A Portuguese, a Georgian and a Greek walk into a Polish School

The title might make you, dear reader, think that I’m about to tell a hilarious joke that points out the cultural differences between the mentioned countries. I’m sorry to disappoint but stay tuned, I won’t disappoint.

In December 2023, three volunteers from INPRO embarked on a journey to Cisna, Poland, to share their cultures with local school children for 3 days. Originally the trio included a French volunteer, but last-minute changes due to travel complications led me, a Portuguese long-term volunteer, to join Giannis from Greece and Rati from Georgia on this adventure. Upon arriving in Cisna,  we were warmly welcomed by schoolchildren who were eager to learn about our countries and share their perspectives on their own.

We arrived at the school and were quickly divided into classes where we passionately shared insights about our homelands. From the Georgian alphabet to Greek landscapes to Portuguese cuisine, we opened windows to diverse cultures. It wasn’t all work, however, between classes we had fun, playing ping-pong with the students, and losing in remarkable ways.

During our time in Cisna, we were hosted by the Ślimak family, in Wetlina, consisting of 6 members, the parents, 3 children who attended the school in Cisna and a dog. There was no language barrier, as even though the parents were Polish, they had lived a long time in England, and even the children had a great understanding of English. Conversations over a traditional Polish meal bridged cultural gaps. We talked with the parents about our different countries, the similarities, the differences, the hardships of the country and our way of life as well as those little things about the country that you cannot google and that only the locals truly know. A conversation that could be described as a casual Monday Stories, ( a hint to the readers familiar with Inpro’s events.)

We not only connected with students and the parents but also formed bonds with the Ślimak kids, making the hide-and-seek game a cherished tradition, every time we arrived home.

As our time drew to a close, we all offered our countries as a location for a future visit almost subconsciously. The Ślimak family gifted us a fridge magnet as a token for the time spent there.

Rati and Giannis stayed for another two weeks, going to different schools and cities, learning more about Poland while teaching others about their country. I stayed an additional seven months, only leaving in July. As of now the time of my volunteering is coming to an end, and as I remember my trip to Cisna, the Wetlina fridge magnet sits confidently on my fridge as I know the same is the case for Giannis and Rati’s fridge magnet.

A Portuguese, a Georgian and a Greek walk into a Polish school and proved that borders are merely lines on a map.