In the period 11–21 May, six young participants from Bulgaria participated in a youth exchange in Curacao under the REIMAGINE project. The project brought together young people from Bulgaria, Romania, Belgium and Curacao, united by the theme of ecology, sustainable lifestyle and the challenges facing coastal communities.
The lead organization of the project was DEM from Curacao, and the Association “Dream of Romance, Flowers and Space” — BRCK participated as a partner from Bulgaria. On the Bulgarian side, six young people participated in the exchange, three of whom were from the village of Mindya. For some of them, this was their first intercontinental trip, but also their first in-depth meeting with environmental initiatives outside Europe.
The project gave the participants the opportunity to look at ecology not as an abstract topic, but as part of the everyday life of people living in coastal and island communities. In an environment surrounded by the sea, issues of waste, biodiversity, conservation of natural resources and climate change are felt much more directly.
Ecology beyond theory
One of the important parts of the program was the meeting with a local organization that works for the conservation of large sea turtles – one of the symbols of the Caribbean region. The participants learned about specific measures for the protection of endangered species, volunteer work models and the challenges faced by small island societies.
This experience helped young people see how environmental causes are transformed into real actions – through caring for nature, working with the local community, volunteering and perseverance. Topics such as separate waste collection, responsible consumption and environmental protection turned out to be common to both island communities and small settlements in Bulgaria.
In addition to the environmental part, the exchange included intercultural activities, work in international teams, discussions on youth participation and sharing of experience between participants from different countries. Through these activities, young people had the opportunity to develop skills in communication, teamwork, adaptation and understanding of different cultural perspectives.
From Curaçao back to Mindia
For the BRCK, participation in REIMAGINE is part of the organization’s broader work to promote youth participation, international exchange, environmental thinking and the connection between European programs and local communities.
Of particular importance is the fact that three of the Bulgarian participants are from the village of Mindia. This shows that international youth programs can also reach young people from small settlements, giving them the opportunity to travel, learn through experience and return with new ideas for their community.
Getting to Curaçao from Mindia is not just a journey in kilometers. It is an encounter with a different climate, culture, lifestyle and attitude towards nature. But most importantly, the participants returned not just with impressions of a distant destination, but with experience that can be shared and applied at home.
Sharing the results
After the group returned, a public presentation of the project was held on June 10 at the office of the BRCK Association in Veliko Tarnovo. During the meeting, participants presented photos, a short video and personal stories from the exchange.
The event was part of the dissemination activities and focused on how what was learned in Curaçao can be linked to local initiatives in Bulgaria — including in small communities like Mindya.
The REIMAGINE project showed that international youth exchange makes sense when the experience does not remain just a personal impression, but returns to the community — as a conversation, an idea, motivation and an opportunity for future action.
