Voices of Voluneers – Sara’s ESC Journey to Bulgaria

Different situations in life often make us lose our vision for the future and make our goals unclear. On the other hand, many of us are clear about what we want to do and wet at the same time deprived of opportunities to contribute where we want. Three months ago I was in the same situation but by participating in the European Solidarity Corps program I have now been able to practice my knowledge and gain valuable experience in my areas of interest.

I would like to divide my experience into three peak periods. The first one is the period before arrival which has been intense, with mixed thoughts and fears for the new experience, the change of people and the country, and also for the hosts of the project. It is worth mentioning that during this time I had continuous support from the sending organization PVN Albania, which facilitated a lot the process.

The most surprising period was the arrival after which I immediately got in touch with the people responsible for the project “Volunteer solidarity and competencies for active youth inclusion”, part of the Bulgarian Youth Forum which provided me with a warm and supportive environment, demonstrating high human values, such as kindness, hospitality, correctness, and care.

The last I can mention by far yet the most important period is the one of the project development from which I’m continuously taking benefits. So far we have developed several activities among which I would like to mention Live streaming, that has been an opportunity for me to challenge the complexities I have in public speaking and moreover to communicate with the audience by sharing important and interesting information.

I have visited different cities, been to different schools in Sofia and outside it, but from them, I would like to differentiate the Primary School “Academician Mihail Dimitrov”, which is located in the municipality of Chuprene, an area considered as one of the poorest in Europe Union and therefore the students of this school are deprived of some opportunities that students in developed cities have. The workshop held there aimed to stimulate diversity, social inclusion, creativity and improve communication and team building. The energy and the love you took back from the children were extraordinary. We are already planning other activities there as they are very enthusiastic about our project and constantly recall our presence.

Therefore, another important aspect for me is the realization of research on topics directly related to young people and their problems. I’m in the process of finishing the handbook on “Deviant behavior and juvenile offender” a work that will be important for youth workers and at the same time has helped me develop my processing, research and analytical skills.

To conclude, I would like to mention in general the remaining activities as the visit to 97 high school “BratyaMiladinovi” of Sofia where we developed cultural activities promoting my country’s culture and history in order to increase tolerance and understanding of cultural diversity. The entrepreneurship day held at 66 high school “Filip Stanislavov” (that includes children from different ethnicities) gave me the opportunity to assist them in the creative process, and at the same time, I was able to exchange information about culture, languages and traditional dances of respective countries.

Future plans include some very interesting activities that aim to support the process of educating young people, and as well as planning and realizing my own projects. Awaiting the experiences that lie ahead.