A yoga class, a charity bazaar, a pub quiz and a concert: a group of students organized all this and more last Saturday during a day-long community event at the Výměník club in České Budějovice. The goals of the event were to give young people an opportunity to meet in person, not just virtually, and also to raise funds for the Klokánek project, which is run by the Fund for Vulnerable Children and offers children transitional family care instead of institutional care. We supported the students through our Young Philanthropists program.
On Saturday, 9 December 2023, the Výměník club in České Budějovice came alive through an inspiring event called “Student’ák”. Organized by a group of energetic students from different schools and disciplines, the event offered participants a full-day program of lectures, workshops, a charity bazaar, musical performances and games. “We initially came up with idea because we wanted to have an opportunity to meet other people in the real world, outside of social networks – to inspire one another, to support one another, to talk and to create a community. That’s what we hoped to get out of the event. Then, of course, there’s the second level, the charitable one. We are donating the proceeds from the voluntary entrance fee and financial donations to Klokánek,” says Lucie Váchová, one of the organizers.
The day started at 8.00 am with a morning yoga session, which refreshed participants and also gave them insight into the philosophy and history of yoga. This was followed by a series of interesting lectures by diverse speakers, such as author Barbara Koubeková, whose talk shed light on self-esteem and the search for health and courage. The next part of the program featured travel tips and tricks for young people who want to explore the world, and a discussion on faith and confidence.
The afternoon was dedicated to a student bazaar full of original creations by local artists. A live band, creative workshops and a café-bar selling refreshments added to the festive atmosphere. After 6 pm, people immersed themselves in board games and pub quizzes, while enjoying the relaxing environment in the café-bar and getting to know each other through specially created cards that help people learn about one another.
The highlight of the event came in the evening when local performer Marjari enthralled the audience with her songs.
Admission to the event was voluntary and over $900 (CZK 20,000) was raised to support Klokanek’s work. “We wanted to find a project that supports young people in some way or, as in the case of Klokanek, provides a good start for children who lack supportive conditions at the moment. When we read about the ways in which the Fund for Vulnerable Children tries to replace the warmth of the family fireplace for a temporary period of time, we all agreed that this is definitely the project we would like to support,” said Lucie Váchová about why they chose to support Klokanek.
The organizers thank everyone who contributed and look forward to holding more events like this in the future.
