On the 24-th of May 6 volunteers (6 ladies) from the Petrasiunai community centre (Kaunas, Lithuania) arrived in Bialystok for volunteering work according to the tasks of the International Volunteering Project AFIS(ZA).
On Sunday, the 25-th of May meeting with the participants of the project from the UTA in Białystok was held in the central square (plac Ratuszowy). The main theme of the meeting was discussion of the program of their stay in Bialystok. During the discussion the Lithuanian ladies treated Polish partners with their special regional cake “Mrowisko”, it was delicious.
After the meeting the guests were invited on a sightseeing tour in the centre of Białystok. In the evening they took part in the 33-rd International Festival of Orthodox Church Music in which 24 choirs (amateur and professional) from Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, Ukraine, Moldavia, Slovakia, Romania and Australia participated. This Festival is one of the most important festivals of orthodox music in the world. Lithuanian ladies are the members of Petrasiunai community centre choir “Monte Pacis”, so they enjoyed the music and were under great impression.
Volunteers from Kaunas (Lithuania):
Romualda Anduziene – the chief of the group, Danute Varkaliene, Janina Olbergaite, Danute Sivickaite, Genovaite Mikėnaite, Maryte Janauskiene
On the next day there was Artistic Festival for Seniors „ARS – 2014″, in which UTA choir took an active part, that’s why our volunteers were also invited to come there. University choir under the conduction of Oksana Dziadul sang tree songs. and our volunteers enjoyed their singing. UTA choir took the first prize and was qualified for the Nationwide Artistical Festival for Seniors “ARS -2014” in Bydgoszcz.
Later the volunteers were invited to the gymnastic workshop done by Danuta Łopatecka in the club “Jubilat”. Danuta together with Romualda, one of the volunteers, showed a lot of exercises for all the participants, there were more than 40 of them. After dinner the volunteers were warmly accepted by the University Board in our office in Skłodowska Street. Lithuania guests showed great interest in all the activities done by Polish at the UTA, they admired our chronicle.
The main activity according to the tasks of the AFIS(ZA) project, was volunteering in the hospice. Six volunteers from Kaunas and five participants from the UTA worked in the Hospice in Sobieski Street in Białystok during the whole time of visit of Lithuanians. The participants were warmly greeted by the director of the Hospice Tadeusz Borowski. He shortly told about the history of the Hospicium and about the character of work with dying people. Then the matron of the Hospice gave detailed instructions on how to take care of the sick people.
There were 43 sick people in the Hospice in those days. Most of them were lying without movement. AFIS(ZA) volunteers dressed in protective gowns and gloves started their work. In the morning they washed the face and hands of the sick, they washed their head, combed the hair. They had to do it very delicately and with great patience because every movement could cause pain for the sick people and they suffered very much. At breakfast and dinner time they fed the sick people. Some of the volunteers did some housework: they swept and washed the floor, cleaned the cupboards and dishes. The volunteers also experienced the most difficult moments when people were passing away.
On the 27-th of May there was meeting with the inmates of the Care Centre of Baptists “Our House” in Kujawska Street. Some inmates can speak Russian so they could speak to the Lithuanians directly, without translation. There were a lot of questions and answers from both sides. Later there was the common concert. UTA volunteers also sang 3 Lithuanian songs.
In the afternoon the volunteers participated in the general rehearsal of our inter-generational spectacle “Hello, Europe!”. They also had a rehearsal of their songs, Zdzisław accompanied them on the guitar.
On Wednesday, the 28-th of May, the volunteers from Kaunas were invited to UTA section of Nordic Walking, which takes place every Wednesday in Zwierzyniecki park. At the beginning, as usual, was done some exercises in order to warm up the bodies and to prepare for walking. Then there was a short training, was showed the most important instructions how to walk correctly with sticks.
Later the volunteers were present at the singing workshops in the club “Jubilat”. Agnieszka Panas, Polish conductor, guided the workshop at the beginning. Then Arvydas Paulauskas (Lithuanian conductor) continued. Lithuanian quests taught Polish seniors and volunteers to sing the popular Spanish song “La Paloma” and “Los Gavilanes”, as well as Polish song “Hey, Mazury” with the notes for the string quartet written by our member of the UTA Robert Panek.
The 29-th of May was the first working day of the final project meeting of the CONGENIAL project. Partners from 8 European countries, some representatives of local authorities and all participants of the project from the UTA were present at the conference. The volunteers from Kaunas also took part in the conference and in the project meeting.
After warming greetings to all guests, the lecture “Nowadays Inter-generational Challenges” was delivered by Prof. Mestwin Kostka. Then there were 2 multimedia presentations about achievements of UTA and about all activities in the project. The partners showed presentations about their activities. During the coffee break all the participants had a chance to exchange their experiences.
Later there was the opening ceremony of the artistic exhibition of all the members of the UTA: the painting, photo and handicraft works were presented at the exhibition. After that the inter-generational spectacle “Hello, Europe!” was shown to all the participants. Six ladies from the international volunteering project AFIS(ZA) from Kaunas (Lithuania) together with their conductor A. Paulauskas also took part in the spectacle.
On the 30-th of May the group of partners from the CONGENIAL project together with the volunteers from the AFIS(ZA) project and seniors from the UTA went to Supraśl by bus. Supraśl is a small picturesque town founded in the 11-th century. Thank to specific forest micro-climate and the rich deposits of therapeutic mud Supraśl has gained the status of a spa. The most important monument of Supraśl’s architecture is the fortified Orthodox Church of Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is the main Shrine (Sanctuary) of Supraśl Orthodox monastery.
At the Fine Arts High School in Supraśl, located in the beautifully renovated Buchholtz’s Palace from the turn of the 20-th century, after sightseeing the best works of arts made by the students, we had 2 kinds of artistic workshops together with the students: graphics and painting.
The workshops, especially graphics were of great interest among all the participants. Done by different techniques the graphics and pictures looked very nice, the participants could take them home.
After dinner all participants went to the famous multimedia Museum of Icons, which to the accompaniment of lights and Orthodox church choir chants, illustrates the history of Orthodox church and the works of art – icons. Nearly half a thousand icons have been collecting there. One of the main sources of acquisition is the Białystok Customs Office, which confiscates them from smuggles. The oldest icons come from the 18-th century. After the guided excursion in the Museum participants had special workshop there – painting of icons. They were given all the necessary materials and the pattern of an angel. Then they were taught how to make carbon copy of the angel and how to use the paints. Everybody started painting in full concentration and with great commitment.
AFIS(ZA) 