The Grant Selection Workshop in Bratislava brought together 25 young leaders and active citizens for a practical training session focused on strengthening skills in project development and funding acquisition. The workshop aimed to transfer knowledge gained during the UnityFusion international mobility activities and the Case-Based Learning Summit into tools that participants could use to address local societal challenges. 

The session introduced participants to the fundamentals of grant searching, proposal development, and strategic project planning. Through guided discussions and interactive exercises, participants explored how international cooperation between the Visegrad region and West Africa can inspire innovative local initiatives and encourage stronger civic engagement among young people.

Participants worked in teams to simulate the process of developing and evaluating grant proposals. During the Idea to Keyword exercise, teams transformed community challenges, such as youth unemployment or civic participation, into concrete project ideas and relevant search terms for funding opportunities. In the Grant Vetting Challenge, participants analysed a fictional call for proposals and assessed whether their project ideas aligned with the donor’s priorities, mission, and selection criteria.

The workshop also included a Risk Management Brainstorming session, where participants discussed common challenges in project implementation and explored strategies to prevent them.

As a result, participants strengthened their understanding of grant selection, project planning, and impact-oriented thinking. The initiative also helped build stronger connections between youth organisations, universities, and local communities interested in developing new initiatives and planning cross-border cooperation with West Africa.

A Local Impact Initiatives training session was organised in Mali to transfer knowledge and skills gained during the UnityFusion international activities in Hungary and Slovakia to local participants. The event focused on strengthening leadership, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement among young people and community actors. 

The training aimed to empower participants with practical tools that would enable them to respond to social and economic challenges within their communities. It also contributed to strengthening cooperation between the Visegrad region and West Africa by translating international learning into locally relevant educational activities.

The programme combined formal and non-formal educational approaches and was structured around three thematic modules. The first module focused on Entrepreneurship and Project Design, introducing key concepts such as the entrepreneurial mindset, idea development, market research, and strategic planning. Participants learned how to structure project ideas using tools such as the Business Model Canvas, SWOT analysis, and the marketing mix.

The second module addressed Leadership and Community Influence, presenting leadership as the ability to unite and motivate people toward a shared goal based on trust and shared values. Through practical examples and discussion, participants reflected on how leadership can support positive change within their communities.

The final module focused on Civic Engagement, where participants took part in role-playing exercises simulating community mobilisation and advocacy. These activities helped participants develop communication skills and strategies for encouraging collective action.

The training strengthened participants’ project management skills, leadership capacities, and community engagement strategies, while also creating a local network of young ambassadors committed to promoting the values and impact of the UnityFusion project.

The educational initiative “Connecting Continents” was organised as an interactive learning event aimed primarily at young people and young adults. The activity promoted intercultural dialogue and understanding between Europe and Africa through a creative and engaging educational format. 

At the centre of the initiative was an educational game built around a series of interconnected puzzles and collaborative tasks. Participants worked in teams to solve challenges related to geography, culture, history, and innovation, strengthening both their knowledge and teamwork skills.

The game included several types of activities. Geographical challenges encouraged participants to identify capital cities and explore world geography, while logic-based puzzles highlighted connections between European and African cultures. Multi-sensory tasks introduced participants to musical traditions and contemporary cultural expressions, while dexterity-based challenges presented major discoveries and innovations originating from Africa.

Each stage of the game included educational explanations, ensuring that learning remained an integral part of the experience. Additional hidden clues and smaller puzzles encouraged exploration and sustained engagement.

The event concluded with a short reflection quiz and informal discussions among participants. By combining education, teamwork, and cultural exchange, the initiative successfully strengthened intercultural awareness and highlighted the importance of cooperation between continents.

An open laboratory dedicated to movement and dance exploration was organised in Ostrava, Czechia. The event provided an inclusive space where participants of different backgrounds and abilities could explore movement as a form of expression, connection, and creative reflection. 

The session was designed as a shared journey into body awareness and relational movement. Participants were encouraged to discover their own physical expression while engaging with the movement of others in a supportive and respectful environment.

The laboratory was built around the principles of Contact Improvisation and Elemental Flow-work, combining guided exercises with open exploration. Through structured movement practices, participants experimented with weight-sharing, touch, spatial awareness, and creative improvisation. Movement prompts introduced by the facilitator helped anchor the experience while allowing freedom for personal interpretation.

Participants highlighted the welcoming and inclusive atmosphere of the lab, noting that the experience allowed them to move beyond habitual patterns and explore new ways of connecting through movement. The open format encouraged experimentation, creativity, and reflection.

The Leadership & Entrepreneurship Forum in Budapest gathered 20 participants and was designed as a structured knowledge-transfer and capacity-building event. Particular attention was given to exploring how lessons emerging from V4-West Africa cooperation can inspire local initiatives and strengthen cross-regional collaboration while connecting education with tangible community impact.

The programme opened with an interactive plenary session presenting key insights, tools, and approaches explored during the international activities. Special focus was placed on understanding how cross-regional cooperation between the Visegrad region and West Africa can generate new perspectives on leadership, civic engagement, and entrepreneurship, and how these perspectives can be translated into local practice.

Following the introduction, participants engaged in two thematic practice blocks. The first block, Entrepreneurial Thinking for Social Impact, introduced practical tools such as problem framing, opportunity recognition, and basic impact planning. Through facilitated group exercises, participants applied these tools to locally relevant educational and community-based challenges. The second block, Leadership for Civic Engagement and Community Development, focused on adaptive leadership, collaborative governance, and responsible decision-making in educational and civic settings. 

The forum concluded with a collective dialogue reflecting on how educational actors, civil society organisations, and community leaders can contribute to strengthening cross-regional collaboration between the Visegrad region and West Africa while ensuring that educational initiatives lead to tangible and meaningful impact within local communities.

As part of the UnityFusion project, SYAH Cabo Verde organised a local dissemination and capacity-building activity on Santiago Island, bringing together 43 young participants from different communities. The event aimed to transform the knowledge gained during international mobility activities into practical tools for local youth development and civic engagement. 

The session focused on sharing experiences from the international exchange and discussing how these insights could address challenges affecting young people in Cabo Verde. Particular attention was given to strengthening youth leadership, encouraging women’s participation in community life, and exploring new opportunities for civic engagement.

Using non-formal education methods, the programme combined interactive presentations, ice-breakers, energisers, role-play exercises, testimonials, and collaborative group discussions. These approaches encouraged participants to actively reflect on local issues and identify possible solutions together.

The activity created an open and participatory learning environment where young people could exchange experiences, build confidence, and develop practical ideas for community initiatives. By connecting international learning with local realities, the event strengthened youth capacity for leadership and reinforced the importance of cooperation between Europe and West Africa.

A local dissemination session was organised in Ghana to strengthen the capacity of youth organisations and emerging NGO leaders. The session brought together 20 youth leaders and community actors interested in developing sustainable community initiatives. 

The training focused on practical aspects of project development and international cooperation with the Visegrad region. Participants explored key topics such as needs assessment, stakeholder mapping, fundraising strategies, and aligning project ideas with potential donors and grant opportunities.

Through presentations and interactive discussions, participants learned how to transform community challenges into structured and fundable project proposals. A simulation exercise allowed participants to design and pitch their own project ideas, applying newly introduced planning tools in practice.

The session also introduced opportunities related to V4-Africa cooperation frameworks, helping participants better understand how international partnerships can support local development initiatives.

As a result, participants strengthened their skills in project design, proposal writing, and fundraising preparation. Many expressed interest in forming working groups to continue developing project ideas and pursue international cooperation opportunities.