Volunteers from the Bonus Pastor Foundation:
Csilla Boros (psychologist, special education teacher), Gyuri Boros (Youth Mission), Áron Székely (social worker) és Orsi Császár (social worker).

In the photo: Csilla Boros

Our programs:

1. Dual Face of Drugs
2. Mask Treatment

In the Independence Zone tent there were 6 organizations that provided prevention advice for visitors to the Peninsula Festival. We tried to raise attention and the awareness by a very colorful program. This year we came up with the idea of the Mask Treatment project which sparked interest in the organizers. So, I was making masks three and a half to four hours during three days.

The result of our fruitful work was that we had many visitors from the tents (those who had their accommodation in the Festival campsite). This year, for those willing to fill in a questionnaire, later on received an evaluation of it. So, 300 out of 500 participants returned for their evaluation. Many of them were open to talking about the “Dual Face of Drugs”. Human-shaped cardboard displays were used so that visitors could write their opinion on them: the pros and cons of drugs. The creativity was very important because it engaged the curiosity of the visitors to the booth.

The festival visitors were not as open to the Mask Treatment project as we had expected. During the three days we made 15 masks, 8 was made for visitors and the rest for Independence Zone staff members. More girls were willing to ask for masks than boys. We succeeded in initiating deeper conversations with those who participated in the project, talking about the masks we wear in everyday life and what they are good for (like hiding our grief or weaknesses). The surprise reward which the courageous participants receiveded was a photo of their mask with a Peninsula background template which we had specially prepared for the occasion.

During our four days of work we learned that the most popular programs and projects were those which used the give-receive principle with staff members trying to raise the interest of young people by motivational tools, like giving a plush teddy bear for answering a questionaire of 30 questions, girls receiving a decorative mobile if they could complete a series of questions, or in the case of the Mask Treatment project receiving a photo of it.

Csilla Boros, volunteer staff leader of Bonus Pastor Foundation