A role-playing game facilitated grouping and a fast fashion workshop gave food for thought during a youth exchange in Belgium

According to Erasmus+ youth exchange participants Valo Heikkinen and Ella Kuvaja, exchanges are life-changing experiences for many. As active young citizens, they know that the desire to make a difference comes from being part of a great team and doing something meaningful for others. 

Nervousness and ice-breaking 

The “Älä hättäile, istu mättäälle!” (literal translation “Don’t rush, sit on the grass!”) youth exchange project focused on the climate and sustainable development at the behest of the youth of the Oulujärvi branch of Nuoriso Leader. 

“It was cool that the theme came from us. When someone came up with the idea of calling it ‘älä hättäile, istu mättäälle’, it caused a lot of laughter in the group,” Valo recalls the origin of the project's name: “It immediately felt like this was going to be a good project!” 

In late summer, it was time for the project participants to set a course for the French-speaking region of Belgium. While relations with the hosting organisation had been warmed up beforehand through video calls and introductory videos, at first there were some challenges with grouping. 

“We made it clear to them that it was not feeling like a group project. That there were a few problems with how to get the Finns and Belgians to work together, instead of in separate teams,” Valo says. 

As a result, deliberate efforts were made to mix the two groups together. Gradually, the group bonded over a day trip to Maastricht, during which teams were mixed across nationalities for urban orienteering, and by watching shooting stars and sharing ghost stories around a campfire. 

The initial awkwardness was partly explained by nervousness over speaking a foreign language. 

“It feels scary, coming from the wilderness up north, where you never need to speak English. We also had a younger guy with us, who was really nervous about just flying on a plane and going abroad. It made me realise how important it is to support each other,” Ella says empathetically. 

With more attention paid to grouping and everyone supporting each other, even the nervous members of the group gradually realised that their skills were more than good enough. 

On the trail of the dragon's egg thief 

But there was one experience that proved to be even more effective in terms of grouping: the fantasy role-playing game Youngsters and Dragons, in which emotions ran high as the young people, divided into different roles and communities, negotiated under pressure. 

Afterwards, the participants were told that they could have also chosen a different strategy in the game. 

“Someone tried to suggest that maybe we don’t need to eliminate anyone, but they got shouted over by the others. When it turned out that the person had been right, many people spoke up that it was annoying that we didn't listen to them. As a group, we felt like, dammit, we should have worked as a team!” Valo recalls. 

The game made the young people think about why the opportunity to do things differently was missed. 

“We also reflected it on the real world and things like how countries respond to each other. What is stopping us from looking at things from a new perspective and learning from the past?” challenges Ella. 

How old is your ‘fit? 

Although Valo and Ella also praise their visits to a community garden used for alternative food production and a farm, the thing that really made them think was the fast fashion workshop that the two Finnish young people organised themselves. 

“The thing that really stuck in my mind was that if all clothing production were stopped now, we could survive for 150–250 years with the clothes we have! I was also amazed to find out how few times people use a single piece of clothing on average,” says Valo. 

Inspired by the ‘how much does your outfit cost’ concept, the workshop had each participant calculate the lifespan of the clothes that they were wearing. The discussion also extended to global injustice, with the use of child labour in fast fashion leading the young people to imagine themselves in the shoes of those children. 

The workshop made many of the participants think about reducing their shopping and about alternatives. Ella says that when she walks past the clothing department, she now looks at a nice shirt from a different perspective: 
“Do I really need this, will I use it, how was it produced?” 

It's all about community 

Following the recent news coverage of young people's lack of confidence in the future, Ella says that she has been wondering whether their generation is gradually becoming numb to living from crisis to crisis, or whether they have the strength to try to improve their situation. 

However, Ella and Valo are both young people who have been involved in student councils since primary school, in addition to which they engage in hobbies like scouting and theatre, respectively. As active participants in Nuoriso Leader’s activities, they have not only organised several youth exchanges, but also surveyed the wishes and needs of young people in their region, for example by touring Kainuu with an escape room game. 

So what keeps their motivation for active citizenship going? 

“The knowledge that you have at least tried,” Valo sums up. 

“For me, it's the community,” Ella sums up. “Sometimes it can feel desperate, but when you see the people and get to share ideas, it gives you hope. You can see what you're aiming for. We want to create opportunities for young people and a sense of community in rural areas.” 

This is a remarkable idea in our individual- and performance-oriented age: the desire to make a difference and be active is born in communities where people do something meaningful together for the benefit of others. 

Broader shoulders to carry climate concerns 

The Kainuu duo have realised that internationalisation is making the world smaller. 

“The more you travel, the closer you feel to everything. Even though things are different at a certain level, it doesn't feel that foreign. Even with the Belgians, we shared many of the same ideas, interests and concerns,” says Ella. 

One of these shared concerns was the climate crisis. 

During the interview, Valo jumps up, turns on his phone's rear camera and shows off the thawed ground in his backyard; usually this time of year is perfect for skiing where he lives. 

“Not a lot of skiing taking place out there,” he says. “But climate anxiety feels like a lighter burden to carry when you know that there are other people of the same age elsewhere in the world who are also concerned and frustrated about it.” 

The climate crisis is also a question of fairness. Ella has noticed that in Finland it tends to be downplayed, because the worst consequences are realised far from home. At the same time, young people are forced to live in the middle of a crisis that they did not cause, Valo points out. 

Alongside the sharing of serious concerns, Valo and Ella also made some amusing observations during the exchange. The first thing that comes to the cheerful duo’s mind about Belgian culture is the potato – and not just any Finnish ‘pottu’. 

“There was some kind of trick to Belgian fries. Under no circumstances should they be confused with the French fries that we have here. The Belgians talked about those potatoes for a long time and with intensity!”

Text: Laura Mettälä

Valo Heikkinen, 18, Kajaani, Finland 
● Studying to become a bass player and in a band that play “freestyle rock-inspired art explosion music.”
● Directed a full-length play at Kajaani Amateur Theatre at the age of 15, inspired by his first youth exchange. 
● Planning to become a European Solidarity Corps volunteer after graduating. 
● Would make the world fairer by eliminating discrimination experienced by various minority groups and fixing the healthcare system. 
● Project: “Älä hättäile, istu mättäälle!” youth exchange in Belgium in August 2025. The theme was climate change and sustainability. The Belgians have applied for funding for a follow-up project.

Ella Kuvaja, 20, Jyväskylä, Finland 
● Originally from Kajaani, currently studying social work in Jyväskylä. 
● Learning to knit woollen socks, active in scouting, and joined Nuoriso Leader “after thinking about it for one minute.”
● Dreams of having a meaningful job, hobbies and to be connected to communities where you feel good. 
● Would make the world fairer by providing all young people – including those living in rural areas – with equal opportunities in life. 
● Project: Same as above.

This interview is part of the European Youth Week, which takes place from 24 April to 1 May 2026 and is aimed at promoting youth engagement, participation and active citizenship by making the voices of young people heard. This year, the European Youth Week is dedicated to ‘Solidarity and Fairness’ and celebrates 30 years of volunteering in Europe.

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