Pot changemakerstva ni le osebna pot, temveč tudi pot povezovanja z drugimi. Ko se med seboj poslušamo, sodelujemo in si nudimo podporo, lahko ustvarimo okolje, v katerem se ljudje počutijo varne, sprejete in opogumljene.

V drugem delu predstavljamo razmišljanje Caroline G. ter zapis Henriette o pritisku in duševnem zdravju. Obe poudarjata pomen skupnosti, timskega dela in spoznanja, da nam izzivov in bremen ni treba nositi samim.

Po zadnjem tednu, ki sem ga v okviru projekta Erasmus+ preživela v Sloveniji, lahko rečem, da je bila vključitev v to okolje ena izmed tistih izkušenj, ki jih ne bom nikoli pozabila. Ta projekt mi je dal toliko stvari, ki jih bom za vedno nosila s seboj.

Čeprav smo se poznali samo en teden, sem z mnogimi udeleženci spletla globoke vezi, kar me je resnično presenetilo. Vsak prijatelj, ki sem ga spoznala na tej poti, bo vedno ostal v mojem srcu.

Vse dejavnosti, kratke igre in naloge, ki smo jih opravljali, so bile zelo ustvarjalne in zanimive. Bile so pomemben del projekta, saj so nam pokazale prve korake pri ustvarjanju sprememb. Najljubše so mi bile dejavnosti, pri katerih je bilo potrebno timsko delo, saj sem zelo uživala v sodelovanju z

vsemi pri doseganju skupnega cilja.

Upam, da se bom lahko v prihodnosti udeležila še več podobnih projektov.

Takšno izkušnjo bi zagotovo z veseljem ponovila.

— Caroline G.

Projekt, skupina mladih in težka tema: pritisk. Kaj pa je bil naš cilj? Pokazati, kako mladi vidimo to vprašanje in kako lahko dosežemo spremembe.

Pot do sprememb se začne, ko smo izpostavljeni velikemu pritisku, vendar se sčasoma naučimo, da nam vsega ni treba nositi samim.

Oboje vpliva na naše duševno zdravje, vendar na popolnoma različna načina: pritisk nas potiska k tlom, podpora pa nas dviguje. Ta boj bo trajal, dokler ne bomo spoznali, da nam teh bremen ni treba nositi samim, ali dokler oseba, ki povzroča pritisk, ne bo spoznala, kaj s tem povzroča drugemu.

Duševno zdravje je pomembnejše od vsega.

– Henrietta

Prava vrednost takšne izkušnje se pokaže takrat, ko pridobljena spoznanja prenesemo v vsakdanje življenje. Empatija, skrb za duševno zdravje in pripravljenost pomagati drugim so lahko majhna dejanja z velikim vplivom. Pot changemakerstva se namreč ne konča s projektom, ampak se nadaljuje v naših skupnostih.

O projektu

Zapis je nastal v okviru mladinske izmenjave Erasmus+ »First Steps into Changemaking: Discovering Purpose, Creating Social Change«, ki je potekala med 20. in 25. julijem 2026 v Ljubljani. Na izmenjavi je sodelovalo 32 udeležencev iz Hrvaške, Severne Makedonije, Portugalske, Romunije in Slovenije. Projekt, ki ga je gostila Socialna akademija, je mladim omogočil razvijanje osebne identitete, komunikacijskih spretnosti, aktivnega državljanstva in sposobnosti za ustvarjanje pozitivnih sprememb v skupnosti.

Become a Changemaker 5: The Power of Connection and Working Together

The changemaker journey is not only a personal one, but also a journey of connecting with others. When we listen to one another, collaborate, and support each other, we create an environment where people feel safe, accepted, and encouraged.

In the second part, we present reflections by Caroline G. and a piece by Henriette on pressure and mental health. Both highlight the importance of community, teamwork, and the realization that we do not have to carry challenges and burdens alone.

After spending the last week in Slovenia as part of the Erasmus+ project, I can say that joining that environment was one of those experiences I will never forget. There are so many things this project gave me that I will carry with me forever.

First of all, even though we only met for one week, I built deep connections with many of the participants, which amazed me, and every friend I made along the way will always stay in my heart.

All the activities, small games, and tasks we did were creative and interesting, and played an important role in the project, as well as showing us the first steps in changemaking. All the activities that required teamwork were my favorite; I really enjoyed working with

everyone to reach the same goal.

I hope that in the future I can join more projects like this

one; I would certainly love to repeat this type of experience.

– Caroline G.

A project, a group of young people, and a heavy topic: pressure. And what was our goal? To show how we, as young people, see this issue and how we can bring about change.

The path to change begins when a lot of pressure is put on us, but we eventually learn that we don’t have to carry it all alone.

Both affect our mental health, but in completely different ways: pressure pushes us to the ground, while support lifts us up. This struggle will remain until we realize we don’t have to carry these burdens alone – or until the person causing the pressure realizes what they are doing to someone else.

Mental health is more important than anything.

                                           – Henrietta

The true value of such an experience becomes evident when we apply what we have learned in our everyday lives. Empathy, attention to mental health, and a willingness to help others may seem like small actions, but they can have a significant impact. The changemaker journey does not end with a project; it continues within our communities.

About the project

This blog was created as part of the Erasmus+ Youth Exchange “First Steps into Changemaking: Discovering Purpose, Creating Social Change”, which took place in Ljubljana from 20 to 25 July 2026. The exchange brought together 32 participants from Croatia, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia. Hosted by Socialna akademija, the project gave young people the opportunity to develop their personal identity, communication skills, active citizenship and their ability to create positive change in their communities.