O testemunho final da Miriam (Viver Telheiras)

 

A couple of weeks ago, I said goodbye to the office, to my tutor and to the amazing team of the Associação Viver Telheiras. Leaving my key in the key stand on my last day was an emotional moment that all of a sudden took me back in time to one year ago when this experience had just begun and little did I know that I would have become a Telheirense by adoption. 

It has been maybe the most fulfilling year of my life, full of personal growth, healing, beers with amazing landscapes and friends. I am forever grateful for the chance I had to do my ESC in Lisbon; grateful for the experiences I lived, the skills I learned, and all the people I met here. 

I am thrilled by the fact that I decided to stay in Lisbon some more time and I challenged myself to continue supporting my community in Telheiras as a personal volunteering project. Volunteering at Viver Telheiras taught me that people’s daily involvement in society is real and satisfying, that neighbours can join and create something amazing for their community; that interaction and cooperation with the authorities are possible; that change is possible.

After one year, I can really say that ESC changes lives, it broadens your horizons and offers new perspectives to look at the world around you, As I said in my very first testimony, when I arrived in Lisbon, it felt like I belonged here. Antonio Tabucchi, “the most Portuguese of Italian writers”, wrote in one of his books about travelling in Portugal that a “place is never just a place”, somehow, unknowingly, that place is part of us, we were carrying it around, until when, one day, we arrived there, by chance.

You know, I am not really sure I arrived here by chance, but maybe it’s true, I was carrying this country in my heart until the moment I set foot here and who knows this will be my place still for a long time. Obrigada, ESC. Um brinde à vida, um brinde a Lisboa, um brinde à Europa!

O testemunho final do Albert (JFL - S. Vicente)

Hello Everyone



 

This year in Lisbon has been a very special year for me. It is the first time in my life that I have lived outside my own country for a year and that brings me a lot of things. It is also the first time that I have worked with children for such a long period of time, I have only worked in the summer season so far.

My experience of volunteering was a bit more difficult at the beginning because of the language barrier. The vast majority of volunteers work in English, but in my case, everything was in Portuguese... so I had no other choice than learning Portuguese, and I am grateful for that. 

From the first day, despite not speaking my language (although Portuguese is very close to Spanish), my colleagues, especially my tutor Paula, made an effort to make themselves understood and helped me a lot to improve my Portuguese. 

My activities have been changing throughout the volunteering, I started as a monitor to support my co-workers, we have done Spanish, logic, sports and gardening activities; I have also helped in the food bank and I have collaborated with other organizations to do activities in the school, But not everything has been about school. The city of Lisbon is an incredible city, I already knew it before and I really wanted to spend some time of my life here. It is a city with many contrasts, on the one hand, you have the historical part with the buildings, the streets, the viewpoints, the squares, the museums, the parks and the markets.

on the other hand, you have the international life of Lisbon: the concerts, the parties and all the events that are taking place. Lisbon is a lively city, every day you can find something to do. In the city center you can find people from all over the world; in the surroundings there are more Portuguese and natives of the former colonies.

Outside Lisbon, you find a lot of beaches and nature: Sintra, Caparica, Setúbal, Cascais,  I have been so lucky to get to know the region very well. The whole area is great for nature walks and surfing. Having a car has allowed me to visit many places: Ericeira, Peniche, Santarem, Coimbra, Costa Nova, Aveiro, Porto, Guimaraes, Braga, Faro, Tavira, ... Although I still have many things to know about Portugal, for example, the national park of Geres, everyone has told me about it

And last but not least, from this year here, I take a lot of people with me. People who have helped me without asking for anything in return. People who have offered me great opportunities. People who have given me good conversations. People who have made my experience here a wonderful one.

 Thank you very much.

O testemunho final da Chiara (SPEA)

Como é possível descrever quanto é bonito fazer parte de algo? Juntar as peças do puzzle e sentir-te sempre mais verdadeira e mais ti mesma?

As pequenas peças que fazem parte do meu puzzle têm muitos nomes diferentes: tem os nomes das minhas colegas do apartamento, que antes que ser colegas de casa, são amigas, amigas que te cozinham todos os dias quanto tens covid e estas confinada no teu quarto e te deixam mensagens de carinho debaixo da porta, com quem combinas jantares, com que saies à ouvir música, viajas e planeias não só o próximo mês juntas mas o próximo ano.

Tem tambèm os nomes das amigas com quem passei o verão a fazer trilhos, a colocar a tenda em lugares escondidos, mas com vistas brutais, a dançar cumbia com energias que nem eu sabia de ter, a apanhar comboio, autocarro e boleias só para chegar na praia e fazer um jantar antes do pôr do sol e aproveitar de um oceano tão bonito em frente de ti. A pintar a sede da Spin e subindo escadas improváveis e instáveis.

Tem o nome da Cooperativa que eu faço parte, onde alèm de encontrar uma alternativa sustentável aos grandes supermercados, faz-me sentir parte de uma comunidade que acredita no poder das pessoas, uma comunidade onde alèm de conhecer produtores locais e fazer escolhas éticas e críticas, se caminha por conhecer o Portugal mas sobretudo para nòs conhecer e onde com os amigos italianos se organizam workshop de gnocchi (os portugueses ficaram muito felizes :D).

Tem também o nome da SPEA, que se escreve SPEA mas se lé Carolina e Vanessa, as minhas tutoras que me guiaram com carinho num percurso de um ano juntas, que acabou com uma carta com a minha foto e as dedicatórias dos colegas e com uma chorona de nome Chiara a ler. A SPEA que me deu a oportunidade de conhecer-me, de ouvir-me e perceber que sim, quero mesmo ser educadora ambiental e que gosto imenso de estar com criança a falar de ambiente e natureza, que eles sejam italianos, portugueses ou de

um outro continente, porque a satisfação de olhar os miúdos à aprender com folhas e aves, a beleza de ouvir pessoas gratas do teu trabalho, a jóia de libertar uma ave ferida no Festival de Observação das Aves, onde falei com todos os participantes atè voltar a casa com o número deles, ver a felicidade dos professores com quem trabalhaste em agradecer-te, è algo que não pode ser descrito. 

Ter a oportunidade de realizar o teu projecto pessoal de construção de caixas abrigos para insetos e morcegos que, além de uma ação de educação ambiental torna-se uma ação social de cidadania a falar em frente de velhinhos, pessoas com problemas físicos e não só, escuteiros, escolas e mostrar-lhe que em fim, também se o teu portugues tem o acento da Rússia (como alguns miúdos me disseram) o teu entusiasmo percebe-se do teus olhos.

Há também o nome da SPIN que me permitiu ficar nessa cidade tão extraordinária e fazer parte deste projecto que parece pequeno mas que é tão grande.

A todas essas peças que compõem o meu puzzle quero dizer um grande OBRIGADA por ter caminhado juntas nesse ano, ter tido a oportunidade de conhecer-vos e também de me ajudar mim mesma a conhecer-me mais.

O testemunho final do Victorien (SPIN)

To describe a 12 months experience in a few lines could be an easy job if I wouldn’t have spent in Lisbon at Spin association, and especially in that special period.

My ESC experience started on November the 1 st of 2020 and ended a couple of weeks ago in 2021. Along with this ESC program, I could live a bunch of experiences that absolutely impacted my life on most of the fronts. And I am going to try to share as much meaningful as I can.

Unfortunately, I obviously had to deal with Mister Covid that apparently didn’t want to let us live as we were used to doing. However, the pandemic had, in a way, amplified some periods of my program. During lockdown and restrictions, we couldn’t meet with the other volunteers properly, the work at Spin was hardly makeable and we couldn’t either discover properly Lisbon and Portugal. 

During “free time”, in last spring and summer, on the other hand where we could finally meet between all the volunteers, travel all around and achieve some tasks with our organization. And maybe because of those long and tough times, I have the feeling to have experienced these moments way more joyfully, that I hardly still believe it.

First of all, I’ve been really glad to be part of Spin team. The spirit that I could find with my colleagues and especially with my tutor Giulia who has been fantastic and really helpful during my whole experience. She could help through some tough times as well as support some ideas. In the meanwhile, this ESC experience gave so much on the personal aspect. I could embrace a city and a country that totally matches my expectations.

I’m still so amazed to discover Lisbon, it’s a city full of characters, colors, kind people, and opportunities. As well as Portugal, a mind-blowing country for such a small territory, it looks like they are a place to discover in the entire country. With a step back, I think this year has been decisive in a way. I could achieve some personal and professional achievements such as playing music as a DJ in many places in Lisbon and starting doing it kind of professionally. I could start to work properly in English, improve my Spanish and discover the Portuguese language.

On the professional aspect, I’m really glad to have started French classes with Spin team and some volunteers. It has especially given me the courage to start it professionally and I am super proud to be able to keep on doing it as one of my main activities from now on. Also, during the first meetings with Spin, I expressed my willingness to learn and do some video editing. And thankfully Spin, proposed I do a video-volunteers-portrait project where we could create some video content to describe and promote how is it to be a volunteer with Spin. It was a really nice project that I realized with another volunteer. We could do it freely and I’m really happy to have done it from scratch to what it is. I could learn how to use video editing software and I’m once again glad to have added this skill to my list thanks to this ESC program.

Anyway, I think you would have understood that I barely find words to express my gratitude to SPIN and the ESC program. I found myself extremely lucky to have been part of this program and especially

during those tough moments. Extremely lucky to have done it with Spin team and to had the opportunity to achieve some long-time desires. Extremely lucky to have met all these volunteers that became friends and with who I could create strong links. Extremely lucky to have done my program in such a stunning city as Lisbon and such a wonderful one as Portugal.

Cheers SPIN !

O testemunho No. 2 da Miriam (Viver Telheiras)

If I look back at these past 7 months I almost feel shocked for the incredible amount of things that happened. 

I like to lay down sometimes and try to brainstorm about it trying to figure out which are the most important moments of my life here and memories show up always so vivid and intense at the point of making me feel very emotional. 

After a super relaxed summer full of sea trips, friends and travels I have finally had the occasion to go deeper into my project and start to do a lot of practical stuff (which is a very pragmatic person is what I was really looking forward to). 

One of the things I appreciate the most about my volunteering is developing projects in the field of sustainability such as the workshops we did in partnership with Spea’s team which brought the Telheiras’ neighborhood together to build houses for birds, bats, and insects and contribute in this way to help and preserve the local biodiversity. (see picture)

After all these months the most extraordinary thing for me is being able to spontaneously connect with people and the strong bonds I am starting to create in the community of the neighborhood which makes me feel really happy and at home in this place. I would lie if I said that everything has gone smoothly so far, but I am really grateful for every single experience, person, and situation I have lived with here because they have contributed enormously to a personal growth I have always been yearning for and I am finally reaching. 

Sometimes I feel a little blue because I am starting to realize that the time left till the end of my project is not that much and I have to think concretely about my future and it seems to me that I have been wandering around randomly without managing to find a proper direction in life. I really hope that these last months will be inspiring for my future and who knows maybe I will end up staying here to keep enjoying this amazing country!

O testemunho final da Maria (SPEA)

After a year of pandemic, the whole world stopped. I was at my home looking for new opportunities, a little bit worried about the difficult situation that we were living...

One day I received an e-mail, and everything changed. One year ago, I moved to Faro (Portugal), and I started one of the best experiences I ever had. Connecting with a new country, nature, and people around the world is definitely one of the best ways for a young and adventurous person to gain perspective about life. 
From the beginning, I felt at home. Portugal is a very international country, we worked with people from different parts of the world (Poland, England, France, Australia...).

Over the last year, I have lived in close and peaceful harmony with a lot of different people, developing an intercultural close relationship between our international team.

 It was a very constructive way to develop empathy, teamwork, support each other’s and understand how important cooperation is. Due to my multilingual competencies, I can deeply understand new cultures, social and natural conflicts around the world, I discovered a wide variety of music styles and I make lovely new friends.

Since I was young, I felt admiration for the marine world. On vacation, I used to go to see dolphins and whales in the Strait of Gibraltar with my mum but until this year I didn't have yet the opportunity to take part in a marine conservation team. It is a dream that has come true. I am really motivated to discover how many people are part of environmental initiatives to improve nature around the world. 

I feel very fascinated about how many are connected with marine conservations projects, sustainable fisheries, and responsible consumers. I also learn to check better the origin and the quality of the products that I consume. I could learn how different is everything when you cross frontiers and how natural resources create international conflicts that apparently are not related to us, but our way to consume and live is directly responsible for that. So I also deeply understand how important is to be a responsible consumer. This year I had the opportunity to work on a LIFE conservation project (Life Ilhas Barreira). 

The Life program is a European funding instrument for the environment and climate action. It was very stimulating to get involved with an institution that is part of something bigger focused on nature conservation. I feel very lucky because the attitude of the others members of my “new little family” influence me in a very positive way. 

Facing new situations I discovered how strong and flexible I am and also that my role in the groups is very important because I am a very enthusiastic person and that is contagious. Thanks to my EVS experience, nowadays I feel more confident, very motivated to develop my passion for marine biology, and ready to participate in new conservation projects.

I also improved my African percussion skills and it contributed greatly to my integration into the local community. From the first week, I get in contact with a very active cultural association with a wide variety of artistic and social events that I enjoy a lot and also was a medium through which I learned about different cultures, music, history and had fun.

Also, I was very lucky to find a Bird Ringing Station, close to where I lived, located in a beautiful natural area, that give me the opportunity to disconnect from my daily activities and give me a different perspective about wildlife. I took part in a ringing group of Portuguese experts about wildlife focus on birds and I improve a lot my ringins skills, at the same time that I learn more about the country. Thanks to this lucky experience I could pass my ringing test in my country and I obtained my professional ringing license that is really important for my professional future. It is difficult to express my feelings after a year full of lovely experiences: navigate with dolphins and whales, Sleep on a desert island, monitoring wildlife, nature, lovely people, beautiful sunsets and sunrises, support nature conservation actions, learn

Portuguese.....but, definitely the people that I met were the best of the year.

I am so grateful for this amazing experience.

O testemunho final da Lucia (Viver Telheiras)

Dear Lisbon,

I dedicate this letter to you. It's now time to say goodbye. 

It's been a year since I got off a plane with a suitcase and a backpack, ready to start my volunteering experience here. I had never set foot in Portugal before, so I wasn't sure I would have liked it. Luckily, however, it was love at first sight.

In these last 12 months, many different phases of my life have followed one another. At first, I discovered Lisbon by taking long walks through the city with other fellow volunteers, then I lived my first Christmas and New Year's out of Italy, and then also a new lockdown. Once it was possible to start moving throughout the country again, I finally dedicated myself to discovering the rest of Portugal, from Porto in the north to the Benagil caves, down near Faro, filling my eyes with breathtaking landscapes and the belly of local specialties.

My mood has also fluctuated a lot: my initial enthusiasm was crushed from the lockdown, but it slowly returned. These days I am trying to make the most of my time here, knowing that it will be difficult to say goodbye to a city that made me feel at home.

Of course, it wasn't all fun and games, but even if sometimes I felt a bit unmotivated or lost because I didn't know what to do, luckily I had the support of people who helped me tidy up my thoughts and understand what was best to do. And with these people, I also shared good and fun moments. This is indeed the most precious thing that will remain to me from this experience: the people I met here.

For these reasons, I go back to Italy with my heart full of gratitude and good memories.

Obrigadinha Lisboa, até a próxima! 

Lucia

O testemunho no. 2 do Albert (JFL - Vicente)

It has been a few months since I first arrived here. Everything is constantly changing, and I like that.

Gone are those first weeks where communicating was quite complicated; my Portuguese seems to be getting better and better. I have to admit that for a native Spanish speaker it's always easier. 

My life in these months has been focused on my pleasures: I've surfed, I've taken pictures around the city and I've met a lot of people (among other things). Life in the city has changed, I arrived in the hot season with restrictions, now everything is open and it's starting to get cold. 

People who have been here for a long time say that Lisbon is regaining its color; not because of the cold, but because of the people. I couldn't say if I preferred the city as it was when I arrived, more empty. Also, the atmosphere in volunteering has changed. 

The first months were more about learning Portuguese, a lot of work to support the other colleagues. Now I lead my own activities and participate in activities not only within the school where I work but also with other entities in the same neighborhood that have a relationship with the school.