YEU InterActiveTrain: Laimingas - a true friend from Africa!

One day we had the “use of materials” session where the participants built some instruments for themselves. As there was excess of materials, will and inspiration, an elephant was built out of plastic bottles and newspapers and painted blue! An real African elephant was born in amarante!

The elephant was the new dearest friend of Greta, a lLthuanian girl, who named the elephant Laimingas. He became a dear dear friend to all of the participants and he was taken along to everywhere. In the beginning he was really weak – like a real baby elephant! But we took him to Porto where he opened his eyes for the first time! It was amazing! The elephant got stronger and stronger by every step he took. Soon he was already having some coffee and beer, listening to some music and eating sandwishes! He discovered Porto with the participants, took part in the performances on the streets, went for a walk on riverside, sang along while others were singing and playing some tunes…..and finally he even got his first restaurant dinner!

As we saw how fabulous elephant is and how dear to the participants we decided to take pictures of his first “everything” and make a movie. It’s unbelievable how the participants took care of him! He was always everywhere, treated as one of us! And when the participants lost (forgot) some promotional material to porto streets, then no one forgot about Laimingas!

During the last days in Amarante, our elephant who had grown, learnt and experienced a lot meanwhile, had his first surgery – the participants decided to make him even stronger and more beautiful!

At the end of the training course we, trainers and i, decided that laimingas will stay in Amarante till august. Oh yeah, did i already mention that he will come on the train with us? Yes, that’s true. Don’t laugh. He’s one of us now and ready for the adventure! But you know what happened when no one was in Amarante anymore? Laimingas travelled to Faro itself! He’s already so independent that is able to travel himself (ok, the Portuguese participants took him along to Faro) and meet new people – 30 portuguese youngsters with whom he already performed as well!