O testemunho No. 3 da Katia (Associacao Spin)

 

With simultaneous rain and sun and hazelnut breakfasts my European Solidarity Corps in Spin Association is coming to and end with all its endeavours and smiles. And what a nice experience it has been to be part of the Spin team for the last 10 months, with its online meeting, park  language classes, welcome lunches in the office, working from home and all that comes with. Now I feel free and ready for the next steps, next continuations and I'm happy for deciding to stay in Lisboa for yet a while. So this is more of a transition than an end, all though it marks a goodbye to some daily activities and routines, some collaborations and activities which I will miss dearly. 

Almost nine months past and what an incredible experience this has been. I could never expect to do all of these things. i especially thankful for all the wonderful people ive gotten to know or crossed path swith in these past months. I’ve definatly made som friendships for life. Especially it feels very heavy to break up the Spin family.

For me one of the most important things has been to aquire a new language. Im in love with exploring portugese and the poetry of this language.

Going around and holding presentations in schools have teached me how to be somewhat more relaxed about this. It’s definately something I will use later in life.

I’m happy to have thrown out many ideas to spin for the growth of the assosiation. even if most of these will probably not come into life, at least now the hostel has green sprouts, fresh vegetables and water kefir.

Im going to miss you Portugal, and especially all your delicious pastries! 

Allthough not all of my expectations has come true, there are no sprouts, I never went to any schools and the kefir grains fermented their ways to other places, these spring thoughts are still somehow true and can stand for their own. 

Hope to see you soon!

Testemunho final Giulia: Growing Together (ESC - Traineeship)

Here we go again!

Desta vez estou a escrever da minha terra, Sicilia. Vim passar o Natal com a minha família e possivelmente amigos, apesar de termos muitas restrições aqui por causa do Coronavírus.

O meu estágio IEFP e projeto do corpo europeu de solidariedade - estágio, acabou no fim de Novembro e felizmente estou ainda a continuar a trabalhar na Spin, agora como trabalhadora - técnica de Inclusão Júnior!  

Fiquei agradecida com a oportunidade dada pela associação Spin para continuar o meu percurso e trabalho que comecei em março. 

Em Outubro, Novembro, Dezembro recebemos na Spin mais voluntários CES e tivemos que dizer adeus a outros voluntários e amigos :(

 

Agora sinto-me mais confiante e integrada no mundo CES, percebendo o que significa também estar do outro lado como técnica e coordenadora.

Estou ansiosa e curiosa em acompanhar o grupo dos novos voluntários começando das seleções até o fim do projeto na esperança que tudo corra pelo melhor e que desfrutem da oportunidade de participar nos projetos CES!

O testemunho no. 1 da Angela (AAMA)

My name is Angela, I am an italian girl in love with the world. I come from Barletta, in Puglia, the famous heel of the boot. 

I left Italy at the end of September to take part in an European volunteering project in Lisbon.

After I came home from my Erasmus experience and I graduated last July, I thought the ESC program could be for me the right chance to enrich my skills and repeat an abroad experience that, we know, inevitably extends perspectives and personal ambitions.

I already was in Lisbon but I have to admit that each time I walk around its streets or I just sit looking at the views from its different "miradouro", I fall in love one time more. 

This year I will be volunteering in AAMA, a non-profit association dealing with people with special needs promoting their social inclusion. In particular, I will be a support for the practical activities they organize inside and outside the school for kids from 2 to 6 years old with autism. 

I know, it could be difficult but I accepted this "challenge". 

AAMA reflects my ideals and I hope it can help me to grow as a person and as professionist in the field. At the same time, I hope to give my best to them and to all the people I will meet during this experience!

I dreamed a lot about what will happen and now, that I'm in, I'm ready to live it step by step!

O testemunho no. 1 da Perrine (Crescer a Cores)

 

Hi, my name is Perrine I am from a little town in France right next to the german border and i will be volunteering in Crescer a Cores this year. I left France on the first of november just a few days after the beginning of the second national lockdown wich is kind of a weird feeling but I am happy to be here and curious about this year! Arriving in my new home I was welcomed by my new flatmates Clara and Angela from Italy and Polina from Russia. I rested a bit because I arrived pretty early in the moring and afterwards we walked a bit around our neighbourhood and went for a drink with other volunteers in the city center. Back in the apparment we met our new flatmaye Lucia from Italy.

After this first long and nice day I taught I will directly begin to work the day after wich wasn't the case and a nice surprise. We had a few days to discover the city and settle down in our new home.

Clara, Lucia and I explored the different neighbourhood as Alfama, Bica, Bairro Alto, Baixa etc.

We walked a lot, enjoyed the sunny days, took the old Tram and I tried my first pastei de Nata. 

The first impression of the city was lovely, I really like the architecture, the feeling you have while walking trough the little streets and of course the weather! I am pretty sure I will fall in love with this city.

After some days of exploring the city we had our welcome day at the Spin's office where we met the other new volunteers. We had a delicious vegan lunch, got all the needed information from Giulia and could explore a little the neigbourhood of Bairro Padre Cruz where I will work. 

After the weekend I had to take a Covid test in order to begin to work, the test came out negative and i could get to work at the creche! In the first days I met my coworkers and the kids, tried to get a picture of where I will work the next year and wich tasks I will have. The atmosphere at work is nice and I am getting into it step by step, for now I enjoy working with the children and I am curious of whats gonna come my way the next months!

O testemunho No. 1 da Clara (SPEAK)

 

My experience in Portugal started on the 30th of November. I moved from Italy for the second time in my life and headed to the sunny Lisbon. This was not my first time in the Portuguese capital, but I have to admit that I fall in love once again with this magical city and that I couldn’t be happier. 

This year I will be volunteering in SPEAK, an organisation which brings together newcomers and locals living in the same city through community-led language groups and cultural exchange events. Working within an international community and being engaged in an important mission such as integration and inclusion is motivating and inspiring at the same time. I started working only three weeks ago, but I already had the chance to be involved and I got tasks that will surely help me in developing new skills. 

Nevertheless, doing an ESC also means to be in contact with other volunteers. In the latest weeks, we had the chance to hang out together and discover the city. I found out new spots I have never been to, such as Jardim do Torel, Parque Eduardo and Feira da Ladra. Despite the restrictions introduced by the Portuguese government we still can go for walks and meet people. Thus, I am ready to discover a new place and I am looking forward to the next months.  

O testemunho No. 2 da Veronica (Junta de Fregusia do Lumiar)

 

It’s alredy been 9 months that I’m living my ESC Experience in Lisbon.

So many things have happened so far.

First of all, the Covid. Like everyone else, I never expected to live in the middle of a pandemic, and even less I would have expected to face it abroad away from family and friends.

It’been a very particular time, but I can honestly say that it was a challenge that gave added value to my experience far from home. 

Autonomy, stress management (especially at the beginning of the quarantine, after only two weeks from my arrival in Lisbon), appreciating the moments spent with friends and colleagues, but especially the moments of solitude and rebuilding a routine to keep active during the days spent in home. Obviously this is not what I expected when i left for Portugal, but I am genuinely happy with the personal goals I have achieved.

Once the first wave of covid ended, during the summer I had the opportunity to travel around Portugal and visit wonderful places with my fellow travelers, as well as fantastic friends that I met thanks to the volunteer work in SPIN associação. We have traveled a lot and have seen incredible places and landscapes .. Alentejo, Algarve, Madeira, the North of Portugal. I have in my mind so many images and memories that I already know that I will always carry with me.

In September, I finally effectively started the volunteering as educator at Quintas dos Frades primary school, in Lumiar, and a new chapter of my adventure in Lisbon has begun.

I am very happy to be part of this team of colleagues who are very passionate in their work, who have welcomed me very warmly and enthusiastically.

Working with children is really stimulating. It is proving to be a "gym", both from a human aspect (it’s not always easy to relate to children, especially at first, not speaking the same language) and also from a cultural and linguistic aspect. Day after day I am improving my Portuguese, and all this just pushes me to speak the language and improve it even more.

There are 3 months left to finish my project, but I feel I still have many experiences and new people ahead of me to meet.

O testemunho No. 2 da Polina (SPEAK)

 

Hello, everyone! 

I wanted to tell you about my summer in Lisbon. It feels like it’s still summer even though it’s November. My summer was very hot and full of different events. I had a chance to travel a bit in Portugal, which was amazing. I visited Braga, Guimarães, Aveiro, Porto, and Coimbra. One time we went to Porto for he weekend with other volunteers and had a lot of fun.

I also got a lot of new interesting tasks at SPEAK. I helped with Portuguese lessons for minor refugees. It was the first time in my life I worked in Red Cross and I had a lot of fun during Portuguese sessions. Children were very friendly and respectful, interested in Portuguese and happy to see new people. 

I was also been given more responsibilities in SPEAK. Now I make a training for new ambassadors and it’s a very nice tasks to meet new people, motivate them and be closer to the community. 

Polina