One of the aims of the Rotary Foundation is to promote better understanding of different cultures in order to encourage tolerance and empathy for others. Youth camps broaden international understanding by learning about a regions’s people, food, languages, customs and history. They also help to build enduring friendships and establish a foundation for peace and service.
The Rotary Club of Estoi Palace International selected 15 year old Bruno Conceicao Pinheiro from Estoi to go to a summer camp in Hungary. Bruno was very nervous to be travelling abroad for the first time but eager to take advantage of the opportunity. In early July he set forth and went to stay with a local Hungarian family. Bruno was one of 16 teenagers from various parts of Europe including Estonia, Belgium, Italy, France, Russia etc., taking part in this Summer Camp.
The group took part in numerous sporting activities including caving, canoing, cycling, rock climbing, football, and volleyball amongst others. Despite the language differences they managed to communicate and work together as a team.
The teenagers travelled around for 4 days and were taken on cultural tours of Val and Budapest. Bruno was interested to experience Hungarian cuisine for the first time.
In Bruno’s own words it was an extraordinary 11 days sharing all these new experiences and adventures with the other participants, an absolutely unforgettable experience.
Bruno came to the Club to give us a presentation about his time there. He is in contact with some of the others he met at the Camp and hopes in the future they will meet up again either here or in their country. He is very grateful to the Club for giving him the opportunity to participate in all these wonderful experiences, that he will remember for the rest of his life.
