Helping with youth camps and daily activities in a youth centre
Dana, SwedenTo me, the programme is especially important, because it is accessible to any young person who wants to
expand their worldview and it can turn countries that are now foreign to you into places that you call your home.
Dana, originally from Germany, volunteered for 6 months in Estonia with Kuressaare Noortejaam in a youth centre where she helped in daily activities and youth camps.
🎤 How has volunteering contributed to your personal growth, professional development, or overall outlook on life?
"Volunteering has impacted me in many ways. It allowed me to explore areas of life and work I might never have discovered otherwise. I developed both technical skills—like public speaking and event planning—and personal skills, such as building relationships in a new environment.
The people I met had the greatest impact on me. Living in a completely different setting, I learned from volunteers, youth center participants, youth workers, and even people I only met briefly. I also became more confident about my future plans.
Even though I now study Literature, which isn’t directly related to my volunteering, I continue taking an Estonian language elective—one of the highlights of my university studies."
🎤 Why do you believe volunteering is important?
"I think volunteering is important, because it encourages empathy both on the side of the volunteer and on the side of the hosting community. As a volunteering project places you in such a new environment, it is impossible for you to know precisely what your time as a volunteer will be like and thereby it teaches you things that you can never plan to learn. While doing so, the programme is not only focused on professional development, but gives you so many opportunities to grow as a person and to learn about the local culture, customs and language.
The fact that you are placed directly in a working environment gives you a really good chance to build a connection to your new city, as you’re automatically getting to know people. So to me, the programme is especially important, because it is accessible to any young person who wants to expand their worldview and it can turn countries that are now foreign to you into places that you call your home."
🎤 What is your birthday wish for the 30th anniversary of EU supported volunteering — and for the next 30 years to come?
"I wish that EU supported volunteering remains an accessible opportunity for young Europeans and that youngsters remain open to going abroad. In particular, I wish that more people learn about the programmes, especially those who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to travel and learn about foreign cultures. And that young people feel that they are supported and encouraged in their endeavours.
I think that it is as important as ever for youngsters to learn about other cultures and countries and grow empathy towards those who are different from them, so I wish that the programme continues to reach young people and help them expand their horizons."
Updated on Teisipäev, 14/04/2026