The Rotary Club of Estoi Palace International selected 15-year-old Bruno Conceição Pinheiro from Estoi to take part in a summer camp in Hungary. Bruno was nervous to be travelling abroad for the first time but eager to take advantage of the opportunity. In early July, he set forth and went to stay with a local Hungarian family.
Bruno was one of 16 teenagers from various parts of Europe, including Estonia, Belgium, Italy, France and Russia, taking part in the summer camp.
One of the aims of the Rotary Foundation is to promote better understanding of different cultures in order to encourage tolerance and empathy for others. “Youth camps broaden international understanding by learning about a region’s people, food, languages, customs and history. They also help to build enduring friendships and establish a foundation for peace and service.”
Bruno recently attended a meeting of the Rotary Club of Estoi Palace International to give a presentation about his time in Hungary.
The students took part in numerous sporting activities including caving, canoeing, cycling, rock climbing, football and volleyball. Despite the language differences, they managed to communicate and work together as a team.
The teenagers travelled around for four days and were taken on cultural tours of Val and Budapest. Bruno was interested to experience Hungarian cuisine for the first time.
In Bruno’s own words, “it was an extraordinary 11 days, sharing all these new experiences and adventures with the other participants – an absolutely unforgettable experience”. He is in contact with some of them and hopes they will meet up again in the future, either in Portugal or in their country.
