Chems and Lindsay are two young girls from Belgium and France who met each other while volunteering at Jauniešu studija “BaMbuss" in Riga, Latvia, within the framework of a European Solidarity Corps project.

In this video both volunteers sum up their experiences and discoveries, and share their views on the EU funded programme.

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

My mobility experiences started about half a year ago when I was seventeen years old.

It started here, not that far from my town when I participated in the training. Little did I know then that I was going to travel constantly, have friends around the world and have fun while learning and growing as a person.

So, participating in Erasmus+ projects for the first time was an enormous step out of my comfort zone. First of all, it was living in another place, being surrounded by strangers and having to speak a language that is not my native.

Turned out that the scary part lasted only as long as I was on my way to a project place and everything was only in my head. Everything was going with the flow, people were generous and I felt like I had known them for my whole life.

After participating in Erasmus+ projects in Lithuania, I couldn’t stop thinking about how it would be amazing to travel somewhere too, it would be an even bigger step out of comfort zone. So, I found a project in Romania at the last minute, packed my stuff and my very first solo trip to a little Romanian village started. Even with some problems during the trip and being alone around strangers in a country that is far away from my home, I enjoyed every minute of it. After it, my self-confidence kicked in and I started to search, apply and go to more projects. Also, the stuff I learned during the Erasmus+ projects will be a great help while stepping to the future career path. So, it was the best decision ever. Even if I haven’t seen the most attractive sightseeing places in the country I lived in the small villages and I understood that travelling, mindset and best memories were about a variety of people that I have met. I perceive the world and beauty the of it through people and that is the best thing the mobility opportunities gave me.

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

I want a cleaner air, no pollution, no animal abuse. I also want better life for people that live in North Korea or Belarus. I want them to be free and live a better life than now, because now they suffer from their presidents. I want everyone to be nice to each other and don’t make wars, because a war is not good for anyone.
 
I think the world in the future will be polluted, there will be less woods and trees and many things' robots will do for humans. The air will be not clean and the water in rivers and oceans will be really polluted and there will be more garbage than there is now.
 
If I will be alone to do this I can to nothing, but if the world will be together, we change the future that everybody thinks will be bad. If I don’t really need to go somewhere with a car, I can walk, or use a bike, a scooter, or public transport, because when car goes it throws away the gas and turns the air to not fresh one and later it will smell bad. I buy bags, packs or straws that are made from paper or other material that are good for nature. Be friendly to the world, don’t make it more polluted, if we will be together, we can change the future.

Feeling

When thinking about the future, I feel worried that the flora and fauna will disappear from the earth.  And I hope that everything will be all right.

Influence

Alone I can’t do anything; thus, it is very important that all people understand the danger and act together. I can share the information about the environment pollution in social media so more people would understand what environmental danger could do in the future.
 

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

In a recent Disney movie, the lyrics of a song say “[…] All I need is a change. All I need is a chance. All I know is I can’t stay on the side. Open your eyes […]” 

I think that idea simulates, precisely, a generic vision of what I expect from the future. Changes, opportunities, action, and a realistic vision of it. 

I hope that the future holds plenty of opportunities for young people, especially in those areas where we are lacking today, such as in the job market. Opportunities cannot be given in an environment where academic preparation and previous professional experience have the same value in the selection process. Because we are aware that a certain level of education is required and competition is increasing, thus, we study a degree, a master's degree, or two if necessary, languages, soft skills, etc. We do our best, and then we run into institutions and companies that do not risk giving us that first opportunity to gain experience. And, of course, at the educational level, you don't acquire the knowledge of what the job is in practice. 

I also hope that the future will be inclusive and with 0 discrimination. Where there is gender equality, and where color, race, sexual orientation, gender or any difference is not an issue. In other words, I hope we value diversity as a strength rather than a problem and everyone can simply be. Free and without prejudices.

I hope for many things in the future, but I also believe that all of this can only be achieved through, as I said, changes and opportunities. Based on taking action and working to make it possible. And it is in our hands; in those of all of us. I hope to achieve the future that I would like to see not only for me, but for those to come. And I believe that the start point to do so is education. The great changes will not come alone and immediately, but hopefully the youth will be educated in these values and among all, these changes and this eagerness to work on what is fair and necessary, will become a reality.

Feeling

I feel hopeful and encouraged. To continue learning from, moving forward with and being inspired by those who follow my same goal.

Influence

I believe that there is no better influence than the one you set for yourself when you have a clear objective. That determination and passion to achieve it will make others want to see themselves reflected and fight for their own goals. And that is what we need: people involved and willing to make the change.
 

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

My most interesting exchange project, in which I took part happened in autumn of 2016 with a number of young people. The project was called “Sports and culture for all”, it was an Erasmus+ youth exchange project to get to know Corfball – a popular sport in Spain. This type of sport is popular for them because it is integrated in different youth centres where young people from different risk groups reside. By such an informal method, young people at risk are educated about the importance and necessity of physical activity and are “rescued” from the streets where they are at risk of being exposed to crime.

Our organisation took part in all activities with interest and enthusiasm because we hadn't heard of many activities they showed to us. We learned more about the current situation of the Barcelona and Badalon youth centres and the introduction of the sport, not only in youth centres, but also in pre-school schools.

With the rest of the young people from our organization we explained the types of activities and good practices of youth centres in Latvia for the rest of the project; I remember most were intrigued by the increased involvement of youth councils and youth in public participation. We shared different methods and activities to be used in day-to-day work.

Of course, there was no informal rest – we hiked in the cliffs, we enjoyed the sun on the Balearearic Sea coast, and we enjoyed Spanish dishes in bars and beautiful restaurants. I still remember our member Raivo tasting the octopus for the first time and failing to chew the seafood properly. 

This project has left me with the most memory for a number of reasons: I flied for the first time, this was the longest project abroad, and I was in the working group when the project was being formed. During the exchange project, I gained a variety of knowledge – added communication skills, because not all participants had good English; I certainly learned patience because the Spanish temperament and lifestyle were quite peaceful and unhurried; as well as time management and planning to catch up with all the lessons and other technical specifications.

This project was really interesting and useful, where I acquired a variety of knowledge and acknowledged that living in such a small country as Latvia is actually an opportunity to grow and be better. 
 

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

My name is Liza and I did my project year at akzente Jugendinfo in Salzburg, Austria. I am in bit of a different position than most of volunteers, being the first in-country volunteer for akzente, Initiativen für Jugendliche (the hosting organization), I did not have much of an adventure organizing my trip to Salzburg as I have lived here since 2010. No worries though, there is still a LOT of things to tell you about my project!

As I have mentioned above, I did my solidarity project at akzente Jugendinfo in Salzburg, the city I also currently live in. I started my volunteering year in January 11, 2021 and my contract was set for a whole year of volunteering. Even before the start of my volunteering year, I have been in contact with Duy Le from akzente and my team leader Julia at the youth information. They have made the transition to akzente very easy. From then on, working with them has been very pleasant and I was able to learn a lot from this experience. Since I have never worked an office job prior to this year, I had no expectations coming in and that has helped me become more open for everything, from the challenges of social media to refreshing my video editing skills by making a new intro for the youth information Youtube channel to being stung by working directly with bees (yes, we have three beehives ?).

Aside from all of these, I also got the opportunity to join and participate in different workshops like using online tools, how to make them more interactive and many more. I got to experience working directly with young locals and hopefully was able to give them a platform through my volunteering project called “Health Diaries” (Check out our YT channel ?).

In the end, I must say, the best thing about being a volunteer is the amazing people that I got to meet and had the chance to work with. It was a really fun experience and the connections I have made with other young volunteers is a treasure!

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026