For the last passing years one of my best friends has been insisting that I should do an youth exchange project. At first was a bit skeptical. I wasn’t much attracted by it. Over the years I saw her going more and more projects and posting amazing pictures and videos and sharing amazing stories. That got my attention so I decided OK “let’s do it!”. When I started searching for projects and now at the end of this one, I never imagined this would be so cool and so amazing. I am so glad that I took the decision to come! I had some fears and maybe some expectations, but still I came. I think in life we should be bold enough to take the risk and take the chance, even if we are afraid. Because life will open its doors and show us an even better scenario that we were expecting. I met awesome people, share lovely experiences and learned a lot about the cosmetics and Eco world. Samobor held us like home and the whole team and volunteers made us feel so comfortable and safe. From the facilities, to the food, to the environment around us, I could say this was definitely a perfect choice for my first project. Meeting new people and traveling to new places is what I love the most and in Samobor I met people from different countries like Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania. I believe I made friends for the upcoming years and I definitely want to come back to Croatia and to Pozitiva to visit Pozitiva team again and perhaps to make another project. Thank you so much Pozitiva/Samobor! See you soon, Obrigado! Francisco F.

My name is Lúcia Portugal, I’m Portuguese and I’m 26 years old. I signed up for this project because I identify with the subject and I couldn’t be more satisfied. I’m having an incredible experience. Everything is very good, the activities, the organization, the team and the food… I had the opportunity to learn more about the products, how toxic some are and how I can make them better options, analyzing their ingredients, changing them for more conscious options, making them at home with natural ingredients, I also had the opportunity to learn about product marketing, make a logo and develop a brand and make my own lipstick. During the project we also learned about teamwork and unity. I am very grateful for the opportunity to participate in the project. Thank you! Lúcia P.

Hello. This project was an amazing project where I could learn a bit more about natural and organic cosmetics, their essence, their ingredients, their importance, how to use them and why to use them. We also learned a bit more about team work, the importance of union, to respect others and have empathy towards everyone and every human being, making connections, gaining international friends. We did it by socializing, by the activities where we were always discussing ideas but also by the games/energizers we played together.  About the topic of the project we discussed the best ways to distinguish toxic products, and the best way to replace them with better options, vegan options, cruelty free, natural and organic options. Now we can see the difference and choose the most green options in cosmetics for ourselves but also to recommend the community to do it, for the better health of all.  My team created a face cream with natural and organic ingredients, we did the brand for our product, a marketing video and a slogan for it, and we shared it to everyone. I think I grew in so many levels with this project and I’m thankful to everyone!! Mariana F. C.

The first thing I remember when we arrived, they introduced The Greenville as a family’s house, which couldn’t be more accurate. An extensive and multicultural family, I would add. The right environment for a beautiful project like that. Yes, beauty, I think in this project we talked about beauty. Not about the beauty that we are used to being sold to us. But the beauty of a healthy life, far from toxins, and in connection with our body and nature surrounding us. Was very interesting onboard on this trip of self-reflection about our habits and the products that we are used to. Nowadays, when we have shelves full of choices, we have to be more critical and analyze circumspectly. Or even better, we can make our own to ensure that we know what we are using as a self-care product. And who knows, later on, start an entrepreneur and try to be bold in this industry. Tools that we have the opportunity to explore in this project also. Therefore, was a changing point for me to recognize how social media already interfere with our consumption habits. One last note of gratitude addressed to the team who ran the project and into the bargain to all my colleagues who enriched my experience with nothing more than interesting insights. Sofia S.M.

In march 2023, I had the opportunity to spend one week in Samobor, Croatia, taking part in the Youth Exchange Green Lab. The main goal of the project was to learn how to make natural homemade cosmetics, and learn more about green washing and sustainability. We made our own cosmetics and we also learned how to create a brand image and marketing strategy for them, which was a nice introduction on how to set up your own small business. The activities we had were great to help us realize how many chemicals and toxic ingredients there are in many commonly used products, and how to find solutions for this issue that we can implement in our daily lives. I participated in this project with a group of about 20 young people from different countries (Bulgaria, Portugal, Greece and Croatia), which made this experience even more enriching, giving me the opportunity to learn more about other countries and cultures, develop my team working skills, connect with other people, and make new friends. The project site was in Greenville, a house located in the middle of Samobor beautiful green landscape, which also allowed me to connect with nature and enjoy the outdoors – there’s nothing better than ending a day of work with a walk in nature or singing around the fire pit and looking at the stars.  It was an amazing experience that I wish I could repeat! Mariana S.