O testemunho final da Elena (Junta de Fregusia do Lumiar)

 

It would be difficult to separate these three months of ESC volunteer from my stay in lisbon. This much- loved city has in fact hosted me for more than a year now , gifting me one of the most vivid and rich periods of my life. I came here as part of an italian civil service project, working in an organizations that supports the integration of migrants and people with addictions. I felt right away part of this dynamic and multi-faceted city, and was able to become friend with locals and people from different backgrounds.

In fact, I consider myself a very outgoing, curious person . It is very easy to maintain social relationships in this city because sometimes it seems more like a village, where you can meet familiar faces on the street or in the many social centers of the city.

Being politically very active, I immediately took part in diverse social movements alive in the city. Supporting various anti-fascist collectives and taking part in a percussions group. I was playing a big drum during the protests that often take place in the city center, supporting causes such as the liberation of Palestine , housing rights or the climate struggle. In addition to my work and later ESC volunteering, I have participated in` parallel volunteering actions in different neighborhoods, gaining a very broad human and territorial knowledge. Understanding better the multiple aspects and dynamics that compose this city.

During this past year I have managed to give continuity to some long-standing passions, such as rock climbing (the surroundings of lisbon offer many opportunities for outdoor climbing ), painting (Joining a live drawing group) and theater ( participating in an improvisation theater workshop in my neighborhood). At the same time I discovered new passions and hobbies, such as playing drums and practicing bio dance. As a lifelong lover of music and festivals, Portugal is the ideal country for discovering new artists and traditional dances. In fact, I have had the opportunity to attend countless cultural and musical events, all over the territory, enriching me immensely.

Of course, my experience would not be the same without the people who have accompanied me and been close to me. I feel very lucky and grateful for these encounters and friendships that i hope to carry with me for a long time to come. All these elements made sure that at the end of my community service I wasn't ready to leave Portugal, and was lucky enough to be accepted to participate in an ESC volunteer project with Spin organization, based in Lisbon. I was active as a volunteer for three months in an after school program in the Lumiar neighborhood. I was volunteering in two after school programs , accompanying the work of educators in classes of 30 children.

Right away I was integrated into the team, and the educators explained how to best interact with the kids. In fact, many children have special needs * mental and physical, and various types of disabilities. I must say that it was the first time for me to work with children with disabilities and at first it was not easy to understand how I could be helpful and interact with those kids. It was a challenge also because of the large number of children and the energy used to organize various activities ( sports, painting, theater..et) every day.

After a few weeks I got used to the rhythm , also thanks to the help of the other educators who always accompanied me and spurred me to organize activities. The days passed quickly as each day is different from the other and there are never empty moments. The children are from 9 to 11 years old, they are very curious and energetic and always invited me to participate in their games. The fact that I speak Portuguese definitely was a big plus, and talking to the children surely added a lot of vocabulary.

In general I belive that this volunteering has made me a more patient and proactive person . Initially i was supposed to do 8 months of volunteering, and I only did 3 months because I got a job offer that i didn't want to give up. I am very thankful that I had the chance to participate in this ESC volunteering and I would always recommend to take part in this kind of projects.

O testemunho no. 1 da Nayera (SPEAK)

So I’ve been here for almost 3 months already, and it feels like it’s been only a couple of weeks. I guess as they say “good times fly by”. 

I don't want to be like every other person that just says cliches like “I fell in love with the city” but I absolutely did. One of the very first things that I noticed about this city was the music. Everywhere you go at almost any given time there’s music, even when it’s quiet Lisbon still has its own tune. 

I wouldn’t call myself an extrovert but I couldn’t help but dance all around this city. I’ve already met amazing people since I came here, especially my flatmates from Casa Anjos, it wouldn't be a good weekend if it wasn’t for them. I’m excited everyday for what this experience brings me.

O testemunho final do Mattia (Spin)

The first thing I noticed about Lisbon was the planes. When you look up at the sky you see planes coming and going every few minutes thanks to the airport being located in the city, unlike many other European capitals. A plane brought me here almost a year ago, almost by luck and chance. Lisbon and Portugal were never in my plans honestly. I had already been living abroad and the only thing I knew for certain is that I wanted another experience living in another country. 

Lisbon and Spin came very unexpectedly, and I had almost no time to think over on my decision. Now, a year later, I’m grateful that my doubts didn’t get the best of me. 
It was a long and eventful year, It started by going to the beach on my first weekend and it ended on a miradouro with some fireworks, watching a view that now feels like home. 

I admit that during my first weeks in Lisbon, I felt like something was missing, and the city didn’t capture me as much as other cities I’ve previously visited. But then, after a while, the azulejos, the hills, and the amazing views all became too alluring for me to not cave in and to fall in love with a city that has so much to offer, culturally and socially. A year later, I had so many great experiences in this city, I discovered new passions and I met so many amazing people that contributed to making this year so special. 

A special thanks go to all my flatmates in Casa Anjos, the ones who helped me settle in at the beginning (seriously, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of flatmates and friends) and the ones who arrived at the end of my journey, It was fun to see how much different my knowledge of Lisbon and of the people here was compared to one year ago, I hoped to have helped the newcomers to settle in the best possible way. 

But the purpose of my stay in Lisbon was to work in the office of Spin: everyone immediately welcomed me with open arms, and from the beginning, I was assigned tasks that kept me occupied and busy. Although the last months were more relaxed (and I wished I’d been more proactive in asking for more to do) I still had overall a wonderful time and I’ll always cherish the memories I made, the trip to Marseille with other volunteers is for sure a highlight of this project.

Working at Spin gave me the chance to get to know myself better, and to have a taste of what it’s like to work in a multicultural office. I had many tasks over the year, and although I wish I could have done more in some areas and learned better how to work in an NGO world, I’m still proud of what I’ve accomplished and the things I’ve learned. 

I cherish all the youth exchanges, training courses, and the “Live it Lisbon” projects in the summer, long hours, exhausting at times, but always entertaining, especially thanks to my fellow volunteers who were there to help me every step of the way.

And now I’d like to thank all the volunteers that I work with: every one of you made my day better at the office and I love spending time with all of you. In particular, I want to say thank you to my friend Vedran, with whom we shared not just an office, but also a house for a year: you are an amazing friend and coworker, and I’m so grateful that I’ve got to work with you and I was able to learn many things about content creation and the NGO world. 

Volunteering and this project taught me many things, and I’m now looking forward to what’s next, I know that whatever comes, I’ll be able to rise to the challenge and experience another chapter of my life with a positive mindset.

Até logo Lisboa,

Mattia

O testemunho final do Riccardo (Bola p’ra Frente)

These are my last days in Lisbon, I have to write some words about my experience here and I thought it was a good idea to go in a very sentimental place to do it. Now I just want to cry cause the nostalgic feeling is hitting too hard and it’s super difficult to write with blurred eyes.

I’m in Jardim do Rio, Almada, in the margem sul. I decided to come here because from this point it’s possible to see all Lisbon from west to east, that is from the Belém tower to a massive cruise ship docked in front of Alfama, the most historical area of the city. The sunset from this spot is stunning, in this moment the pinky clouds are reflecting on the Tejo River and I am completely immersed in this pinky atmosphere linking the sky to the river. wished to have amazing photography skills to frame this picture, but I tried and from my phone you can barely recognise Lisbon. I got distracted by the view, I was saying that I decided to come here because from this place it’s possible to see all the city from the outside, exactly like I’m watching my almost one year in Lisbon now.

I don’t think I can summarise my eleven months here, so I will just write at what point I am right now pretending you know exactly what I’m talking about.

I did the volunteer activities for the Associação Nacional Futebol de Rua, I have spent my energy for the kids of the association and I tried to use my time in there for them. Probably I could have done more for the association’s activities, I didn’t have a lot of sense of initiative in proposing new activities, but I’m happy that I managed to connect and stay close to many kids there, I cared a lot about them and I think in the ANFR everyone noticed this. I’m bringing back home a t-shirt signed by every kid of the association and with the t-shirt a lot of other things. I’m bringing back the constancy of Mafalda, who is always in the association with a great attitude. The honesty and bravery of Anderson in expressing himself. The cuteness and sympathy of Jorge, Bryan and Erika. The empathy of João and Gustavo, always looking for the lasts. The individual evolution of Telmo during the year. The curiosity of Lara and Rodrigo. The discipline of Erika. The younger brother's relationship with Emanuel, and a lot of other things.
It’s the first time for me to enter in the life of a different community and I like to think I am leaving, at least in part, as one of them.

Being a volunteer though is not something that applies just to the activities of the association. I spent one year (almost) living a communitarian life, living with less, sharing all my time and space with someone. I had to consider for all this time the cheapest solutions and soon I found myself very comfortable in the cheap world. A lot of things were not necessary anymore and my drive easily shifted to the essential. Lisbon for sure helped me in this process, it seems the perfect city for this and it’s very easy to find people with the same mindset.

I met people who drastically changed my life’s prospects, people who are not driven by crazy ambitious career dreams but just by the simple idea of experiencing life.

Now the sky is dark and the nostalgic feeling is not the only thing hitting hard since it’s getting very windy, it is difficult to write a conclusion because I was too optimistic not wearing a jacket and my hands are freezing. I am going to enjoy my last days in Lisbon totally aware that they will not be my real last ones. I will come back soon, the connections here are too strong. I am sure I will write a proper conclusion next time.

O testemunho No. 1 do Nacho (SPEA)

Although I arrived in Lisbon three months ago, it still feels like I just got here.

The day I arrived, I felt very sad. I've lived away from home for many years, but never outside of Spain, far from my family and friends, without a strong support system nearby (even though Portugal is very close to Spain). Because of this, the first few weeks were tough. But as I started to adapt to this new city and my new life (and as they adapted to me), I realized the incredible opportunity I had in front of me.

I’m doing my volunteer work at SPEA (Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves). Within my professional field, it’s an absolute privilege to work here for a year. Any ornithologist would be thrilled to have this opportunity. Honestly, this job has been my greatest motivation throughout this new experience. Because of everything I learn every day and everything I know I still have to learn, I feel incredibly lucky to work in something I’m so passionate about. Bird conservation involves many different tasks, like fieldwork, environmental education, or office work. I enjoy every single one of them.

Beyond my work, I’m experiencing many new things socially. Building a circle of trust from scratch was very challenging at first. But soon enough, I met amazing people, and I’ve never been more open to new experiences than I am now. I feel like the best is yet to come.

O testemunho final da Elena (Crescer a Cores)

 Better late than never.

The original version of this story is missing—at least it hasn’t been published yet—but it’s carefully guarded in a folder on my old PC. In this version, I’ll try to be more restrained, less emotional, and focus on unraveling all the tangled memories.

One year. Twelve months in Lisbon.

The longest stretch I’ve been away from home. At first, it was tough, I won’t deny that. But now, it feels like it was meant to be. Like a character from one of those romantic movies, I write while walking in the rain. Damn Lisbon in October. I write and walk, without using the navigator. I must have walked this street a hundred times, back and forth, from home to Graça, from my bed to the Botequim.

I’m walking now near Desgraça, the first social center I discovered here—raw, gritty, alive. Lisbon is full of these spaces, where ideas are traded over a one-euro beer. It’s still raining. I never bought an umbrella, even though winters here can be relentless. “It’s always raining,” they say, and this time, they’re right.

To my left is the cheapest Nepali restaurant in town, Sabor do Nepal. Inside, three Ikea paintings still hang, unwrapped, as if waiting for something. One is a terrifying clown. The walls are painted in loud reds and blues. It was my first Nepali meal in Lisbon. This city is full of places to eat—at a Tasca early in the month, or at an Indian or Thai spot when money runs low… And halal kebabs in Intendente at 4 a.m., all month long.

The 28E eléctrico rattles by, almost soaking me. It’s packed with tourists, even now, in this weather, at this hour. Tourists are always around, and once, I was one of them. But that feeling has faded; for months now, I haven’t identified as a tourist. My parents, my friends, everyone who’s visited—they were tourists, though. I became their guide, showing them around, discovering something new with each group, each time a little amazed, and each time feeling a small pang of regret because the last visitors “missed this.”

I’ve traveled plenty, driving across southern Portugal, exploring those stretches untouched by mass tourism. I woke up to the wild beaches of the Costa Vicentina. I love that place, and the thought of going back one day stays with me, like a promise.

The rain is pouring now, a full storm. I stop under an awning, waiting it out. Next to me, two guys are speaking German, eating ice cream. Lisbon is such a melting pot of lives, people, and cultures. From the young ones chasing their dreams to the elderly Portuguese men who have lived here all their lives. The old men in hats, jackets, and with canes—they’re my favorites on the 747 bus that takes me to work every morning.

Starting work in a new place, not knowing the language, was hard. It was my first time in a school. Just weeks before the end of my project, I realized how far I’d come. Could I have done things differently? Certainly. The early months were difficult; not being able to communicate forced me to live mechanically. Every day felt the same—going out, heading to the Padre Cruz neighborhood, entering Crescer a Cores, doing my tasks: helping, cleaning, playing with the children, helping them take care of themselves, and then cleaning again. It was mechanical, like factory work. Like Charlie Chaplin, lost in thought while chaos happens all around. I could have been bolder, sooner. But I’m glad I am now.

In these last few months, I’ve become more involved, more dynamic, eager to make the most of this opportunity. The responsibilities I’m given now are rewarding, though sometimes overwhelming. Still, I’m happy with what I do.

Lisbon isn’t a city just to be looked at—it’s a city to be lived. It can be so quiet in the winter months, but it bursts to life with summer’s arrival. June. The Santos Populares and endless nights in Graça and Mouraria.

The rain is easing up. It’s time to move on. In Largo da Graça, you can see the road leading up to Alfama. Damas is up there, one of the first places I went dancing. I’ve danced so much in Lisbon—more than anywhere else, with more intensity, for longer hours. I’ve danced to everything: funk, samba, Portuguese music, electronic beats, house, commercial tunes, even powerful rave music.

I turn the corner and arrive at the Miradouro de Graça. You live Lisbon in the streets, but it’s from up here, looking down, that you truly fall in love with it. The Miradouro da Senhora do Monte at night offers a breathtaking view: starting from the left, you see the Castelo de São Jorge, the Tejo, the lights across the river, the Ponte 25 de Abril, and Martim Moniz plaza. All so mismatched, yet so beautiful.

My friends are waiting for me now. There’s sure to be a liter of Vinho Verde and a tosta 3 queijos (that tastes only of garlic) ready for me. What a heavy combo. Tomorrow, I’ll need to wake up for work at Bairro Padre Cruz. Thankfully, one of my roommates will take on the task of waking me.

In many ways, my time in Lisbon can be summarized by this walk—from home to Graça, from my bed to the Botequim. The only street without steps.

Now, the rain falls only from the balconies above. I reach my group—volunteers, friends, lovers, and fellow travelers. My evening begins here.

I go.

Bye, baci stellari,

Ele

O testemunho no. 1 da Marta (SPIN)

I arrived in Lisbon a little over two months ago from Estonia. Although moving to the

other end of Europe can be intimidating and challenging at first, I haven’t regretted my
decision even for a second. 

I know that I chose the right path for myself and made a dream become reality. I love living in a new city where I can go and discover new places every day. I think Google Maps has become the most visited app on my phone because of that. Also, I like living near the sea. I think there’s something very calming about it.

I work at the Spin office and so far I have helped with different kinds of office work. We

also had a training course at the beginning of October, so I had a chance to help out
there as well.

I had a few days off in October and I had heard a lot of good things about Algarve, the

most southern region in Portugal. So, I thought, why not see it myself if it’s as amazing
as people say. I chose to go to a small beach town called Lagos and it truly was
stunning. The vibe, the nature, the beaches, that one Lidl I visited four times in those
three days because I was on a budget - all amazing.

Even though everything hasn’t gone exactly as expected, I still feel very grateful and

privileged to have this opportunity. As I have quite settled in now, I hope to experience
many more wonderful things here, meet amazing people and make these following
months unforgettable:)