2020 around the World

by maria Boukouvala and Eirini mavromoustaki

Volunteering as self-improvement, Maria Boukouvala in Italy 2020

If I had to describe my experience through European Solidarity Corps with just one word, this word would be evolution. Through this specific project, if you are between 18-30 years old, you have an opportunity to discover yourself and develop aspects of yourself that you don’t even know of. It sounds a little bit “cliché”, but I can assure you that it isn’t. Suddenly, I was in a foreign country, in a foreign city, with people that I met for the first time, without knowing the language of the country. Many times we might think “I wish I could start my life from zero”, well, this is your opportunity! It may not be starting from zero, but it’s an opportunity to do things in a completely unknown environment , without knowing anyone at the beginning : Travelling, new friendships, learning a new language and finding hobbies that you could not even imagine. I, personally, was participating in events and groups that I had never tried before. For instance, almost every Friday I was going to a group where people from other countries, immigrants, refugees and travelers were gathering and we were improvising how to spend our night. Even at the lockdown of spring, when I was in Italy, I did not regret that I stayed there. It was an opportunity to create strong friendships with my roommates who were participants of the same project. Last but not least, I learned many many things and I got a lot of ideas and experiences at the daily center for disabled that I was working at.

“Acting Local, Changing Global.”

Eirini in Portugal 2020 Hello! My name is Eirini, I am from Thessaloniki, I am 30 years old and I have just completed the 1-year European Solidarity Corps program “Acting Local, Changing Global”, at the Portuguese Red Cross. For many years I was thinking about trying such an experience and for different reasons I was postponing it. For the last two years I have been working as a psychologist in refugee camps and accommodation facilities for unaccompanied minors in the wider area of Thessaloniki. When my contract ended, I thought I needed a break from my job and some time to rediscover what I like. This, combined with the fact that I was 28 years old at the time and that the ESC programs have an age limit of up to 30 years, were the two main reasons I decided to look for a voluntary European program. The advertisement from United Societies of Balkans (U.S.B), appeared to me randomly on Facebook and now looking back I feel that it was done at the right time and for the reasons I needed.

I arrived in São João da Madeira of Portugal, on 4/1/2019 and a great experience began. The city has a small Red Cross branch that provides help to people in need in the city. One of my responsibilities was organizing and distributing food monthly as well as my activity at the Second hand clothing store. Also a large part of the Red Cross project is to provide support to refugees hosted in the city. This was one of the most important parts of my experience. We took Portuguese lessons with them, multicultural meals, excursions to other cities and helped them with practical issues concerning their daily life and their adaptation to Portugal (for example, providing food every month, preparing their homes before arrival, receiving from the airport or job search assistance). Also, during the year I visited local schools where with the help and coordination of my supervisor and other volunteers we participated in the educational program “Europalien”, in which by playing a board game with students we discussed important social issues such as Human trafficking, gender equality and violence. We also organized cinema and discussion nights for the people of the city and created an online clothing store to support the Red Cross.

The other big and very interesting part of this experience is of course the acquaintance with other people from different countries, cultures, ages, experiences, languages. My roommates, my colleagues and the friends I met all these months, all helped me to overcome difficulties, to have a great time and to develop. I had the opportunity to travel to various cities in Portugal, to discover its beauties and to learn the language at a good level.

This experience of course was not paved with rose petals. It had difficult times, with first of all the global pandemic that stopped the flow of all activities and upset our lives. It had a difficult quarantine away from my family and with people I did not know very well. It had conflicts with colleagues and friends. It had moments of loneliness, frustration and not living up to my expectations. And I do not say all these to discourage but to emphasize precisely that this experience includes everything, such as life itself and is for those who are ready to experience it. Also, what helped me to overcome any difficulty in front of me, was to remember the reasons I chose this experience, to find my own inner motivations and to speak honestly with the people around me. Participating in a European Solidarity Corps program is a unique experience and it is never too late to experience it. Many thanks to Sophia and Aris from the U.S.B for helping me with their interest and support whenever I needed it