Alvas Erasmus+ project YOUth ACTivist Camp and Solidarity project STEP

When a friend, at the beginning of 2022, asked if I would like to go to the Netherlands for a short training course, I had never heard of the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) before. 

Nor was I very familiar with Erasmus+ projects. The vague description “about two weeks, sometime in August, regarding lgbtqia+ issues and activism, through the sending organisation Brunnen” however, was enough for me to pack my bags and go. A couple of months later, I was on a flight to my first Erasmus+ youth experimental learning programme and the beginning of my journey with the ESC. Somewhat confused, but with no turning back.

The Erasmus+ programme YOUth ACTivist Camp, coorganised by the latvian organisation Active Rainbow and the Olde Vechte Foundation in the Netherlands, would become my first introduction to Eurodesk and the European Solidarity Corps. Together with young people from other European countries I got to develop skills and understanding of lgbtqia+ related activism through practice and exchange of experiences. I got to know several people I am still in touch with today, including two from my own sending organisation who at the time were thinking about starting an ESC solidarity project. This would become STEP: Support through Expression and Participation, a mental health focused project.

I was not involved in STEP from the start, but since you need at least five people to implement a solidarity project I was asked if I wanted to join and make the project a reality. Of course I did! The project reached over approximately 6 months and included a 3-day camp, smaller activities, and a website. We went rock climbing, ice skating and tracking while discussing stress and anxiety, and how social issues such as oppression or climate change might impact mental health. We also gathered contact information for helplines and published blog posts. My role became managing the Swedish communication and translations, as well as helping with the planning and coordination of a handful activities.

Despite now having participated in both an Erasmus+ programme and a solidarity project, it was still unclear to me which was which. In autumn 2024, however, I gained more clarity through the participation in a volunteer meeting organised by the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society (MUCF). Every year the MUCF gathers Swedish ESC volunteers who have recently returned from volunteering in Europe, to exchange experiences, create connections, and learn about other international opportunities. Thanks to my participation in STEP, my name had ended up on the list of participants, and I was able to attend even though I (so far) have never been a volunteer. During two inspiring days, I therefore got to listen to others’ ESC experiences, engage in team-building exercises, and learn more about Eurodesk, as well as Europeers and MUCF’s young ambassadors.

Today (as a brand new young ambassador!), I still have a lot to learn, but I am already so much richer in experiences, tools and friendships. The projects I participated in gave me so much while they were still ongoing, but they keep on giving even now they are done. I landed an internship in Slovenia thanks to contacts made during the Erasmus+ programme, and there too my journey with the Solidarity Corps continued, through close contact with ESC volunteers and new learning opportunities through different EU programmes. So it continues, the journey, both individually and with the Solidarity Corps, and that is what makes it all so exciting!

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026