O testemunho No. 2 do Donatien

Olá querid@s leitor@s ! 

Time to look back and sum up my last months in Lisbon… Already half of my project has been achieved! I would focus on the two main ongoing projects I’m coordinating with Luís (my supervisor). Our project to launch the first local parliament in the neighborhood of Telheiras is in progress and going well. In June, the inhabitants will be summoned to attend and take part in the first session of this citizen assembly at the Festival of Telheiras. Until then, we are thinking and designing the project with the local associations, schools and inhabitants themselves. 

Meanwhile, we’ve been facilitating workshops with the students of the Escola Tecnica Psicosocial de Lisboa about civic engagement and how increasing their impact on the society about the most meaningful topics to them. At the end of the 4 sessions we had together, all of them thought about a group project to lead. They are now ready to release it to the neighborhood in the public library’s amphitheater. 

I also worked on a festival in the north of Lisbon called ComunicALTA
that happened on the 18th of March. Its purpose is to promote all the talents, skills and projects born in this area of Lisbon. This sunny day was really intense and fulfilling for everyone : gigs, dancing shows, skateboarding session, delicious african food and so more… 

And above all, I fulfilled one my biggest dreams : going to Nazaré and watching the best surfers coming from all around the world to surf the big waves ! 

After 6 months here, I feel home thanks to my friends I’m living with and I made, the people I’m volunteering with (portuguese as well as foreigners), the sunsets from the miradouros and beaches, the activist activities I finally started to get involved in about climate and social justice here in Portugal… As the time goes (and the days get longer), my attachment to this city and country is getting stronger and stronger. Next step : being fluent in portuguese... In case I make it, I apologize in advance to the Lisboetas for the extra french guy you’ll have to deal with… 

O testemunho no. 1 do Donatien (Viver Telheiras)

 

Olá querido.a.s leitore.a.s ! 

  I’m Donatien from France. I’ve been now living for 2 months in Lisbon being part of the European Solidarity Corps. I enjoy my life so much here thanks to the people I meet, portugueses and foreigners, the other European volunteers, the people living in the neighborhood I’m working with everyday, as well as the beaches, the « doces » (I actually already tried most of them…) and the meaningful projects I’m involved in. 

Let me take you deeper into my projects in the wonderful association Viver Telheiras… This non-governmental organization facilitates community dynamics in the neighbourhood of Telheiras, in Lisbon, interconnecting local population, associations, institutions and economic activities’ interests and needs.

 My main activities are volunteering in the ongoing projects like FrutaFeia (delivering baskets of « ugly » fruits and vegetables to tackle food and resources waste) or Refood (collecting and preparing food from supermarkets, restaurants and small shops for people in need) as well as coordinating new projects like workshops in high schools to get students to take action about what matter for them. 

To finish with, one example to enable you to get to know more my coordinator, Luís. Only 2 weeks after starting my volunteering, I proposed him a new project, a Local Parliament… the project is launched and we are already working on it : the Telheirenses should be able to sit and debate about the problems they face and the solutions in few months.