What are the benefits of volunteering? Why would someone devote their time to a common cause without expecting something in return? Well, it seems there is a lot to gain if you decide to engage into such activities!
There is a variety of personal benefits such as networking, improved self-esteem, increased employability, etc. What makes volunteering great is investing your own time and putting effort in achieving a positive impact in local communities as a way to give back. European Union offers a great volunteering programme that combines personal and community benefits.
It is called the European Solidarity Corps . It provides young people aged 18-30 with the fully funded opportunity to engage into activities that promote solidarity. With this blog post I will describe my experience of participation in a short-term project.
Why did I apply?
After meeting a few international volunteers in my hometown, I find the inspritation I need to participate a programme. Even though a wish to join such project existed for several years before, I did not find enough motivation to join. The excuses were just adding up – I could not miss a year of studies, I got my first full time job, etc. But at the time, I created an account on the European Solidarity Corps database, which is a necessary first step. I remember I wished to join a project in Turkey or Spain after I got over my excuses.
Still, my path took me on the opposite side of Europe once I finally made a decision to stop waiting, and now I see it was one of the best decisions of my life.
Back in September 2018 I was just scrolling down Facebook and I saw an interesting opportunity. It was an open call for a 2 month long volunteering in an international department in Stockholm, Sweden. The organization name was Fryshuset and when I did some research on them, I really liked what I saw. It is an NGO that aims to empower young people for active citizenship based on their interests and passion.
They also collaborate on more than 60 national and international projects across the globe. Such numbers really motivated me to join this project and explore the wide range of impact this NGO has. I also really wanted to experience how it was to live and work in a foreign country.
I thought it would be a great way to challenge my comfort zone – a thing that participation in Erasmus+ projects has taught me is beneficial and empowering on so many levels. After a few days I got the courage to apply and four months later I was on my way to Stockholm!
What was I doing?
The project activity started in February 2019 and lasted until April 2019. Two months full of learning, challenges and personal growth. I was lucky to share this experience with three more volunteers from Hungary, Romania and Russia. We spent most of our time working in the international department planning our activities for the local youth. We also helped in organizing some of the regular activities Fryshuset does, such as the ‘Lovely Days’.
It was a period during the school holidays when students and young people can join activities for free. I learned how to bake a pizza at that point. We also had the opportunity to visit a local high school and delivered presentations to students on how they can benefit from volunteering abroad. What I really liked about the high school in Fryshuset was how much the organization was devoted to the students’ passions.
“A personal project was very important aspect of my volunteering. Since our volunteering was only 2 month long, we decided to join forces and create one on a larger scale. We managed to create #TimeToMeet – a series of 8 events during which we informed more than 130 young people about our cultures.
Other than sharing cultural fun facts, we also shared our experience of volunteering in Fryshuset and participating in Erasmus+ projects. We managed a separate event on the March 20th to celebrate the international day of happiness. It was a great way to share good vibes and take some Instagram friendly photos. As part of our working hours we were also attending the Swedish language course. Some say that if you speak English and/or German it may be pretty easy to learn Swedish too. Do you know any of words in Swedish?
What have I learned?
Working together for 2 months with other volunteers reminded me of the great value of teamwork. I started seeing conflict in another way – now I believe disagreement is a great tool to achieve better common results. The volunteering in Fryshuset empowered me to work better in smaller groups and to deliver presentations in more engaging way.
Additionally I constantly worked on updating the content on our projects social media account. I also learned some things about Swedish culture and now I can start a basic conversation in Swedish. I believe there is a lot more that I managed to learn through this period of 59 days, but I may not be aware of it yet. How cool is that to live abroad and experience personal growth with all expenses covered (and getting some pocket money)?
Finally, the most important thing I had a chance to learn was to stop waiting for things to happen. This volunteering opportunity helped me understand that I am capable of taking responsibility and starting my own adventures. And this is not just me – many young people have a huge potential for living a purposeful life. I highly recommend everyone to try volunteering locally or abroad, either through ESC or other programmes. The involvement in such activities may help you better align with personal values and passions. Life is too short to live it without a purpose. So, what is your next step? What kind of voluntary work would you like to do? Be courageous and lead yourself and others to a positive impact and solidarity!