Lost and Found - Szandra

You know about those boxes all over the world, which are full of lost goodies waiting for their loitering lazy-ass-owners to pick them up again? Yeah, those. Well I kind of felt like I’m in one of those boxes waiting aimlessly for some mythical phenomena to occur.

And it did.

Portugal not just grabbed me out of the box, but kicked that cardboard real hard, pushing me right into the hearth of Lisbon. And that intensely pumping heart can easily devour one who’s daring enough take an extra step forward and explore. 

My EVS began on the 1st of March. You hear a lot, that Portugal is a sunny, and hot country. Well, it was rainy as hell in my first month, but the Sun was there… Behind the smiles of people, behind the windows of the old, living houses of narrow streets. Sunshine escaping from all over, directly to YOUR hearth. 

It is beautiful.

And enormous joy. There is life in every single small corner. You can have as much fun as you want, and even more, in amounts you would have never expected.  Meeting new people from all over the world and getting to know their brimming own individual universes, and ways of perspective is the most priceless thing. You hear the expression cultural diversity a lot. But here you understand it, and get immersed in it, with a never ceasing eagerness to delve into it even more and more. 

You will be immensely conscious about so many things, you might not even have heard about before. Because among all this fun, and beauty there is also purpose. You will learn, you will develop, you will teach and you will help, while being helped. This what EVS is about. 

For me. 

O testemunho da Ana

Looking back at the beginning of my EVS, it seems like it was a lifetime ago instead of just a year. It’s almost hard to recall the feelings of confusion, awe and curiosity that were so overwhelming during my first months in Lisbon. Everything that was new and surprising at the beginning, became more familiar and comfortable over time. The process of making a second home happened so gradually that I almost didn’t feel it - I just woke up one day realising that I’ve got some new routines, new rituals, ways to work around the little things that frustrated me at first. People and places that I didn’t know sneaked their way around and became close and familial.

During my 9 months at Associação Spin I did plenty of things, most of them that I never even imagined doing - cooking for a group of 30 people, baking Croatian pastries for 5 hours straight, organising a workshop during a youth exchange, being a tour guide, meeting people from 17 different countries in one day, speaking in Portuguese in front of a room full of people after only a couple of months learning it… The variety of activities and freedom to experiment and propose my own ideas felt great; it is something that doesn’t happen often in more formal work settings but it was a great chance to reevaluate my strengths and weaknesses as well as to learn a lot of new skills and try them out without the fear of failure. It reminded me what work should be like, what it looks like to have a healthy balance between personal life and time spent at the office and made me strive for that even after the end of the project.

But other than having the opportunity to try all these new things and learn in a practical way, I would say that EVS is before everything a big personal journey - it is a very intense and emotional experience and I often commented with other volunteers that we feel like we’ve lived a couple of years in only a few months in Lisbon! The amount of things we did, the places we went to, the amount of new friends that we made is amazing. I can’t even count the number of new people I met here, and some of them will remain close long after our EVS is over. Being EVS volunteers, all of us were very aware that we are here for a limited amount of time so we tried to make best of it and use every moment. Of course, not everything was perfect and there were hard moments, moments of loneliness, moments when we were saying goodbye to others whose journey in Portugal came to an end, but it was worth it compared to all the beautiful experiences that we gained in return.

Reflecting on those moments and feelings from the whole last year brings back maybe the most important thing I took from the whole experience - a reminder of the childlike state of mind where everything is new and full of possibilities, but on the other hand you feel completely lost and have to learn everything from the beginning. Communicating, getting around, going to the supermarket, figuring out the bus schedule… everything that I used to do on autopilot required an insane amount of energy, preparation and focus and caused a lot of frustration. Nothing made sense but at the same time everything did - because once I conquered the practicalities, there was a whole new world to explore and get to know, just like if I were a child seeing the world for the first time.

O testemunho da Nives

Olá! Sou a Nives e já é o septimo mês que estou aqui em Lisboa. Quer dizer que já ultrapassai a metade do meu projeto SVE. Algumas coisas mudaram desde que escrivei o meu primeiro testemunho. Em primeiro lugar, mudai de casa. Tive sorte de encontrar um quarto na casa do meu mentor. Vivo agora com ele e uma outra voluntaria de SPIN, a Elisabetta. Antes vivia lá também um rapaz brasileiro que me ajudou muito com o português (obrigada!). Durante o tempo passado juntos, construímos uma tradição em casa que é partilhar um jantar pelo menos cada mês, trocando cada vez de cozinheiro.

No meu trabalho estou contente em ter desenvolvido alguns pequenos projetos pessoais. Um é um tandem linguístico de português e italiano com um rapaz paraplégico de Cabo Verde. O outro é uma espécie de suporte psicológico a uma rapariga com paralisia cerebral. 


Esta última é uma coisa em que aposto muito, pois me permite de me reunir com a minha formação e de desenvolver novas competências na minha área profissional. Fez-me redescobrir o amor para a prática clinica, o que é muito engraçado, pois era a coisa que tentava fugir ao momento em que decidi de vir cá. Agora sinto de ter uma nova e mais forte motivação para prosseguir no meu caminho. Colaboro, também, com algumas atividades da Associação, como o projeto do Livro dos 15 anos para celebrar o 15º aniversário da Associação. Estou também envolvida na Ação Qualidade de Vida, um projeto que atribui apoios a pessoas com deficiência motora, que encheu completamente os últimos três meses e que me permitiu conhecer histórias de vida de pessoas que dificilmente encontramos na vida diária.

Só faltam 5/6 meses ao fim da minha experiencia aqui, as vezes parecem muitos, as vezes muitos poucos, e ainda falta muito para descobrir! Já fui aos Açores e fiquei apaixonada, queria ficar lá a vida toda, nunca tive em termas naturais deste género, nem vi paisagens assim, a gente simples e disponível. Já recebi alguns dos meus melhores amigos aqui e passear por Lisboa junto com eles foi uma outra coisa. Vou tentar aproveitar ao máximo dos próximos meses para descobrir ainda este País lindo e fazer quantas mais experiencias. Viva Lisboa :)

O testemunho da Romea

Ola I’m Romea from Croatia. I arrived in this wonderful city 1. March 2018 to start my EVS journey. It has been only a month, many things happened already, and I cannot wait for more. The first thing after the airport was going to my new apartment and I was amazed with the view from my room facing Neptune on Largo de D. Estefânia.

The day I arrived, it was raining in Lisbon, and it didn’t stop the whole month which is the only thing I would change because I miss the sun and warmer weather, but the summer is at the door so beach days will be here soon.

First day in Spin was lovely, all the other new volunteers and me were welcomed and surprised with lunch and it was delicious. After that Ines told us everything about Spins work and we got to know Spin and the hostel better. First official day at work was full of cooking throughout all the week because we had to prepare everything for Spin’s 10. Birthday party. We prepared many delicious meals and the party was full of good food, nice people and great atmosphere. 

Furthermore, all the days after at the office continued to be the same, full of good food, nice people and great atmosphere. I am enjoying every second since I arrived and all the things Lisbon has to offer, new interesting people, food, music, art…and looking forward to see and experience much more and explore all the wonders and adventures Portugal has. Except for that, I hope also to get to know people around me better, the language, but also to get to know myself better.

O testemunho do José

“Quem não viu Lisboa, não viu coisa boa”, diz um postal que está na parede da cozinha da minha casa. Certamente, o provérbio faz justiça a uma cidade pela qual ficarei ligado para sempre. 

A minha aventura na margem do rio Tejo está na reta final. Ainda que parece que escrevi ontem o meu primeiro testemunho. Talvez, ainda possa cair nas minhas mãos un livro usado pelos anos, mágico, doado por um vizinho idoso de Carnide, com um feitiço para parar os ponteiros dos relógios, e assim prolongar um pouco mais o meu voluntariado... Mas, mesmo que tenha saído de Espanha de comboio, não estou a fazer um estágio em Hogwarts... 

Na minha organização de acolhida, a Boutique da Cultura, há gente extraordinária. Cada pessoa contribui com a sua criatividade e disponibilidade para dinamizar o seu bairro.

Desde o mês de Janeiro, o ritmo de trabalho foi muito intenso para que o projeto da Livraria Solidária de Carnide fosse uma realidade duradoura e ao serviço da comunidade. Definitivamente, um novo polo de cultura e de integração comunitária.

Nós, os voluntários europeus sentimo-nos parte de uma grande equipa, com responsabilidades e com apoio para propor e desenvolver projetos próprios. É um ambiente idôneo para crescermos como pessoas, aprender, criar, assim como refletir sobre o que queremos fazer no futuro.

Entre sacos e sacos de livros, há tempo para desfrutar da cidade, assim como para conhecer gente de tudo o mundo. Mas o mais importante são as pessoas com quem convivo dia-a-dia e acompanham-me. Raparigas e rapazes que estou a estimar muito... Voluntários como a Natália, o Jacopo, a Nadia, o Sebastian... Além de outras boas pessoas que não cito pois seria uma longa lista. 

Por último, receber amigos da minha cidade, Elche, foi uma alegria. No mês de Fevereiro, gostei de mostrar Lisboa ao meu melhor amigo, quem ficou maravilhado com a cidade. E desde Março, tenho como vizinha a Renata, que chegou como voluntária.

José Carlos.

O testemunho da Cristina

Oi! O meu nome é Cristina e enquanto escrevo este testemunho estou a pensar que levo já 6 meses em Lisboa a fazer voluntário, e isso me assusta porque a vida passa muito rapidamente neste tipo de projecto, só tenho mais 3 meses e não quero que acabe.
Neste tempo eu aprendi muito sobre mim e sobre o projeto que estou a fazer, eu conheci pessoas ótimas e algumas um pouco menos, mas quando eu faça um balanço, tenho claro que as coisas boas vão pesar mais.

Quando eu estava a pensar em fazer um projeto de SVE, não tinha certeza do que tudo isso seria, e sempre há dúvidas e medos sobre se estarás sozinho, se encaixaras com pessoas de outros países, se tu te adaptar à cultura do país onde o voluntariado acontecerá.,se o seu trabalho na associação vai gostar e mais um milhão etc ... mas quando eu chegar aqui, nada a ver com tudo o que eu tinha pensado, é realmente muito bem organizado, você tem uma associação de coordenação que ajuda te e apóia  durante todo o voluntário, você tem um mentor que ajuda te a se integrar na cultura local e você tem um trabalho no qual as pessoas se importam consigo, ajuda você nas dificuldades e faz você crescer como pessoa. Pessoalmente neste voluntariado estou enfrentando muitas coisas que pensei que não seria capaz de fazer, estou satisfeita com o trabalho que faço, estou avançando com a língua portuguesa e estou a fazer muitos amigos.

Atualmente eu não teria nada de mau a dizer sobre o projeto, estou muito feliz e pretendo aproveitar os 3 meses que me resta ao máximo, e quem sabe se posso ficar nesta cidade que tantas alegrias e bons momentos estão me dando.

O testemunho da Elisabetta

“Ready to go” or “Immediate departure”: these are two of the potential sentences you can read on the description of the SVE projects. Personally, I believe they are also representatives of states of mind.

I was at a standoff in my life: I was done with the Master Degree, I got my Professional Habilitation after one year of internship and an exam of three months. I found myself unemployed for months and living in a city where I wasn’t feeling at home.

I applied to different projects during those months, but none of them as coherent to my field of studies as this one for which I am here now. Psycological, pedagogical and educational activities with children, as well as community activities with other partner associations, entities, institutions etc.

The welcoming from behalf of SPIN, the coordinating association, has been essential, even while I was still in my home country. In fact, they even found an accomodation for me, so that I didn’t even have to search for it. I feel very encouraged by the fact that other volunteers work in the association, but also in my receiving organization I feel like in a family, considering that all my collegues are older women (in the picture, cakes that a collegue baked for Easter lunch in the crèche).

Another factor that gives me security is the community integration and wellbeing promotion that are developed in the neighborhood in which these associations are. In the picture, one of the hundreds streetart works of the neighborhood. Thanks to these artists, between many other actors, the social houses were made beautiful and well-finished.

On my arrival, togheter with other voluteeres, we have been guided in a visit through the neighborhood. Beside it, it has been very interesting another guided visit, held by the president of the receiving institution. She showed us some blind sides, weaknesses, lacks and still developing projects in the area, such as the improving of living conditions inside the social houses and the relationships between different ethnies.

Spin is one of those associations who, bringing volunteers from all over Europe to such a periferical social houses quarter, thinks globally and acts locally. I had the chance to partecipate in the 10th anniversary of SPIN and other two parties with the others volunteers. This allowed me to feel part of something, beside having fun, of course!

Beyond the Easter lunch, we had a birthday party and the father’s day party in the crèche. I took part in a education workshop for parents and, as march was the month of the book, in a reading activity with partner associations.

Last, but not least, last week I started, together with the president of the receiving association and others partner associations, a training course about peace.

So much happened in my first month! I can’t wait for more!

Elisabetta