Junior Chamber International Zagreb (JCI Zagreb) and Are You Syrious? association are organising various events and with the aim of providing entertaining, educational and cultural content so that the children and young people from Porin, Zagreb Center for Asylum Seekers, could integrate into society.
This month, 20 young teenage and adolescent asylum seekers participated in a dance workshop organized by well-known dancer Ištvan Varga, who taught them ballroom dance steps at beginner level, mojzagreb.info reported on May 3, 2017.
Dance pairs made up of JCI Zagreb members and young asylum seekers quickly learnt the steps, so by the end of the workshop some couples discovered that they had hidden dance talents. The participants successfully mastered their first steps in waltz, disco fox, rock and roll and jive.
“Five to six hundred persons are situated in Porin reception centre, some of whom are in transit, while others are asylum seekers. They are provided with basic living needs, but they lack additional social content, especially younger members. That is why we have launched the AsyLove project , and today’s workshop is a part of it. Social dances give you a chance to get acquainted with other people and a reason to socialize. Knowing how to dance in pairs is actually part of personal immaterial value, general culture and language that everyone can recognize and understand,” JCI Zagreb chairwoman Helena Marinović explained.
The great success of previous activities for asylum-seeker children has confirmed that enough willpower can make significant changes and that small steps make a big difference. After an organized visit to the Museum of Illusions in February, a joint birthday celebration of asylum-seekers in Balonko playroom and dance workshops with Ištvan Varga, JCI Zagreb announced that their next event will be visiting the ZOO next month.
About JCI Zagreb
Junior Chamber International (JCI) is a worldwide membership-based nonprofit organization of young active citizens ages 18 to 40 who are dedicated to creating positive change in their communities. Through projects in 5,000 communities across more than 100 countries, members seek targeted solutions to local problems, creating a global impact.
Find out more about JCI here.
