In the course of the Erasmus+ project “Seniors in action” we were very happy to welcome our international friends from Poland, Slovenia, Hungary and Romania. From the 4th of Decembre till the 8th of December 2022 the seniors had time to exchange thoughts about volunteering activities, visit our intergenerational permaculture garden, explore the socio-educational projects of this island and discover the beauty of Tenerife’s nature. The first evening was already a great success! Together we ate paella, danced and sang.

On Monday the 5th of Decembre we started the Learning Activity for seniors in Action with a visit to Teide National Park. Our volunteer seniors guided their international friends through the Canary Island pine forest, shared with them about life between volcanoes and showed them the best viewpoints. Together we admired the unique diversity and colors of the National Park. The seniors were particularly impressed by the plants and their adaptability to the island’s altitudes and weather conditions. A short hike was also not to be missed! After all, we seniors are in action!

During the third day of the international exchange of the Erasmus+ Project “Seniors in Action” we organized an international Christmas workshop in the community center of Punta del Hidalgo, Tenerife. Christmas is a celebration that unites people… All the more wonderful to celebrate it with seniors from other countries, to share traditions and exchange customs. Together with our friends from Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Hungary, we created Christmas decorations, danced, enjoyed biscuits and punch and sang traditional Christmas carols in different languages.

Also we exchanged “volunteering- best practises”. It was a pleasure to present our intergenerational permaculture garden. Proudly the seniors showed their international colleagues the piece of land they are cultivating in a very sustainable way.

For Wednesday, 7th of December, the Erasmus+ project “seniors in action” joined a guided tour of the historic city of La Laguna. The old capital of Tenerife is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and shined in December in special splendor. The Tenerife people take the Christmas lights very seriously!

Afterwards we visited the SOS Children’s Village in EL Tablero. What makes it special is that this eco-farm uses sustainability as a tool for social intervention with learners from low socioeconomic backgrounds. This socio-educational activity aimed to be a source of inspiration and we hope that this tangible passion could be an impulse for more voluntary social projects! We were happy to see that the seniors got very motivated to use their potential, increase participation in order to prevent social exclusion of people.

At the last day of the Erasmus+ project Seniors in action (8th of December) we did an excursion to the jungle of Tenerife. The forest of Anaga is a UNESCO biosphere reserve with fascinating flora and breathtaking viewpoints. We ended this inspiring week with the ceremonial presentation of the certificates. The seniors shared and learned a lot and motivated each other to keep in action!