My journey to ASHA began in a very peculiar way, and even now I cannot pinpoint how I applied and how I was blessed to have my path guided to this healing and developing wonderful oasis. It is very hard to condense all the stories and teachings that I take back with me from this amazing experience, but I will try. The first lesson I learnt was about Ahimsa, which means infinite love, but also infinite capacity for suffering, which is one of the guiding principles in life, everything needs to be in a balance and a real leader needs to master the art of balance.
The time spent at ASHA on the Social Entrepreneurship course has freed me from so many restraints that I build on myself and my relation to others. I am now more knowledgeable, and I know my other 33 new friends from 9 different countries on the course, including Romania, Italy, Poland and The Netherlands, feel the same. Even from the first day we all had a connection, we are a balanced group that has managed to make ASHA our home and all of us, together with the volunteers and staff here our family.
We have learnt about temperaments and working styles, about our inner and outer relationships with the world around us and also the influence that self-knowledge and people management plays in social businesses and not only. We have used theatre productions, storytelling, meditation, workshops and group projects to understand ourselves and enjoy learning about new concepts, but also to bond with each other at a much deeper level. Through these activities I have discovered so much about myself and the way I relate to others in a social and work environment and this sparked a flame of fascination in my heart that I want to always fuel.
More than this, I have build connections with every single person I have came in contact at the centre, withing and outside the group, and was lucky enough to have my birthday during the course, which was an incredible day spent with incredible people. We also were lucky enough to have inspiring salsa dancing classes, going to an English pub to enjoy a gipsy band, share our culture and traditions, but also were free to organise our own activities. I must admit that I fell in love with the grounds as soon as we arrived, the sense of peace and serenity that walking along the paths and the closeness to the forest make your heart, soul and mind sing in harmony with the nature around you.
My eyes have been opened, my heart stolen and my mind filled. I have, for better or worse, been changed, and I feel that this is just the beginning of my love story with ASHA. This experience has made me understand how a hollistic approach and a peace building, social cohesion based course can bring a fundamental change into lives of youth worldwide. Me and my groupmates are all motivated and have received enough information and support to want to start our own projects in our countries, and I want to start a women empowerment programme. Thank you ASHA centre and thank you to Zerbanoo Gifford, our lives are now forever changed for the better thanks to you!
The time spent at ASHA on the Social Entrepreneurship course has freed me from so many restraints that I build on myself and my relation to others. I am now more knowledgeable, and I know my other 33 new friends from 9 different countries on the course, including Romania, Italy, Poland and The Netherlands, feel the same. Even from the first day we all had a connection, we are a balanced group that has managed to make ASHA our home and all of us, together with the volunteers and staff here our family.
We have learnt about temperaments and working styles, about our inner and outer relationships with the world around us and also the influence that self-knowledge and people management plays in social businesses and not only. We have used theatre productions, storytelling, meditation, workshops and group projects to understand ourselves and enjoy learning about new concepts, but also to bond with each other at a much deeper level. Through these activities I have discovered so much about myself and the way I relate to others in a social and work environment and this sparked a flame of fascination in my heart that I want to always fuel.
More than this, I have build connections with every single person I have came in contact at the centre, withing and outside the group, and was lucky enough to have my birthday during the course, which was an incredible day spent with incredible people. We also were lucky enough to have inspiring salsa dancing classes, going to an English pub to enjoy a gipsy band, share our culture and traditions, but also were free to organise our own activities. I must admit that I fell in love with the grounds as soon as we arrived, the sense of peace and serenity that walking along the paths and the closeness to the forest make your heart, soul and mind sing in harmony with the nature around you.
My eyes have been opened, my heart stolen and my mind filled. I have, for better or worse, been changed, and I feel that this is just the beginning of my love story with ASHA. This experience has made me understand how a hollistic approach and a peace building, social cohesion based course can bring a fundamental change into lives of youth worldwide. Me and my groupmates are all motivated and have received enough information and support to want to start our own projects in our countries, and I want to start a women empowerment programme. Thank you ASHA centre and thank you to Zerbanoo Gifford, our lives are now forever changed for the better thanks to you!