Erasmus+ Role Models

Participants. Leaders. International project implementers. Role models. Erasmus+ faces. Who are they, what are their stories? The Erasmus+ Role Models initiative seeks to present people from various fields whose stories may inspire others when making decisions and finding their own paths. The campaign lays emphasis on social inclusion, helping those around us, as well as on communicating the general values of the EU.

Tímea Kiss-Lukasik volunteer coordinator, mentor, Tinirehab, Megálló Csoport Foundation

"I have worked for 'Megálló' Group since 2004, and I have done service within the Calvinist drug mission at 'Tinirehab' in Ráckeresztúr for three years. I provide assistance to various Hungarian and international grant programmes, and I carry on the Erasmus+ torch in the European Solidarity Corps. I consider it particularly important that a programme should be just as transparent as our clients' therapy. Erasmus+ is an opportunity, in a clear, transparent and well-plannable framework. For young addicts leaving the world of drug addict games and seeking recovery it's of key importance, as it is for me as a recovering addict.

I'm enormously happy that I "let myself" be talked into joining the European Voluntary Service (EVS) by a Polish partner organisation in 2007. We regularly visited them in adventure therapy camps with the recovering addicts of 'Megálló'; we adopted rock climbing as a method of experiential education and risk therapy from them, but we had never imagined that we would be able to implement such things from EU funding. It was my first experience writing an application, from which I've benefited a lot.

One of my most memorable moments was when 'Megálló' Group won the special prize of Mobility for its "Clean Head for a Clean Environment" project, since never before had a project implemented by 'ex addicts' won such a prize, and no other addiction care institutions had been accredited. The other one is when the Drug Therapy Home of the Mission for Saving Lost Youth was finally accredited - the first drug rehab centre in Hungary, which has become an EVS volunteer sending and receiving organisation.

I believe that we must boldly assume the representation of such fields as addiction care, where we are still faced with lots of stereotypes, at various international forums. Very few people approach this issue like other "more accepted" illnesses, although it may strike anywhere, from the poorest families with multiple disadvantages to the wealthiest ones. The clients of drug rehab centres and 'Megálló' come from various family backgrounds, and we think it's of key importance that the Erasmus+ programme should be available for all of them."

Last modified: 20-05-2020