First weeks of EVS in Maõs do Mundo

I'm a last last minute EVS volunteer, serving as a replacement for Giulio, another volunteer who had to drop out of the programme.

I arrived on the 2th of October in Lisbon and I found a small but great Spanish guy waiting for me at the airport. As soon has I got home I went out again for dinner with the Evs group on a rainy night. 

During the first days I followed my mates without understanding what they were saying while speaking in portuguese nor where I was going with the Italian crew, I was just following them around the city. 

They showed me Alfama, Bairro Alto, the seaside and Belem and they tryed to teach me a few portuguese words like “obrigado”, “desculpa” e “fogo”, but I'm a very bad student: I keep on forgetting most of them.

I started to work for Maos do Mundo with my colleagues Valeria and Tiziano and for the orçamento participativo and I found it was very interesting because I had the opportunity to learn new things and meet new people.

The EVS group and my flatmate are amazing because they are very friendly and they always organize something to do together outside like “Ginkajinha night” (my team lost because my team leader wasn't really motivated :) ) and a lot of dinners.

During those days I also visited the Centro Cultural the Bélem and I was very fascinated by a beautiful and shocking picture entitled “the rape”.

Now I have to stop writing because I have to do my Portuguese homework.

Giacomo Drago

Visita de Estudo à Holanda: “EVS=Teamwork”

A convite da Agência Nacional para a Gestão do Programa Juventude em Ação participámos numa visita de estudo à Holanda subordinada ao tema da inclusão nos projetos de Serviço Voluntário Europeu (SVE). 

Durante esta ida a Haia, visitámos várias associações parceiras, trocando experiências e boas práticas, sempre na perspetiva de melhorar o nosso desempenho na gestão de projetos SVE, sobretudo em projetos de inclusão social dos jovens.

Estiveram reunidos nestes dias representantes de 9 organizações portuguesas, de 4 organizações norueguesas, de 3 organizações finlandesas e 1 organização holandesa.

Estiveram também representantes das Agências Nacionais para Gestão do Programa Juventude em Acção de Portugal, Noruega, Finlândia e Holanda.

Foi um momento de troca de experiências e aprendizagem na implementação de projectos, partilhando metodologias de gestão e implementação com qualidade, visando, ao longo destes dias, a criação de novas parcerias de trabalho e a melhoria dos projectos já desenvolvidos.

Raquel

My first weeks of EVS in Horas de Sonho

It is amazing to imagine how your life will be in another country, in another city; you  think about how many people you will meet, the places which you will enjoy and the parties that you will attend. This is how I felt during the plane trip to Lisbon. This day, the day I arrived to Lisbon, I could feel a fantastic energy; the sun was shining in the sky, the temperature was perfect and the motivation to stay here was full. Even so, I spent the day sleeping because I woke up so early to take my plane and I was too  nervous to sleep the night before.

I decided to come to Lisbon, because since I visited it, some years ago, I had the impression I had to live here. I do not know why but I had this feeling. For that, I applied to come here to work in Horas de Sonho, a sweet place where we take care of the kids, among other activities. In Horas de Sonho, I am working in the communication and in the social media department, where I am trying to communicate to the people in the neighbourhood what we do and how we can help them. Also, I am in contact with the kids, which is a great opportunity to for me to explore their creativity.

After my work, I usually take pics with my Lomography camera. Lisbon is a perfect city to take pictures, especially because the light is wonderful and adds a lot to the character of the city. The light, especially during the sunset, is perfect, warm and close, a specific light that other cities do not have. Lisbon is light, with this yellow and orange light, it has got during the afternoon.

In Lisbon and in Portugal I want to improve my Portuguese; this language is one of the most spoken languages in the world, which is the reason why I want to learn it and I have got one year to do it! Also it is a sweet language, and the sound is very nice.

I hope during this year I will enjoy the city a lot. I have got the opportunity and the ingredients to do it, so let’s go!

Marcos Freijo

Primeiras semanas de SVE na Art Telheiras

É incrível! já há 3 semanas que eu baixei do comboio na estação de Entrecampos de Lisboa. 

Lá, a voluntária Flo esperava para ensinar-me a minha casa e conhecer os meus novos companheiros, também chegados recentemente a cidade. Foi uma alegria descobrir que todos eram pessoas fantásticas e que o pouco tempo já nos davamos muito bem. Na primeira semana tivemos tempo para conhecer-nos, para caminhar pelas ruas da cidade, para ir à praia e até fomos a um festival da música perto de Lisboa.

Também conhecemos os voluntários precedentes que nos receberam com os braços abertos, convidando-nos a sua casa e ensinando-nos a cidade pelo dia e pela noite…

Na segunda semana conhecemos o escritório da Spin, o bairro de Horta Nova e o bairro de Telheiras, onde fica o escritório da Art Telheiras, a associação na que o Joan mais eu colaboraremos durante os 6 meses próximos.

A Art Telheiras fica no coração do bairro e procura um grande número de  atividades e espaços culturais tanto para os residentes coma para qualquer que estiver interessado em participar. Junto com nosso tutor, Pedro Milheiro, nós estamos a cargo do cineclube, da sua programação e da organização de concertos. Já ouvimos a algums grupos do bairro além do tradicional fado.

Embora sou de muito perto, da Galiza, percebem-se algumas diferenças culturais, mas demorou pouco tempo adaptar-se e sentir-se como na casa. Até partilhar quarto com a Klaudia está a ser uma expêriencia muito fixe!

A gente é muito amável e tudo está a ser boas impressões. Sabía que fazer um SVE seria uma experiência grande, mas não imaginava que ía ficar encantada numa estadia tão curta. Eu tenho a impressão que estes 6 meses estão indo acontecer voando.

Marta García 

First impressions about EVS in Horas de Sonho and life in Lisbon

I arrived exactly 20 days ago to Lisbon. Looking back it seems like it was ages ago, and it is difficult to remember all the things that happened since then. 

When I arrived the sun was still shining and the weather was still great, not like now, when I look out the window, it is raining, cold and dark.

The first days were passing fast: meeting my flatmates,  my great roomate (Marta from Spain), the other volunteers, going to festivals, beach, discovering the city by day and by night.

Then I got to know the neighborhood, Horta Nova where I am working –  with another volunteer from Spain, Marcos –  in Horas de Sonho. Horas de Sonho is a creche from outside, but it is much more than a day nursery. There are many other projects run by the association: babysitting, summer activities for children, activities for parents, for elderly people, and also other projects that the neighborhood can benefit from. Horas de Sonho is also taking care of 4 buildings of the neighborhood.

We are about to open the Loja Trokaki, a project started by Horas de Sonho. It is a social store, that does not include money. Instead, goods are exchanged: you can take anything in good condition (used or new), eg. books, toys, clothes, and electrical equipment. You receive TROKs that is the shop’s currency, and you can use your TROKs to take away anything you want. Unfortunately the shop currently only opens once a month in different locations, but hopefully soon it will have a permanent place to be open more often. We are also planning other projects, for example painting the outside of the creche and the columns of the neighborhood’s buildings with the local people, and report about the neigborhood. There is always so much to do, and new ideas come up every day what we could do for the district.

And of course, we are open for anything, if there is need, the volunteers support other associations, just like when we helped to clean the new office of Spin. 

So as you can see, there is an exciting one year  ahead of me.

Klaudia Csigi