NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA Part II
The following event was a continuation of the events NUEYS had been planning for the Eritreans who had come from the nations of New Zealand and Australia. These events were coordinated on the request of the diaspora, who asked for events to be planned that were both entertaining and educational. These events would provide the youths in the groups new experiences they otherwise would not receive in their residing countries. This is the second event of the five that were organized, and in-fact one of the most anticipated because of the events hands on characteristics..
This event that was organized by NUEYS was more on the outdoorsy and fun side. This was a community service event that was performed around Biet Gergish, a little outside of central Asmara. The Eritrean Diasporas came in their respective groups to a popular area for community service in the mountains of Biet Gergish where a lot of tree-planting events had taken place in the past.
The youth and parents climbed up the mountain to the specific site where the event would take place. They were then given a specific assignment, which was to dig up areas which would be used to collect rain water for the trees. The idea of using pickaxes and shovels to dig up dirt and get their hands dirty was invited with open hands, as the youths were seen vigorously working without hesitation.
They were very impressive when it came to adapting to the workmanship of the tools and the physical aspect of the activity. There were even children who were taking part for the first time, who showed no holding back when it came to learning how to use the tools and take part with their older siblings and family members. They completed the task with an ecstatic energy about them. The way they used the tools, it was almost as if these were activities they did on a regular basis. They did not waste a single moment, and as a team they finished digging up their first area very quickly, and even decided to start working on a second area with the same vibrant energy.
In the end this was not just an entertaining event but it was also an educational one. This event showed the youth the importance of conservation and reforestation methods in Eritrea, and the hard work the nation was putting in to make the whole country a greener and more climate friendly place. It also introduced the Diaspora youth to the main tools used on a daily basis by a majority of the Eritrean population within their agricultural lifestyles and other places of work.
The groups thanked NUEYS for taking them on such an entertaining trip. NUEYS on its side thanked the groups for being so willing to try something new. NUEYS also stressed how vital these types of activities were on expanding the youths horizons when it came to understanding their nation on a further deeper level.