O testemunho No. 1 da Elizaveta (SPIN)

I’m living a fairytale here in Lisbon!

Hi! I’m Lisa, I’m 28 and I’m from Russia!

I’ve been applying for this ESC opportunity 3 times for the last two years. And finally, I’m here! So never give up on your goals and you’ll definitely get the life of your dream 😊

Being a volunteer in Portugal means sharing an apartment with other people. I was really curious about this experience, but I could never imagine that it’s gonna be this good! Oh, we are not just flatmates, we live like a big family of 7! 

We get along just fine even though we are from different countries: Spain, Turkey, Egypt, Italy, Estonia, France, and Russia 🤪 The house is filled with laughter, hugs, and positive vibes! We share meals together, celebrate holidays, and go out on weekends. Any event I go to in Lisbon I never feel alone, I know my family is gonna be there ❤️

As much as I enjoy my new family, I enjoy Lisbon as well! The city is bright and filled with colors! I go out almost every day to visit some new attractions: parks, viewpoints, cafes, etc. And even after two months, there are still plenty of new places to discover! I think this city never gets boring 😍

Well, I arrived in Lisbon in December, so the whole month was about holidays, gatherings and meeting new people. I enjoyed it a lot! But still, I’m looking forward to getting more engaged in Spin association activities!

So far I took part in Christmas dinner preparation, receiving “Re-generation+” projects participants, joining Erasmus+ program promotion event at a local school. I also assist with video making and editing during the events, as well as making some graphic designs! All of it with the guidance of amazing coworkers and mentors from Spin office and in the company of my lovely fellow volunteers 🤩

Anyway, I really do love my every day in Lisbon! This volunteering life is just beautiful 🌺 I can’t wait to join my on-arrival training next month! Also looking forward to joining the upcoming events at Spin and exploring the city in warm weather😁

O testemunho final da Polina (SPEAK)

Time flies and it is already the end of my ESC project.

It’s time to evaluate my experience. I spent a year in Lisbon, and I fell in love with this city, its spirit, people who live here. I couldn’t imagine a better experience in all the given circumstances. I met so many people who became my friends, and I am sure that we will continue speaking and meeting each other in different places of the world. 

This year I learned so much about myself, and I think it’s one of the most precious gifts ESC can give to a person. I learned how many things we actually can choose for ourselves, how many things depend only on us. I learned a lot about independence and friendship, about different cultures and people, about inside and outside freedom. 

I am not sad to say goodbye to this time because this experience is not going anywhere. We became somehow a part of it, and it became a part of us. 

 

 

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

O testemunho da Ksenia No. 3 ((Associação Spin)

Pois, chegaram ao fim estes 9 meses, e parece que era o tempo mais tranquilo e despreocupado da minha vida. Mas tudo tem o seu tempo, e agora é a hora para eu fazer mudanças e trazer mais estabilidade e mais equilíbrio à minha vida.'

Não quero dizer adeus a nenhumas pessoas que se tornaram próximas a mim durante essa jornada. Espero mesmo que dê para ter novos encontros com elas no próximo futuro. 

E, com certeza, não digo adeus a Portugal, o país que não deixa de me encantar, pasmar e admirar. Vou sentir saudades e vou lembrar-me sempre destes detalhes, que em conjunto representam a minha experiência:

 ⁃ As janelas e varandas com roupas coloridas penduradas em cordas;
 ⁃ O cheiro a bacalhau (amigo fiel) nos supermercados;
 ⁃ Os cães que correm felizes ao longo da costa;
 ⁃ A água geladinha do Atlântico;

 ⁃ As pessoas desconhecidas que te cumprimentam quando passas por diante delas (fora de Lisboa);
 ⁃ Os motoristas de táxi que cantam ou assobiam umas melodias alegres;
 ⁃ As ruas estreitinhas, tão acolhedores e cheias de vida;
 ⁃ Os gatos que olham para ti das janelas;
 ⁃ O vento salgado do oceano e esse sabor do sal nos lábios;
 ⁃ O playlist da Padaria Portuguesa;
 ⁃ Cafés cheios, pingados, meias de leite e abatanados;
 ⁃ Os hikes com as minhas companheiras simpáticas ou sozinha;
 ⁃ Neblinas misteriosas;
 ⁃ Jacarandás em flor, que fizeram as ruas ainda mais esplêndidas.

E assim por diante... Enfim, valeu a pena! Obrigada por tudo :)

O testemunho da Polina No. 1 (SPEAK)

Hi! My name is Polina, and I am volunteering with SPEAK in Lisbon. I came to Portugal on the 1st of March and two weeks later we were told to stay home because of COVID-19. Luckily, I went to see my hosting organization during those two weeks so I got to know SPEAK people a little and could start working from home.

SPEAK helps migrant adapt in a new country through language learning and communication. It is an amazing goal and I am happy to become part of this important job. First weeks were difficult because I had to start working immediately and help SPEAK move language groups online. I worked with a team to create new guides and materials, then translated them into French. It was challenging but not impossible. 

I also met my flatmates and other volunteers in Lisbon. I really like spending time with them and discover new places of this beautiful city. 

O testemunho da Ksenia No. 2 (Associação Spin)

Passados seis meses cá em Lisboa, posso dizer que valeu a pena, apesar de às vezes eu pensar ao contrário.

A quantidade de boas impressões que vou guardar na memória é imensa.
Já visitei tantos, mesmo tantos lugares excepcionais, e ainda há muito
a descobrir. Conheci as pessoas com quem, estou certa, manterei o
contacto depois de eu partir. Tenho aproveitado a vida tranquila e
(quase) sem stress, tendo bastante tempo livre que não perco em vão.

Tomara que os próximos três meses sejam ainda melhor.

O testemunho da Ksenia

Passados os primeiros dias do voluntariado, chegou o tempo para compartilhar as minhas impressões.

De início pensei que ainda é demais cedo para quaisquer reflexões, mas já percebi que é uma boa ideia reler o meu testemunho mais tarde e lembrar-me do que eu senti nos primeiros dias desta jornada.

Como durante o nosso primeiro dia na SPIN, já tivemos uma conversa sobre os nossos objetivos, expetativas e áreas de desenvolvimento, decidi somar uns outros pensamentos que estão na minha mente agora:

• Foi mesmo muito difícil deixar as pessoas que amo. Umas semanas antes da partida para Lisboa, deixei o meu trabalho e passava muito tempo com os meus parentes e amigos. É precioso. Percebi que estou muito feliz tê-los ao meu lado, e que sou de muita sorte por ter as pessoas admiráveis e maravilhosas na minha vida, e acredito (e já sei) que ainda há muitas a ter e encontrar.

• Mudança de ocupação e do país para mim significa, em particular, a mudança da ambiente e das pessoas que tenho ao meu redor. A interação constante com as pessoas de nacionalidade, idade e background diferentes é uma oportunidade ótima para desenvolver a empatia, compreender melhor as pessoas, tal como aprender com as experiências de outros e compartilhar as minhas. É a coisa que me inspira.

De momento, é isso! Vamos começar!