Hello, I’m Chiara from Italy and I’m taking part of the European Solidarity Corps in Bilbao, Basque Country.

One year ago I was wondering what to do with my future, dealing with a lot of uncertainties, untill I found out about this amazing European Project. I was looking for something that could gave me the possibility to live abroad and collaborate within a field I like. Finnally, after weeks of research, I read the ad of what is currently my project, and I just knew I had to apply.  I can’t describe the happiness I felt when they called me back to tell me I was being selected !

I have always loved to work with kids and adolescents, having been a teacher in kindergarten and primary schools and a help-educator in a foster home. Therefore, I instantly fell for my project here, which is about non-formal education. In fact, I am volunteering in a centre for young people, teaching them english but also enjoying their spare time with workshops and cultural activities.

I came to Bilbao cherishing to help and teach, but honestly I feel like I am the one who is learning the most. I had the oppurtunity to relate with a diffent beautiful culture, to learn a new language, and last but not least to discover more about my self.

This was not my first time living abroad, but it is the first time I felt at home. All thanks to the wonderful people I met here and the office environment, that made this experience so easy to handle. I found a second family and this is priceless.

I think ESC is a really an incredible opportunity. It gives you the chance to go out of your confort zone but you’ll never feel alone during the process. Moreover, there are so many projects that you’ll find for sure at least one that suits you and will help you gaining experience in the área you like the most. My advice is to not waist your time and apply to European Solidarity Corps, you will spend a great time and enjoy every minute!

Updated on Friday, 16/06/2023

¡Kaixo! (Hello)

Today I will tell you about my ESC experience in Bilbao, in the Basque Country, a beautiful region in the north of Spain.

I left last September from Ferrara (Italy), my hometown. It was not the first time I had been on an international experience, but the excitement was very high. I would have the opportunity to meet many new people, make connections and work in an international context.

Actually, my expectations were not disappointed. My project is about young people. Every afternoon I work with centers where they come to spend their free time. These are all kinds of young people, with different social and family backgrounds. In our spaces they feel protected, they find people like us who try to help and guide them through the problems they face every day. We do many activities, play together, organise small workshops and excursions.

Another part of my volunteering is to promote European mobility opportunities in high schools. Sometimes I go to schools to talk about my experience and try to inspire and encourage youth to travel. With many of them, in fact, I realise that often the fear of novelty or uncertainty wins out over the desire to get involved and go. While it is more than understandable to feel like this, it is a shame because you might miss out on great opportunities.

Applying for this project was one of the best decisions of my life. The organisation I collaborate with here immediately supported me and helped me to feel at home in this beautiful city. I try to use my free time to travel around and get to know the region I am in and all of Spain better. My ESC experience is complete, I feel part of a well-structured project in which I feel valued.

Thanks to Bilbao, I got to know myself better, with my strengths and weaknesses, because as an old wise man used to say: “it is not people who make journeys, but journeys that make people”.

Updated on Friday, 16/06/2023

Hello everyone!

My name is Lejla Jerab, I am 16 years old and I am a student of the 1st High School in Osijek. I live in a town near Osijek, Tenji. I like hanging out with friends, creating new activities for us, and playing sports such as volleyball, basketball and running.

A little over a year ago, I started volunteering and that way I started to discover Osijek as a city and what activities it offers for young people. Then I went to different workshops and educations and I told myself that I need to take a little bigger step in my experiences, so I decided on a youth exchange in Pirovac, Croatia.

I participated in the Erasmus+ youth exchange "Digit Yourself", which took place in the Pirovac Training Center in the municipality of Pirovac, lasting 10 days from June 24. until 3.7.2022. , organized by the PRONI Center.

As part of this exchange, we participated in practical workshops where we learned about digital tools and how to use them effectively: Canva, Europass, motivation letter, online interview, video and photography.

I think it's okay to mention that before my first exchange I felt different fears. The main fear that prevailed was that I thought that I would not be able to communicate with the other participants because my knowledge of English is not the best, but it turned out to be the least problem because every day it got better and we used "both hands and with my feet", and my friends from Croatia were always kind enough to help me with translation and understanding. The second fear was that I had to leave for ten days from my family, friends and the environment that is familiar to me, but day by day it became easier. We started the day with breakfast at 8 a.m. and had an hour to get ready and prepare for the workshops that started a little after 9 a.m. Before the beginning of the workshops, we had energizer exercises that were very interesting and gave us a lot of energy to move on. Every day was a different topic and we always learned something new. There were morning and afternoon workshops with a coffee break and lunch. After the workshops at around 4 pm, we had discussions in groups where everyone gave a brief review of that day (how he experienced it) and wrote down his experiences and knowledge in the Erasmus diary, which eventually helped us write the Youthpass.

When we finished with the more structured part, we had our free time, which we often used to have fun on the beach, and in the evening we went to the city or gathered in the yard and played social games, but depending on the day, one country had a presentation (so-called intercultural evenings ) and after the presentation we tried specific food and got to know the traditional dances and music of each country.

We dedicated one whole day to a trip to the famous Croatian islands, Kornati, and we had great fun, saw beautiful nature and got to know each other even better and became closer.

I am motivated for further exchanges similar to this one and I hope that my next destination is somewhere outside of Croatia. I learned a lot from the other participants who are completely different from me, who are full of energy, and they passed it on to me, and it helped me develop myself. I would recommend all young people to take part in these kinds of activities, because I can say from my personal experience that this is the most beautiful experience I've had so far and I got to know myself even more. It's worth the risk, because in my case it turned out great because of the excellent organization by the PRONI center, who provided us with everything from food, transportation, accommodation, and last but not least, great entertainment (free of charge). From every activity like this, I believe that everyone can grow as a person. Of course, not everything is for everyone, but you should check to find out if it is right for you.

Lejla Jerab, Tenja

Updated on Wednesday, 07/06/2023

Volunteer Jana Matuško from Slavonski Brod took advantage of the opportunity for individual volunteering in Belgium, thanks to the European Solidarity Corps programme, and she received support to join the volunteering project from the PRONI Center for Social Teaching, as a "sending organization".

Below is Jana's story about the ESC experience that she wants to share with young people and encourage them to do the same!

"You want to live and work abroad, but you don't know where to start? ESC is the perfect opportunity for you!"

The acronym ESC stands for European Solidarity Corps.

What exactly is ESC?

Formerly known as European voluntary service, ESC is a program that allows you to live abroad under the auspices of the European Union. The projects differ in terms of topics, so you choose what interests you the most, work, live abroad and with very little of your own money. The EU covers pocket money, money for food and rent, and part of the travel expenses (within the approved budget).

My ESC started after the Erasmus student mobility, I lived for two different semesters in two different countries, in Poland and Lithuania. That was not enough for me, so my idea after graduation was to go to volunteer via ESC. The good side of ESC is that the only requirement is that you are between 18 and 30 years old and a citizen of the European Union, so unlike Erasmus, you don't have to be a student to be able to apply. After detailed research on Facebook pages and the European Youth Portal, I found a project in Ghent, Belgium, from where I am currently writing this article. The program was volunteering in a non-governmental organization, Kiwanis, which helps children all over the world. The work itself is office work, work in marketing and in various trainings that we prepare for other volunteers in our organization. The process of joining the organization consisted of 3 online interviews because a lot of people applied for the project, but I managed to get into the program and a week later I was on the plane. I've been living in Ghent for almost a year now, and my project is coming to an end soon. In this year, I managed to meet other ESC volunteers at two joint trainings organized by the National Agency in Belgium. Every project is different, so it was very nice to meet people who are in the same situation as me and to compare projects and conditions.

I learned a lot in this year, experienced Belgian culture, life in the West, traveled and had fun, and of course improved professionally. This year has flown by and the only thing I regret is that I can't stay longer. I sincerely recommend everyone to try ESC, you can learn a lot, both about work and about yourself as a person. Likewise, we really grow when we are in multinational environments. I know one thing, you won't regret it for sure."

Source: Jana Matuško

Do you want to give yourself a chance for life experience, are you between the ages of 18 and 30 and are you interested in individual volunteering, which is made possible under the European Solidarity Corps program?

Feel free to contact the PRONI Center at the address 204. Vukovar brigade no. 47., in Vukovar or call the number: 032 450 107 or write to volonterski-vukovar@proni.hr.

We provide, free of charge:

information about the ESC program

help with applying to the European Youth Portal

help with writing a CV and motivation letter (for applying to the desired volunteering program abroad)

continuous communication with the organization that will receive you as a HR volunteer

technical assistance regarding departure (finding adequate transport, etc.)

meeting/connecting with foreign volunteers who also use individual volunteering at the PRONI Center to exchange information and experience

answers to your questions and support throughout the process

We are here for you! Greetings from the PRONI Center!

Updated on Wednesday, 07/06/2023

Hello! I can describe myself as me, myself, and Ajš. I like to use this phrase because it represents my differences. I can evaluate every situation from different perspectives. In general, I try to show my interest in various ways.  I graduated in International Relations and the most important thing which I learned from my study field; be multidisciplinary! If you can learn how you collaborate your ideas and your abilities you can do everything you want. You should have no doubt that something good will come out of it, especially if they come from different areas and come together. I try to move like that.

I'm just a person who is trying to make the best use of my time, my youth, and this idea opens my horizons. If I had to choose three things to define me, I would choose photography, environmentalism, and gender equality.  I have a strange obsession with visuals and aesthetics, which causes me to see a different photographic frames everywhere. Besides that, questioning my life on the basis of environmentalism and gender equality makes what I do more meaningful for me.

I am deeply interested in analog photography because it has its own process.  You need to be careful before you take a picture, you need to know every detail of photography because it can be burned. Also, you can't see the result directly. You need to learn to wait, I think it made me aware of the process. When I learned to enjoy the process I learned how I can change my comfort zone. It helped me stop worrying about the result.

My ESC journey started like that, I wanted to expand my comfort zone. Combining this with volunteering, which is the best way I know how, and coming together with different cultures, which has always been a curiosity for me, this program was inevitable for me. When I came to Zabok, I felt peaceful. It was my first step to a new part of my life. It was a quiet town and the people were friendly. I came at Christmas time and it was my first Christmas. Zabok gave me a special welcome in every way. I must say that I am in love with the nature of this country!

When you come with this program, mostly you need to share your place with your roommate/s. That's not that hard for me. Cultural diversity, different backgrounds, and different perspectives are always instructive and developmental. We should be open to this. On the other hand, living with someone requires a sense of responsibility, which is as important as anything else.

About the work, It's really great for me to work with my organization. I feel comfortable at the office, especially with fresh coffee! My responsibility for digital creativity; includes design and social media management. Most of my time is spent coming up with ideas for the youth magazine I edit, finding new ways to involve different people, and creating an interactive space.

Having said that, I have to say that there are good things as well as challenging things. Every time I really share something with people in a completely different country is unforgettable for me. On the other hand, it is also difficult not to be able to fulfil some of the things we are used to and therefore expect because of cultural differences. Nevertheless, it is instructive and empowering to be aware of this.

All of this process learned me an important thing about myself: I can't run away from some realities. To tell the truth, I supposed like If I go somewhere else, like really different, I can run away some problems in my life. But It's not true. Sometimes you need to change, not your surroundings.

I could say to people who are interested being volunteering in a different country; If you can be aware of yourself, your situation and the country in which you will be volunteering everything will be better and you will have unforgettable moments!

Author: Aysenur Kursun

Updated on Wednesday, 07/06/2023

The solidarity project Turda Youth Council (CTT) was carried out by the Association for Social Mobility and Democratic Education between January 2022 and January 2023 in Turda municipality, Cluj county, Romania. Several workshops on topics such as Technology, Marketing, Finance and Human Resources took place, all aiming to increase the knowledge of the young participants and bring them one step closer to their future career.

"The Turda Youth Council project was great in so many ways. However, the coolest, from my point of view, was that for the first time someone actually asked me what I wanted an activity I was involved in to look like. It was a question that surprised me tremendously. I've always been used to just being told what an activity looks like and doing what tasks are asked of me. The fact that someone asked me what I wanted an activity to look like for me, that it gave me the opportunity to coordinate it and build it according to my own opinion, increased my self-confidence a lot. I hope that at some point every young person will have the chance to go through an experience like this. 

It's a whole different thing to practise your skills in a real context, it helps you see what your limits are and how you can push them. I also enjoyed getting involved in projects run by other young people. It was important to see my peers, who are my age, involved in something they are passionate about. They passed this energy on to me and pushed me to evolve." shared Cătălina, Human Resources Officer.

"Turda Youth Council was for me a dream come true. It was very hard for me to find a clear direction in my life from a professional point of view. I felt that everyone around me was giving me very generic advice such as 'Do what you like', 'See what you are good at' or 'See something for the future'. Eventually I found my way in life and I am very fulfilled with what I am doing. So fulfilled that I wanted to create the context for other young people to find their direction. This year I have had the opportunity to get involved in activities that have given young people the chance to experiment with programming, graphic design, fundraising, personal development, coordinating volunteer teams and more. 

Activity by activity, many of the young people involved had the opportunity to see whether or not they identified with a type of task in a very practical context, which helped them to clarify what they did and did not want to do with their lives. Moreover, they did all this with a very noble goal: to practice these skills in activities they coordinated for community development. 

I am glad that I could contribute to make these good things happen in Turda and the surrounding areas. We have a lot of great young people who need support and it's a phenomenal opportunity to be able to be part of that support." said Leonardo, Project Manager.

Updated on Thursday, 19/10/2023

Hi, I’m Yiannos and I’m from Cyprus. Currently, I’m a communication trainee at the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drugs Addiction. As someone who loves marketing, I enjoy dealing with data. In my opinion, writing is the form of an act that demonstrates your ability to illustrate data and create meaningful stories. This is what data journalism does, and that’s why it is one of my favourite forms of journalism. I am here to climb out of my comfort zone and enrich my content creation skills. 

Updated on Wednesday, 08/05/2024

I am a Croatian journalist with a Masters's degree in Political Science. Some of the experiences that shaped my career path have surely been the Robert Schuman traineeship in the media relations of the European Parliament, the Erasmus+ semester in Florence, Project Management in a Brussels-based NGO, and work in various media outlets. Lastly, receiving the Megalizzi-Niedzielski Prize from the European Commission remains the biggest incentive for me to contribute to quality journalism in the EU.

Updated on Wednesday, 08/05/2024

I’m a Portuguese young journalist and curious is my middle name. I’ve worked with all media formats (TV, radio, printed and online), covered almost every topic possible and moved to three different countries, so far. After writing for a youth magazine and founding a podcast, in North Macedonia, I took charge of a youth TV, in Denmark. Right now, I’m starting a freelancing career and I’m excited to continue to give voice to young Europeans through the European Youth Portal.

Updated on Wednesday, 08/05/2024

I am a young Spanish journalist and internationalist interested in human rights, gender, childhood, and social communication. I have experience in advocating the rights of women and girls with disabilities from an intersectional point of view, and thanks to my volunteering in Romania with the European Solidarity Corps, I have developed new skills related to youth participation. Moreover, I have had the opportunity to work and learn at the UN with the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in 2019 and 2022.

Updated on Wednesday, 08/05/2024