O testemunho final da Clara (SPEAK)

 “Tu nunca seria quem és hoje se nao tivesses passado pelo que passaste”.

There are many things that this ESC year taught me, and this is one of them: “You would never be who you are today if you had not gone through what you went through”.

Tomorrow I will celebrate my first year in Portugal and I will start a new chapter of my life. 

This year has been ‘intense’. There are many adjectives and nouns I could use to describe it but I believe that one of the words I would first use is “grateful”. I am grateful for what I have been living, for the possibility I was given, for the new experiences, for the new “family” and for much more. I am also grateful because I learned how to be grateful for every single day I lived here. 

Looking back I see a year full of new adventures.

Thanks to the ESC project I met so many people. Lisbon is a lively city and getting new friends is definitely not a “big deal”, but finding a “family” was surprising. Co-living with other volunteers was the key to getting to know people that I know will be part of my life forever. 

Meeting new volunteers from SPIN and from other organizations and understanding how similar and how much we share even if we are from different countries, that was incredible! I shared many good moments with all of them and I will bring all those memories with me.

SPEAK has played an important role in my life here. SPEAK has not only been my hosting organization, it was and it is a family to me. I learned a lot and developed new skills, but most of all I grew a lot. After all these months working for them, I am really motivated to keep having SPEAK in my life. I believe this project should spread more around the globe and that more people could access it. Also, I learned what it means to work for a social business and now more than ever I believe that I would like to spend many more years of my life dedicating time to projects like this one. 

Summing up, Portugal gave me a lot. I discovered a lot about myself. I had the possibility to start over and to make this place my new home. Every experience I had left me something I will never forget. I simply fell in love with this city. I love it so much that I decided to stay here. Portugal 2.0 is coming and I am looking forward to it! 

As they would say here: Boa sorte Clarinha! 

O testemunho da Clara No. 2 (SPEAK)

Lockdown in Lisbon – not bad after all. 

When people tell you that time flies, you should believe them. I arrived in November and, in a few days, I will start my sixth month here in Portugal.

These last months have been intense. Despite the lockdown and the strict restrictions, I tried to keep a positive attitude and to get the best of this experience. I had the chance to spend more time with my flatmates and to strengthen our bonds. We managed to create a very good environment which is fundamental when you share a flat (especially if you spend most of your time at home). We developed our cooking skills, started training together, and enjoyed the sun on our ‘patio’.

Besides that, I continued working daily within the project framework. After the first months at SPEAK, I decided to become a BUDDY and to start sharing Italian leading a language group. This was quite a challenge, since I have never taught my mother tongue language and, above all, I have never led an online language group. Challenging myself was fun. I enjoyed my time with participants, and I believe that, later, I will have the chance to meet them in person as well. Moreover, being a BUDDY made me realize even better the mission of SPEAK, why it exists and why its work is so fundamental for newcomers and migrants. 

I am very satisfied with my project. I like the fact that I have been involved in every activity of my department and that I feel like a member of the team. SPEAK central team is very active and always proposing interesting activities. These are very useful not only for the workflow and the objectives of the organization. They also aim to the development of personal skills. Some highlights: a training on design thinking and creativity and a diversity journey, where to reflect on topics such as integration and inclusion. I am looking forward to the upcoming months and tasks. 

Finally, after five months of work, I decided to take a break and to have a “taste of summer”. Indeed, last week I decided to leave the capital and reach the south of Portugal – the well-known ‘Algarve’. Together with some other volunteers, we decided to join a ‘work away’ project. I am very grateful for these days. Spending some time detached from the screen, doing manual works, connected with nature and living the communitarian life for a week was a great relief. I loved paintings walls while singing and getting to know better the other volunteers. A good experience that I will certainly repeat later on in my life.

Full of positive and good energy I am now back in the city, ready for the ‘desconfinamento’ and ready to experience Lisbon.

The small takeaway of these months: Be patient, enjoy the little things and carpe diem. 

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.