O testemunho do Fran

The people over at Spin asked me to write a blog post to “to share my personal experience with others, as this might help them be aware of the program and get involved”. So I was thinking about what to write about to make you, the reader, involved in an EVS. There were so many topics that came into my mind; I could write about my personal experience, I could write about what EVS consists of, I could describe Lisbon and living in Lisbon, volunteer life, what it feels to leave your hometown for a new place abroad or I could even have the audacity to tell you what to do with your life; do this or do that, how dare you not do this or how dare you not do that! But I will not write about these things. I feel other volunteers have written about all these in a manner and fashion (and enthusiasm) I could not dream of matching. There isn’t much of a point in adding one more to the tens of similar posts in this blog. Scroll down (or up) if reading about the aforementioned topics is what you seek.

But, I have to write about something, therefore I would like to give you a small piece of advice. I strongly recommend you, volunteer in potency, to do your research before joining an EVS. Before engaging in a project like an EVS, which usually implies having to move far away from your house for at least 3 months and up to a whole year, try to understand what becoming a volunteer implies. Get a clear understanding of conditions, tasks, responsibilities and expectations (both yours and from the people you’ll be working with). Go through any information available about the project you are applying for and talk to the people working there to inquire about any doubt you may have. If there were any older volunteers contact them to get a clearer image of the whole picture. Doing and EVS can be a good decision, but shouldn’t be a lighthearted one. 

I might have made it look a wee bit grim, didn’t I? But dread not. I did not mean to scare anybody. In fact, I hope the opposite! EVS is (or at least, can be) such a wonderful experience in one’s lifetime that it is a pity when people do one without really knowing what they were up for and end up having a subpar experience because of this. 

The bottom line is; EVS can be a great option but get to know where you getting in before doing one. If you are interested in doing one, do your research. If you feel the whole thing fits you and what you want to do, go for it! 

Anyway, here goes the third picture.