Maame Ekua Manful is a Ph.D. Student on the Up4health Project, a BBI JU-funded project at the Technological University Dublin, Ireland. Her role on the project is to conduct safety and legal assessments of novel and upcycled ingredients for pre-market authorization, as well as their green marketing. She obtained her master's in Food Science and Engineering at ISA Lille in France and holds a bachelor's degree in Food Science and Technology (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana).

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

I’m Sara Rizzotti, I’m 24 years old and I come from Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy. After my high school, I decided to attend university, and in the midst of the pandemic in 2020, I received my bachelor’s degree in public relations, which provided me with several inputs and skills, ranging from communication to marketing to languages.
After graduating, I decided to attend a postgraduate course in social media marketing: it was clear to me that this was the area that really caught my interest and in which I wanted to improve my skills.

After learning about the EURES TMS project, I began conducting some research. I wanted to learn more about the project and the opportunities and benefits provided. I contacted the EURES Advisers in my region (Friuli Venezia Giulia) and I attended a few sessions to learn more about the EURES TMS. After these meetings, I realized that this traineeship through EURES TMS was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Following the selection phase and interviews, and after being hired as a trainee, I immediately applied to get financial support for my relocation in Barcelona, which has been essential for leaving Italy and starting my digital marketing traineeship.

When I arrived at the workplace, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was not the only trainee, but that there were other profiles similar to mine. The company in which I did my traineeship was Spanish, but it was divided into different departments (Italian, French, and Spanish). There were several Italians, mostly trainees, in the department I was assigned to; some were there through the Erasmus programme, while others were through the EURES programme.
I immediately felt comfortable and found a supportive atmosphere, thanks to the fact that the office was full of young people from different cultures, and my company tutor, in charge of coordinating the trainees, was Italian. The work program was well structured, and as I gained experience I could rapidly move on to new tasks and responsibilities. 
Although there were many Italians in the office, I also tried to make the most of my experience to improve my Spanish. I had already studied Spanish before leaving, but of course it was crucial to practise the language!

It was certainly a dynamic, enriching, and growing experience. Work mobility is an opportunity that I really recommend to everyone, especially my peers. EURES TMS provides you with services and support which are not always easy to find elsewhere. 
Meeting people from all around Europe means expanding one’s cultural and personal experience in an international context.
I promised myself that if I did not find a job within a few months after my return, I would leave again for a new mobility experience. Eventually, thanks to the internship in Barcelona, I found a job to my great satisfaction.

I strongly believe the traineeship offered by EURES TMS has been a key element in my CV, and I can surely say all the knowledge acquired is still very useful to me.

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

Eliza has been a youth worker since 2018. She’s actively involved in European projects that provide opportunities for young people to travel, explore and get new experiences. She’s been involved in European projects such as Erasmus and others from the age of 18. As a youth worker and non-formal educator, she’s well placed to identify the needs of her community and to provide them with the relevant  information about EU opportunities available to them. 

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

Roser, born in Barcelona, is an architect and landscaper that truly loves nature and the environment. Roser wishes a society living respectfully with the nature dynamics, and understanding it. For Roser, dreaming means to visualise herself in the future.  

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

Day at university… I was sitting with my friends and we were drinking coffee. We talked about the articles we need to write, projects and of course, we joked. I got a message from my friend. He sent me an announcement from Mreža udruga Zagor. I remember that I was so happy and immediately asked him for more details.

After our conversation, my journey has begun. I sent my motivation letter and Europass CV. The next day I had an interview with Zagor. I was worried because I am from Turkey and I need a visa for Croatia. However, after the interview, Zagor chose me as one of the volunteers and we started the visa process. Of course, process for getting a visa was difficult but we managed to solve everything on time.

I took a break from my college; resigned from my jobs and came to Croatia. I can say that I do not regret it because I got a lot of experience that I could not get if I had stayed in Turkey.

When I first came in Zabok, it was hard for me because I did not have friends and I did not know what I could do in Zabok. On the second day after my arrival, I met my colleagues from the office and my mentor. They gave me some advice about Zabok. In addition, my mentor gave me a lot of information about transportation, supermarkets etc. Having a good mentor is an important because when volunteers come to another country they start a new life, and they live in a different culture and it is exciting and challenging. I was lucky because I had an understanding and helpful mentor.

When I came here, my life changed. I was living in Istanbul and Istanbul is a crowded city. Always I had to rush and walk fast. If I want to go to another district, at least I should spend 1-2 hours on the road. In addition, there were always some events in Istanbul. Life is slow in Zabok. I do not have to rush, walk fast. Because Zabok has only nine thousand people and there is not a lot of traffic and people are chill. There are fewer events than in Istanbul. When I came to Zabok, I realized that I still walked fast. However, after a few months, I also started to walk slowly and be more relaxed. Of course, sometimes I get bored. Nobody says that you will always have fun. When you apply for an ESC project, you should know that sometimes you would get bored, feel mad, and miss your old life. It is a normal process. If you were living with your parents, be ready to cook your food, clean your home and respect other people’s space. Sometimes you can feel alone. When I came here, it was difficult for me because I did not get used to staying at home. After a few months, I found close friends and started a deeper conversation with them. Nevertheless, I can say that if you live in a small city and you like to meet people, you should pay more attention to finding friends. I learned that sometimes I can feel alone, mad and tired but it taught me many things about myself.

The good thing is that I work here. I resigned from my old job but I started volunteering in the organization. People from the organization are kind, helpful and open-minded. I learned many things from them. Probably when I go to my own country and look afar, I will better understand what they have given me.

When I came here, I already had some projects in my mind. When I told my colleagues, they supported me and I started. My first project was creating the “Stories of ESC Volunteers” podcast channel. I talked with people who participated in the ESC project and I ask them questions about their ESC experiences. It was important for me because young people like me do not have a lot of knowledge about ESC. This is a good opportunity for living abroad, improving language skills etc. In this podcast, I asked what kind of problems they were faced, and what they recommend for those who want to apply for the ESC project. I learned many things from old volunteers. Sometimes when I had some problems, they gave me some advice about ESC life and sometimes we shared our amazing memories. One of my good memories, I interviewed Marija Ratkovic from Serbia with whom I had not met before.  I met her through zoom thanks to my mentor. I went to Serbia 3 months after the interview and I met Marija face to face. It was a great memory for me.

My other project is mla-dost.dobro magazine. I can say that this magazine is like my baby.

The decision to publish the magazine was easy but when I started to make plans for it, I realized that I have to spend a lot of time on creating a magazine. I was lucky because my mentor Marija Gebert is a graphic designer and she designed the magazine. We had our first meeting on 9 February and we talked about the magazine with young people. Moreover, we shared our first issue in April! I cannot explain my feelings at that time. We spend a lot of time but we succeed!

I wanted to do it because I wanted to meet the young people and create a free zone for young people. Also, I think the continuing of journalism on mla-dost.dobro can be an opportunity for the creative participation of young people. Young people can contact each other and they can write about their interests in this magazine.

I had some concerns before publishing. I did not know many young people and I was afraid that we would not be able to find articles. However, after a few months, we managed to reach local young people. Now I cannot believe that we already published five issues. I got a lot of good feedback, especially from local young people. We are still working on it and every day more and more people hear about the magazine.

I am still volunteering in Zabok. I know that I will experience many things. I will meet many people, talk with them and learn more. When I return to my country, I will have many memories to tell. Maybe years later, I will look at the magazine issues and the photos, congratulate myself for my courage, and be grateful for everything I have been through.

Thanks to everyone who has already come my way.

Evin Arslan

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

Madlen Sarkisian is from Sofia (Bulgaria). She’s a Software Engineer and Computer Science student with experience in the Information Technology field. Madlen has worked on her own software projects, such as a programmable brain-computer interface that uses electroencephalography (EEG) to detect brainwaves, a face mask detection system which detects, tracks and monitors people who don't wear face masks and a mobile application that tracks hydroponic gardens. She has taken part in many programming and entrepreneur hackathons, and even organised one programming hackathon herself with a team of professionals. She won several prizes and is proud to be a woman that is making a change in the IT industry.  

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

I see a lot of opportunities for the future. When we think upside down, we can solve more issues than we think. When we work with new and bright ideas and innovations and address issues differently a lot of things can happen. 

Ecoducts for humans instead of animals. Airplanes that suck electricity from the sky. People are not allowed to kill animals, only the weak once, like how it works in nature. Abandon plastic, and work with alternatives. Reward people instead of punishing them. Send love, also to insects.

Feeling

Hopeful

Influence

I believe everybody can be part of a positive change.
 

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

Overall, our civilization is in blooming; people start businesses, invent, start companies, and grow their money. But what about us, young people? The availability of housing is currently already extremely low. Everyone wants to have their own apartment or house, but how to get the money for it? A young person who has barely graduated does not have enough money for this. 
  
There are only 3 options. Take out a mortgage, which we must pay off for decades. Rent a flat. And the last option, which is the most common, live with your parents. 
  
Every young person wants to live alone, become independent and make a career in what they enjoy. If you're lucky enough to be able to live with your family for a while, you can start saving, but you will still have to wait a few years before getting your own apartment. And what about young people who did not grow up with their family, but in foster care for example? They have to help themselves.  
They will have to rent an apartment to have a place to live, but the rent will cut into their budget like crazy. And looking at today's household costs... 
  
Solution? We have to build more. The cities are getting crowded, so we will have to more and more start building in the countryside. If we don't start building more new apartments and houses now, property prices will go up even more and will be unaffordable in 2040. Another possible solution is to support young people with buying real estate, for example with housing subsidies, which can support young and honest people to get started in life. 
  
As an architecture student, I am very interested in the housing topic and this problem will also affect me in a few years. I also want to live by myself, but in today's conditions, I will have to save for several more years. We should change this, let's give young people the option of affordable housing. 
  
Europe, build new houses! 

Feeling

We are not doing enough to decrease the prices of housing. If we don’t change anything now, in the future the prices of housing will be much higher, and the availability will be less.

Influence

As a student I don’t have any influence on the prices of housing. Prices are set by real estate offices, and we have no option or whatsoever to influence it. But I think, if we bring it to the attention of people and discuss about it amongst young people, we might be able to change something. 
 

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

I got my first experience through a youth exchange in my hometown Pärnu - a local youth worker invited me to some interesting project, of which I had no idea abot. It turned out that we spent a week with the Spanish people, discussing migration and its different types and getting to know each other's culture. By the end of the project, I even realized that YE in the name of our Facebook group means Youth Exchange! Together with this knowledge, great acquaintances, proper English language practice and a wider worldview, I also took a little "germ" of Erasmus+ with me from this week

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Some germs disappear from the body, while others take root instead. You don't have to assume much about what became of this little thing, because I now have exactly 8 Erasmus+ projects in my experience. In the meantime, I have reached Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Belgium and also Raeküla (in my hometown) and my elementary school Paikuse (also in my hometown) with projects. My projects gradually happened to take place further away from Estonia. Since after the first project I already knew what the youth exchange was all about, I showed my interest when I saw the project invitation on social media and I was able to go to the project on Lithuanian waste-free life. After half a year, I dared to ask after one Facebook post, "Hey! You have a higher age limit, but would you also take a 14-year-old with you?" Asking was useful - soon 3 friends and I flew to Luxebourg for a youth exchange on eco-entrepreneurship. Therefore, it can be said that the projects have definitely developed courage in me, both in terms of speaking a foreign language, communicating with people of different ages, and I am just getting started. There was also a funny story about the different ages in the Luxemburg project - all the other participants were 18+, mostly 22+, so the three underage chicks blended into that group quite interestingly. The thing about English is that if my language was still quite weak and knotted during the evenings of the first project, then now speaking in a foreign language for a longer period of time was no longer a problem.

Courage and language, check! But that's not enough, somehow the projects are still with me? The main reason is knowing that I still have so much to discover in European youth programs. For example, I have European Solidarity Corps (ESC) projects completely intact, and I have not yet been able to apply for DiscoverEU. (I am especially looking forward to this!) And at least as big a reason is the sincere emotion that goes along with the projects. The feeling of joy when we sit by the fire with new friends and talk about every topic in the world, or satisfaction when I am particularly good at planning a trip, or sadness when I run after the bus, watching my project colleagues drive home. In addition to the emotions and the abundance of opportunities, there are approximately 100 other reasons to participate. For example, E+ projects are an ideal opportunity to see other countries while traveling for free, get to know everything that lies deeper than tourist attractions, make friends with whom you can either send cards at Christmas or communicate weekly, and learn about the topics that speak to you most through informal methods. For example, most of my projects have been about youth participation or the environment. In addition, I believe that Erasmus+ projects have influenced my development as a person very strongly. Therefore, if you also want to develop into a friendly and knowledgeable person with an open attitude, E+ is the perfect opportunity for that!

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But I haven't reached the most powerful part - you can design your entire experience yourself and also offer it to others through writing projects. I myself have written a youth exchange and a youth participation project, and in addition to the opportunity to create a project with my own face on the most exciting topic for me, it is also significant that during the writing process I have a vastly improved view of the project world and my previous projects.

Just yesterday we planned our youth participation project "Young people decide today!" the last activity, which is a local council simulation. However, our thoughts went from simulation to council-themed murder mystery, board game and escape room. In addition, every 10 minutes, some flighty or slightly unrealistic idea about the event arose, which made us excited - an absolutely awesome feeling! Writing a project is an experience that every young person should have. Even if you are no longer interested in the topic of the project after a few years, or if you do not intend to organize any more events, deconstructing, justifying and clearly writing down ideas in the form of a project application will greatly develop your analytical ability and argumentation skills.

I sound like a TopShop ad but… that's not all! On its own level, it is great to introduce these opportunities to others, either in the form of an article like this or by being active in the EuroPeers network. EuroPeers are young people from all over Europe who have Erasmus+ or European Solidarity Corps experience and want to share it with others. We organize events presenting the possibilities of European programs, we share information on social media and at events, we go to schools to speak, etc.

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And you can travel too! For example, the EuroPeers Annual Network Meeting took me to Rome, where in addition to meeting other passionate EuroPeers, meeting lovely online friends in real life (!) and sharing experiences, we also got to explore the wonderful Italian capital for a few hours! It was truly inspiring to hear what other more experienced EuroPeers have done (the Estonian network is still quite young) and to make plans together on how to reach even more young people with our activities.

In addition, we went to Strasbourg with EuroPeers in October, where we had the opportunity to conduct our workshop at the European Youth Event (EYE). EYE is an event that brings together nearly 10,000 young people from all over Europe every 2 years so that they can discuss issues important to the EU and participate in workshops. The workshop we organized made the young people, through a role play, explain how E+ and ESK experiences are helpful in the labor market. Of course, all the preparation had taken place online, so suddenly meeting the zoom boxes in real life and working together was an exciting feeling! Therefore, even when sharing your experience, it is possible to discover something new and meet many like-minded people. Among other things, one should not underestimate the sincere feeling of happiness that arises when a young person says, "Oh, I didn't know there was such a small opportunity! I will definitely apply!".

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So, every young person's to-do list could include one Erasmus+ project and one project writing experience. If you discover that this project stuff doesn't suit you at all, even then you will be richer by a very valuable discovery. If you discover that E+ and ESK are just your topic, there are many doors for you - both directly in the form of projects and with the support of these experiences elsewhere and in your future life!

PS: The projects are not only intended for already active young people! There are separate subsidies to support the participation of young people with special needs and, for example, to use environmentally friendly transport - I recommend using it! In terms of age - Erasmus+ projects welcome participants from the age of 13, and the upper limit is such that even if you are 150, if you work with young people, you can still participate as a supervisor. When you see the project calls, you can feel free to check whether you can be exempted from age (if you are still 13-30 years old, i.e. the age that can participate in the Erasmus+ program as a young person).

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Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

"Among my destinations, I liked Amsterdam, Lyon and Bern the most. In Amsterdam, a whole new world opened up before my eyes. The people there create a pleasant atmosphere, which is made even more amazing by the canal across the city, the transport routes for cycling and the program facilities. It's hard to get a robe: if you've any knowledge about the life here, you may know more experiences can be reached by personally. I believe that it would be worthwhile for everyone to taste the local Dutch culture at least once, as the community there gives long lasting positive feelings for tourists visiting the city.

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During the travel to France I liked Lyon the most. No wonder, as its natural treasures (rivers and hills) and its gastronomy is also outstanding. In dishes that are prepared almost everywhere in the same way, they were able to show me something new. On the day of my arrival, I organized a program for myself during which I could explore the local cuisine.

Among other things, the Tatar beefsteak was one of the food I tasted, and it was quite different from what I had tried before, both in seasonings and serving. Of course, beside the food, I was influenced by the kindness, openness and perception of people. Furthermore, the special Miniature Museum and Cinema (Musée Miniature et Cinéma) are highly recommended to everyone."

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Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026