Connecting Islands and Heritage: Bildung Nijmegen in Guadeloupe

In April, Joshua had the honour of representing Bildung Nijmegen during a unique Partner Building Activity (PBA) in Guadeloupe. This event brought together youth workers from island and rural communities with one shared goal: to build lasting partnerships and empower young people by reconnecting them with their cultural heritage.

What began with a delayed flight and a spontaneous icebreaker session at Paris airport soon turned into a week full of inspiration, creativity, and shared ambitions. Over the course of seven days, Joshua collaborated with partners from Malta, Mallorca (Spain), Paros (Greece), Estonia, and Guadeloupe (France).

Together, the group began developing the foundations of a future Erasmus+ KA2 project focused on preserving disappearing languages and dialects. Through music, storytelling, legends, and land-based knowledge, the aim is to bridge generations. Gen Z may very well be the last generation with direct access to elders who still remember life before the digital era. Now is the time to safeguard and pass on this knowledge.

The project proposal is planned for submission in May 2026.

Our heartfelt thanks go out to our host organisation RIDE IN 971 for their warm welcome and for sharing the incredible work they’re doing with young people in the French Caribbean. So far from mainland Europe, yet full of fresh perspectives and good practices that we will carry forward into future collaborations.

Together, we build bridges between generations and communities.