O Testemunho da Marina No. 3 (Bola P'ra Frente)

Here I am writing the last testimony. It seems it was not long ago that I arrived for the first time to Lisbon. Time just flies!

I must say that these last months have been intense for me, especially in the sense of reflection. Reflections on what I want, on what I like, and on what I want to do in the near future. I have also had time to realise about my personal and professional strengths and weaknesses.

 Even if there have been some hard moments at a personal level, I also think these have also been some of the most enriching ones for my personal and professional growth. I will try to apply these learnings in my life from now on.

It has also been a period of mixed feelings. On the one hand, I am happy to have achieved some of the objectives that I set before starting this project such as intercultural awareness and self-awareness. On the other hand, I have also been reflecting on the objectives I could not reach during these months and try to understand why this has happened. Nevertheless, I suppose this is part of the journey and the learning process.

During this last month, I have been feeling a bit melancholic since I see and feel that the end of this chapter is coming. I am having a kind of mixed feelings in between happiness to go back home and be with the people I love, and sadness for leaving Lisbon, all the people I met here and all the adventures we have lived during this last year. Some days I find it hard to deal with these intense feelings.

What I do not have any doubts about is that it has been a year full of experiences, some good, some not that good, but all of them very enriching. Despite all, if I had the chance to go back in time, I would have chosen it again.

I would like to end this chapter saying thank you to all the people that have crossed my path during these months, thank you to Spin and Bola P’ra Frente for the support and the opportunity, and especially to the people with whom I shared many experiences, which I will never forget. This great experience of volunteering will always remain at my heart and memories.

O testemunho do Tavi No. 2 (Associação Spin)

Writing the testimony is a perfect way to reflect about what I done in those past 5 months in Lisbon.  If you aksed me 5 months ago what I would be doing now, I could have never guessed.  

My main duty at Spin has been video editing and making promotional material. Because of this I got to take part in so many random activities. I never really know my tasks will take me. I got to film birds in the delta with the SPEA volunteers, a neighborhood tour with Erasmus students, highschool presentations on the other side of the river and much more.

Filming has never really been my passion but I got to do so much of it, I kind of enjoy it now.

This whole time spent in Lisbon has been a great chance for me to try out all the things I’ve always wanted but never got the chance todo. I got to do grafitti in abandoned places, do open mic stand-up and I also got to play in improvisation theatre. This may sound cliche but living in Llisbon has really opened a billion doors for me.

The things that matter the most though are the friends that I’ve met here. I was lucky enough to find some people I really got along with. The times I will remember most are all the time spent together going to events, hikes, bars, traveling and just talking about random stupid things.

Writing this makes me feel really grateful for this chance that I have. It also makes me realise that time goes by too fast. Half of my ESC has passed by and there is still so many things I wanna do!

O testemunho da Agnes No. 3 (Associação Spin)

To those who are not familiar with my previous publishings on this page: I am Agnes, 26, from Estonia and I have lived in Lisbon for 11 months now.  

This experience has been my first time living abroad. For the first time in my life I have spent such a long time existing on a different background, it has greatly helped me to better understand what is me and what are the conditionings of my surroundings. There have been many reasons forcing me to learn during my stay.

First and foremost due to the fact that I have been sharing a flat with 7 people. It takes some work. To understand each other, to find the balance with personal space and creating a family, to understand when to use your energy for others and when to focus on yourself. Creating a home with 7 people who have a different idea of what home itself is is a journey itself. Luckily mine was a rewarding one.

                                                               HOME 2019

Then there is my project, my initial reason for coming to Lisbon for a year, voluntary work in Spin association. I would again mention how glad I was to be able to help implement the training course ‘’From crisis to chance’’ . I loved spending this time with the people from around the world who dedicate their lives to helping people who have had rough experiences to not get stuck in them. We all go trough deep puddles in our lives, it’s important to come out of them and to support each other in that. 

I also managed to create some recipes for a food bank.

And thank you Lisbon for being so multifaceted! For the 10th generation Alfacinhas, for the people from Mozambique, for the ones from Brazil, Venezuela and everywhere else in the world who have come here for longer or shorter time. For all who I met! I hope the ones who came here to find luck will do so and the ones who want to go home can, in peace. Thanks Lisbon for being so traditional and stubborn and so fluid and liberal at the same time, for keeping me guessing. For having almost no rules and leaving so much room for humanly mistakes. For teaching me all the patience in the world to wait in lines. For the 300 days of sun I never had in a year. 

Thank you Portugal for the stunning coastline and big waves, for having the nature for me to explore! 

Now I feel that I am ready to go back home. 

Appreciating what I will leave here and what is waiting for me at home.

Beijnhos! 

O testemunho da Anna No. 3 (Junta de Freguesia de Lumiar)

Sitting in a sunny classroom in CAF, getting ready to write my final testimony and all of a sudden I get this melancholic feeling. I realise that it is soon time to say goodbye to my children, my colleagues, and my friends. There have been several memorable moments during my project but I am becoming aware that there is much that I have taken for granted. Like how comfortable I have become at my workplace, how close I’ve become with my colleagues and my friends and how integrated I am to the local community. Also all the places I’ve been able to discover in and around Lisbon. Well, Portuguese language is still a problem and during these 10 months I didn’t really learn to speak it, but I feel that I understand much more than I used to and I am hopefully going to continue learning it. 

Past months at work have been quite similar to how they’ve always been. In autumn I launched my English language activity and I feel that the children have been enjoying it. I participated in the Christmas play and I am also working on a board game – in short it is an environmental version of Monopoly.  One of the main things I’ve learned during my project is how much “in the zone” I feel when I am creating something. Creativity is definitely a thing I want to further develop once the project is over.

“Green Lisbon” – the goal of the game is to get rich by going green.

At times when ESC allowance isn’t enough you gotta make your own money

My acting debut in the CAF Christmas play. My part was to help decorate the “tree of trash”

A glimpse to my career as an English teacher

In addition to my work, I’ll be missing my friends, who have become my family for these 10 months. I hope that I’ve found friends for life and that we’ll see each other again soon.  

One of the many great days with my family

I didn’t really believe I could befriend another Estonian here, but look at us now, Agnes.

All in all, I am very glad I decided to take this opportunity and do my ESC in Portugal despite some of the hesitations and difficulties I have had. I guess I will understand the true value of the project and what I’ve gained from it once it’s over and I find myself in some other reality.  Special thanks to all the great people I’ve had the chance to meet during these 10 months.

With love,

Anna

Para ser grande, sê inteiro: nada

Teu exagera ou exclui.

Sê todo em cada coisa. Põe quanto és

No mínimo que fazes.

Assim em cada lago a lua toda

Brilha, porque alta vive.

- Fernando Pessoa, 1933

O testemunho da Irene No. 3 (Associação Salvador)

É difícil esta tarefa, mas vou tentar descrever o meu último testemunho sobre esta experiencia incrível em Lisboa!

Não quero ser dramática nem triste por deixar Lisboa e as suas colinas, a minha casa, os meus amigos.

Para mim, Lisboa representa um lugar de crescimento onde aprendi a lidar com pessoas diferentes, em todos os sentidos. Isso foi possível graças à Associação Salvador.

A Associação ensinou-me muita coisa, mas a que mais me enche o coração foi ter percebido que efetivamente, atrás de uma cadeira de rodas há uma pessoa exatamente igual a mim e a ti. Percebi que essas pessoas não precisam nem querem ser tratadas como “coitadinhas”. Que querem uma sociedade justa, mas sobretudo igualitária nos direitos e nos deveres.  

Aqui também me foi dada a oportunidade de viajar muito e conhecer melhor Portugal, e digo-vos, tem muitos tesouros por descobrir, desde os Açores ao Algarve, a passar pelo Porto e por tantas outras cidades!

Tenho a certeza que a Associação vai continuar a crescer e que sempre que volte a Lisboa, vão ter os braços abertos para me receber.

 Lisboa deu-me amigos com os quais viajei, partilhei historias, risos e lagrimas. Foram um grande suporte durante este ano e acho que, apesar de não os ver todos os dias, vou continuar a manter contacto. Prometemos continuar a angariar muitas mais histórias juntos!

 Enfim, Lisboa deixou-me um coração cheio de emoções e tenho certeza que um dia vou voltar, se calhar por muito mais tempo, quem sabe?!

Por isso é só um até já Lisboa. Obrigada por tudo!

O testemunho da Valentina No. 1 (Viver Telheiras)

The first two months into my Lisbon and ESC experience have brought a lot change to my life. I have left my very demanding and deadline-oriented job in a multinational in my home country not too long before starting my volunteering year in Portugal. The work pace changed, and the tasks have varied. After getting to know the organisation I'm volunteering at and its strong connection to the neighbourhood I work in, I started taking part in permaculture/urban agriculture workshops with children from the schools around, art workshops at the community centre, held a number of meetings in Portuguese about future projects and have helped organise our working space for various events. 

The experience also came with a new living arrangement which brought me a new roommate and a number of hostel, and later, flat mates, who became my meal cooking supervisors, flea market companions and travel buddies. Similarly, the on arrival training for volunteers at the start of their projects connected me with other friends to keep in touch with and visit.

It's a challenge which undoubtedly will take you out of your confort zone and make you face obstacles for which otherwise you wouldn't have prepared. I remember feeling the frustration of not speaking the language at the level I wanted to (still do), and how much of an impediment it brings to daily life; likewise, navigating a new health system with all its bureaucracy whilst in unfortunate circumstances reinforces how much of a privilege familiarity and citizenship status are.

Lastly, even away from friends and family, I oftentimes felt incredibly grateful for the opportunity I've been given. I've felt inspired by and enjoyed my work, I went on hikes/trips with people who shared my joy for nature, I've joined some groups which work for the same causes I would support at home, participated in manifestations, and have queued up my reading list, which I plan to go through with my library card. 

O testemunho da Ana (Associacao Spin)

Este período tenha sido muito especial para mim. Eu morava na cidade que eu amo,

conheci muitas pessoas incríveis com suas próprias histórias interessantes e muitas delas se tornaram muito queridas para mim. Eu aprendi muito sobre outras culturas e também sobre a minha.

Sempre fiquei feliz em cozinhar para outros voluntários e sou grato por ter tido a oportunidade de compartilhar uma parte da minha própria cultura com outras pessoas.

Fiquei feliz em compartilhar meu tempo como voluntário, porque acho que essa é a coisa mais valiosa que podemos dar aos outros. Aprendi muito com o meu trabalho e adquiri algumas novas habilidades. Também consegui viajar muito no meu tempo livre, então visitei muitos lugares em Portugal, mas também visitei a Croácia, a Polônia e a Espanha. Este foi realmente um ano cumprido para mim e guardarei lembranças para sempre. 

Obrigada e beijinhos a todos!