Today we head to Jaen, Spain,
where Iliana, another of our volunteers, meets us.
↑ IG photo: @viajar_mundo_autentico (Instagram)
#Jaén – is thought to derive from the old Arab word describing a place of rest on a #CaravanRoute.
“Hi, my name is Iliyana Yordanova and about 3 and a half months ago I started volunteering in Jaen, Spain. Jaen? I as well had never heard of this so colorful, filled with legends, stories, and traditions strongly supported and preserved for centuries, place somehow “hidden” in the expanses of Southern Spain.
During these months, I stepped into the shoes of an OPF’s research reporter, as part of the “European Cultural Heritage Unites Us” project, and explored the festivals, the food, the faith, the art, the homes, and the Andalusian, specific to this region. Each research is a unique experience that I have the pleasure of revisiting by the writing of each article, with the viewing of each photo or video… Besides the whole bunch of new skills that I am acquiring through volunteering, I am also making small steps in reaffirming the city’s identity as a holder of a rich cultural intangible heritage.
Creating, for the first time, web content entirely in English about Jaén is an opportunity that I can turn into reality through the ¨ECHU¨ project; an opportunity that motivates my work here even more.
Създаването за първи път на уеб съдържание изцяло на английски относно Хаен е възможност, която чрез проекта ,,ECHU” мога да превърна във факт. Това е и възможност, която още повече мотивира работата ми тук.”
You will be able to see the materials that Iliana collects and digitizes in the course of her work in Jaen very soon on the website: www.inheritedculture.com
Another interesting fact that Iliana shared with us is her observation that the local young people are almost unaware of the cultural heritage of the region. I dream for a moment that they will emigrate to the capital Madrid or to another European destination, hoping for a more exciting life and professional realization. A problem that we are registering in many other cities in Europe, by the way. Iliana’s mission in Spain, as well as our project “European Cultural Heritage Unites Us” is on the one hand to digitize interesting facts and traditions, but also to present the contribution of each culture and color of different parts of Europe in our development as humanity. To see and get to know it through the eyes of researchers on the subject, and at the same time to awaken the appetite for travel to the place, to taste the food, to taste flavors, music and dance … and everything that people have developed and preserved during years.
The project is implemented with the support of the EU’s European Solidarity Corps program.
