Silvia from Moldova took part in an intercultural exchange project at the Children's Village in August 2019. At the time, she had no idea what a profound impact her stay in Trogen would have on her future life. A personal review.
The Pestalozzi Children's Village had a profound impact on my life and shaped me in ways I could never have imagined. I, who took part in an intercultural exchange in August 2019, grew up in a village in the south of Moldova.
But now, just six years later, thanks to the intercultural exchange, when thinking about where I grew up, I cross the geographical boundaries. I think of Pestalozzi Children's Village as the first place, beyond my village, where I truly grew.
The experiences I had at Children’s Village are so deeply ingrained in who I am that it’s difficult to separate and list them. Still, I remember specific activities that stood out to me and left me in awe.
Children’s Village opened the door to one of the most meaningful topics for me, identity. It was there that I first asked myself the question, “Who am I?” The answers I found became the starting points in exploring the responsibilities I have for each of these identities.
"It was through this topic that I first realized that it is diverse identities that shape a community, one that can only flourish with mutual understanding and respect."
Furthermore, I am forever grateful to Children’s Village for offering me, a teenager from a small Moldovan village, one of the greatest privileges: the opportunity to connect and engage with people who are different from me.
In Trogen, for the first time, I learned that living in a diverse community is like living in many places at once, and each broadens my horizons.
"I grew there by challenging myself every day to be open to different ways of approaching similar things, by showing compassion, and by erasing stereotypes and discriminatory prejudices."
Ultimately, the Children’s Village experience ignited my desire to explore more and give back to my community. The lessons I brought back from the Pestalozzi Children’s Village have guided me ever since.
It was the curiosity to understand the world that determined me to participate in projects such as the Eastern European Summer School. It was the desire to pursue a career that would be in the service of society that motivated me to participate in the Legal Academy in Romania and the Strasbourg Youth Peace Camp.
And it has been my identities, a beneficiary of these projects and a friend of people from other cultures that drove me to give back to my community.
Children’s Village Intercultural Exchange inspired a deep belief in the value of diversity, so I applied for and won a scholarship to attend United World Colleges (UWC).
While the allure of the International Baccalaureate diploma is undeniable, I feel that there was something more tangible than just knowledge: it was the international community and the shared values and mission, which closely align with those of the Pestalozzi Foundation.
As a UWC student, I engaged in numerous volunteering and learning projects: I worked with immigrants in Vancouver, worked with the Pearson College to promote the UWC mission, tutored for the history classes, engaged in learning the stories of Indigenous people in Canada, as well as volunteered during the summer time in Moldova.
"I truly recognize that Pestalozzi Children’s Village has been a pivotal milestone in my journey. I may never have the words to fully express my gratitude, but I am determined to carry forward the impact it had on me by doing meaningful work for others."
After two incredible years at Pearson College UWC, I decided to continue my studies in the USA at Macalester College, an institution strongly committed to multiculturalism and community service. With the college’s support, I will be conducting an internship this summer in the public sector in Moldova.