O testemunho do Miguel No.3

Ainda não acredito que a minha estadia em Lisboa está já a acabar. Após 7 meses, já posso dizer com toda a certeza que esta cidade e a comunidade de voluntários acolheram-me e criaram para mim muitas oportunidades para crescer, viver experiências inesquecíveis, e desfrutar da vida. Apesar de querer ficar mais tempo em Portugal, sei que a minha despedida é por uma boa causa, mas não quer dizer que não estou a ter muitas dificuldades em sintetizar tudo o que experimentei neste último testemunho.

Escolhi o projeto ESC na Câmara de Lisboa e o Banco de Voluntariado para a Cidade de Lisboa porque achava que seria a melhor oportunidade para eu tomar consciência das políticas de cidadania ativa, e do funcionamento de uma instituição pública, além de contribuir a iniciativas de voluntariado no âmbito de um programa europeu. Não só conseguiu alcançar as minhas expectativas, mas também ajudo-me a aprender a língua portuguesa, perceber ainda mais a cultura e desenvolvimentos sociopolíticos em Portugal, e desenvolver competências em comunicação e gestão de projectos. O resultado disto mostra-se no desenho do plano de comunicação para o Banco de Voluntariado e a organização da exposição “Voluntariado em Lisboa”, tudo com a ajuda, o apoio e a paciência de uma equipa incrível.

Mesmo assim, um dos pilares da minha experiência è, sem nenhuma dúvida, as pessoas com as quais pude partilhar Lisboa. Através deste projeto ESC, sei com ainda mais certeza que o caminho ao futuro tem de ser com pessoas que nos ajudam a crescer, nos apoiam, nos percebem, nos querem. A Casa Bernardim, a comunidade de voluntários e a equipa de Spin, aos voluntários das Formações de Chegada e Intermédia, as minhas tutoras e colegas do BVL e da Casa dos Animais….  Sem vocês, eu não teria sido capaz de chegar a este ponto. Obrigadopela vossa paciência, ajuda, amor, e apoio que me deram nestes meses.

Aproveito para agradecer a Irene por ser a primeira pessoa que conheci no primeiro dia em Lisboa e as nossas conversas malucas em Português; a Agnes por me ajudar a ser mais prático na minha vida e partilhar momentos loucos; a Marina por me introduzir as lutas contras as injustiças na vida e me fazer rir com as suas histórias; e a Anna por sempre estar disponível para me escutar e ser a minha amiga “soulmate”. Não sabem as muitas saudades que vou ter de vocês.

Agora só tenho de olhar para o futuro e para o meu estágio na Comissão Europeia em Bruxelas, sabendo que Lisboa me terá mudado para sempre e para melhor.

Miguel’s testimony No.2

Five months have passed since I started my ESC adventure in Lisbon and, truth be told, it feels as if  I have been here for longer and simultaneously just arrived. Up to this day, it has been jam-packed with experiences at my hosting organisation, within my group of friends and beyond. Even if is hard to summarise it in a few lines, I take this testimony as a way to reflect upon it all.

Compared to the rough start in terms of adapting to the working environment and the new language, the Câmara Municipal de Lisboa has become a second home for me.  From the start, I felt included as another team member and was given the opportunity to voice my opinion and contribute to the improvements for the newly-created Volunteering Platform. As a result, the amazing team of colleagues has allowed me to grow professionally and personally and become more confident in my Portuguese.

As I came into the project with an interest in acquiring project management and communication skills, I put myself forward to develop a communication plan aiming to increase the visibility of the Municipal Volunteering Bank. Without hesitation, the team at CML welcomed this project with open arms and have given me sufficient tools and support to carry it out. Ever since I have been advancing with this side project at the same time as my other daily tasks and researching potential ways of achieving the set communication goals for the institution.

Not only have I been active within the CML, but my project and participation in the On-Arrival and Mid-Term Training programmes have allowed me to grasp recent developments within the volunteering, social cohesion and social development fields in Portugal and Europe. I have been able to attend several working group meetings on updated statistics on volunteering rates in Portugal, volunteering in mental health, increasing cooperation in public health programmes and the WHO, and developments in Portuguese social economy. Through the training programmes, I got to discuss, compare and analyse other ECS projects and identify similarities and differences. This just is another example out of millions that demonstrate the power of ESC and EU mobility programmes in terms of getting to know from a direct perspective different realities. As a result, all of this has made my volunteering experience in Lisbon even more worthwhile than expected.

But do not get me wrong. Not all the exciting experiences have been work-related. In the process of growing closer to my friends, or more like my family away from home, I have gotten to know Lisbon and Portugal alongside great people. From early morning sacrifices to reach distant beaches and survive the heat in stunning settings to attending underground music events,  finding hidden corners in the city, participating in events on EU politics or even just staying in to catch up on TV series, films and gossip/complain about our issues. I would do it all over again if I would be given the chance to start over one more time. Because without the amazing friendships I have acquired since starting in March, I do not think I would have been able to keep going on. So this testimony is also for you great people. I love you so much!

Now it is time for me to start preparing the end of my stay in Lisbon, squeeze in a few more day trips, finish my personal projects and spend time with those dearest to me before my next adventure in Brussels. Saying goodbye to Lisbon will definitely be a challenge for which I need to prepare myself in advance.

O testimunho do Miguel

Three weeks before the start of my ECS I could have not imagined that I would be living in Lisbon
for the next 9 months. I had already visited the city a few times before with friends and have to admit I fantasied about living here and speaking Portuguese. So, I can now proudly tick that off my list of things to do in life.

The days running up to the 1st of March were filled up with excitement about this new opportunity and a hectic attempt to get everything sorted out, and say goodbye to friends and family. So, once I had my packed bags, decorations for the new room, and important paperwork ready for the move, I embarked on a 10-hour night bus ride to my new future (hoping to avoid making that mistake for my trip back by taking the plane next time hahah). By the time I woke up from my “short nap” I was crossing over the Tagus river on the Vasco da Gama bridge at 6am, arguably one the best entrances to the city and a perfect start of an ECS in Lisbon.

And what a better way to start this experience than by dancing in the streets! Within the first few days after getting to know each, the group of new volunteers and I had the chance to enjoy the carnival celebrations in Alfama. Thanks to the help and recommendations of the amazing Madga we found a quaint square from which to immerse ourselves into the festival spirit. With the sound of the beating drums, we embarked on our next chapter of our life.

Even though the thought of staying at a hostel for the first week was at first worrying, it turned out to be great. Not only did we as a family get to know each other in a more relaxing and different environment, but we also familiarised ourselves with the Bairro Padre Cruz. Its open-air urban art exhibition brings out both the life and the friendliness of its neighbours willing to give us a nice and warm welcome. It truly is an example of how communities can come together and an opportunity for us volunteers to follow through our own ECS projects.

After a few days of wandering around the city, moving into the new flat and enjoying the good weather and the company, it was time to start at our respective organisations. I will be volunteering at the Câmara Municipal de Lisboa, to support and promote the municipality of Lisbon’s volunteering platform. I had chosen this project as a way to deepen my knowledge of the relationship between public institutions and non-governmental organisations with the goal of improving the city’s wellbeing and social connections.

Whilst rapidly developing my Portuguese skills, I hope to expand on my organisational, logistical, and communications skills and broaden my appreciation for good volunteering practices. So thank you Spin for giving me this opportunity and thank you Lisbon for letting be one more Lisboeta for the next 9 months.