Our SPIN volunteers, Gaia, Ilaria, Jule and Veronica, just completed the mandatory On-Arrival Training organized by the National Agency! Read their honest feedback below:
Ilaria Gallo
Last week I took part in my first volunteer training course in Paredes, near Porto.We were a large group of young volunteers from various parts of Portugal. Each of us brought our own talents, knowledge, challenges and fears with us.
I am very grateful to my trainers for their energy and for creating a safe space for all of us volunteers to share our emotions, experiences, vulnerabilities and lots of laughter. They were very flexible, respecting the pace of the group, and thorough in providing us with all the important and entertaining information.
I loved my group, and we formed some really beautiful connections that I hope to cultivate in the future.
After creating the group agreement, which arose from sharing our common needs, we began the activities. The activities were proposed according to the principles of non-formal education. What a joy! No hierarchies, playfulness, and respect for everyone's needs. I think it's really the best way to learn without even realizing it. A spontaneous collaboration emerged within the group, bringing out everyone's talents and helping us to support each other in our difficulties.
During the open space, many interesting workshops were proposed, involving body, soul and mind, making it a truly rich and intense day.
I feel truly enriched by this experience and want to treasure all the lessons I have learned.
Gaia Mascioli
When I found out I was going to take part in the on-arrival training in Paredes, I felt a mix of excitement and curiosity. Some of my flatmates, already doing their ESC volunteering projects, had told me how meaningful their training had been — a space full of exchange, inspiration, and new friendships. So with high hopes and an open heart, I packed my bag and got ready for this new chapter in Portugal.
We kicked things off with some icebreaking games, which were fun and helped lighten the mood. But I was honestly disappointed when they split us into fixed groups on the very first day, because the group divisions kind of boxed us in and limited those opportunities.
The activities themselves were well-structured and often inspiring. We talked about our ESC experience, the projects we were working on, the challenges we were facing, and practical things like pocket money and insurance. It was a mix of personal reflection and useful info. But what I struggled with the most was the lack of real, deep conversations within my group. Even though the sessions were designed to encourage sharing, I often felt like people were holding back or just not that interested. The discussions stayed pretty surface-level, and the facilitators didn’t really push us to go deeper. I tried to bring in honest questions and open up a bit, but I didn’t always get the kind of response I was hoping for.
The facilitators were kind and well-organized when it came to logistics, but emotionally and relationally, I felt something was missing. The tone of the sessions — sometimes too light or overly playful — felt a bit off for a group of young adults who were already used to responsibility and eager for meaningful dialogue. A lot of the creative activities (like making short videos or building things) were fun to do, but then… nothing. They weren’t watched, discussed, or acknowledged. It felt like the effort we put in wasn’t really seen, and that slowly drained people’s motivation. When your input isn’t valued, it’s only natural to stop feeling as engaged.
One activity that really stood out to me, though, was the “walk and talk.” We walked around the town in small groups and tackled some big questions — about the EU, its global role, what we’re grateful for, what we find frustrating. It was during that walk that I had a powerful exchange that reminded me what feels “normal” or “basic” to us is often far from accessible or guaranteed for others outside EU borders. That was one of the few moments when I truly felt the richness of this multicultural space — where someone else’s story helped me see the world in a different light.
Despite the ups and downs, I still feel that this experience gave me a lot. Could it have been better? Probably. But am I happy I went? Absolutely. Because I’ve realized that things don’t need to be perfect to be meaningful. Sometimes, it’s in the gaps — the awkward silences, the things that didn’t quite work — that we grow the most. I’ve learned that if I want something different, I need to build it myself. And I can. One conversation, one connection, one day at a time. In simple words, I’ve learned not to expect every space to meet my needs perfectly because I can shape my own space and discover my strengths along the way.
Jule Mangani:
From the 14th to the 19th of July my volunteer mates and I went to our on arrival training. We were accommodated in a nice hotel in Paredes, and warmly welcomed with some drinks and some "get to know each other" games. We met about 40 other volunteers who are currently in portugal. We were divided into smaller groups to get to know each other better. Each day we were taken by bus to the place where we had our activities, we spent the 4 days of intense training doing activities : team building, roleplay, games, debates, but we also had more formal moments of information about our rights and duties as volunteers, We had the possibility to share about our volunteering experiences, present our project, discuss about the potentiel tricky situations or conflict that we might have. I was very happy to discover the projects of the other participants, which were really different from each other. I enjoyed the diversity of ages, nationality, and mindsets of our group, we all had the chance to speak our minds about the topics that interest us regarding our experience in Portugal, and it was consistent to hear the opinions of our colleagues and of our trainers.
The formal activities of the week were from 9 to 18 everyday, such a busy programme. If I have to be honest, it was a little too intense for me, but it was also because of my doing since I didn't really use my free time to rest. Unfortunately for me I felt the activities and assignments were a bit "school like", and I have very poor concentration skills and investment motivation in this kind of situation, so the week felt a little long for me!
I did like spending time with new people but such a big group of strangers did generate some anxiety, with the frustration of not getting to know them better in the little time that we had and with the number of participants. As for our stay, I enjoyed the comfy hotel and my very nice roommate, the food was nice, except for the one in the place we had lunch, which was a little lower quality. Regarding the activities themselves, I enjoyed doing some casual little games but lacked motivation in the more demanding exercises. As for the content of the informative moments, I found them a bit outdated for a majority of volunteers who had been here for 5 or 6 months. If I could suggest improvements, I would ask for a session about the funding of Erasmus projects and ESC, in order to understand better what actually allows us to participate in such projects and to participate in such a week. I would also have liked a module on mental health, since I believe it is a relevant topic to be addressed, especially for young people who are for a lot of them living on their own for the first time.
Let's see how the midterm training goes, fortunately it will be shorter and we will have already met some of the participants!
Veronica Hidalgo:
My experience during the arrival training was incredible. I met so many new people, some of whom were residents of Lisbon. During this week, I learned about different cultures, especially Portuguese culture. I also learned about my rights and obligations, how to handle different situations, and how to express my thoughts and fears during my volunteering experience. I loved the experience; it was definitely one of the best weeks so far.
