There I have helped and looked after 12 children of age 10-14, who lived in the centre as residential group. These kids had higher educational needs in school and the social sector. The focus of my work was the education, support and development of the children according to their individual needs and abilities. During the time in Germany, I played plenty of games with the children I worked with. We made great activities and one of those was the production of a video, which it was shot, designed and created by myself as amazing memory of my time there.