On youth programs you meet friends for life
Nejla, Croatia, Age 26Social work is very valuable when viewed from the perspective of volunteering, because through it we build knowledge and skills needed by people of all ages.
I am originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina and gained valuable volunteering experience at the youth organization Info zona in Split, Croatia. My role focused on youth empowerment and project support. Specifically, I was part of the team for informing and mentoring young individuals, providing support before and during their activities and helping them successfully realize their ideas. I actively promoted opportunities for personal development and encouraged active citizenship, while having the opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills as well.
European Solidarity Corps teaches you how to live together and to respect people from different cultures and ways of life. It’s priceless to have friends from all around the world. Every ESC volunteer has their own life story and experiences that teach you to adapt and accept things that you would never have embraced outside the ESC program. On youth programs you meet friends for life; with them you create lasting memories and enjoy your youth - because sometimes we don’t get a second chance, so I seize every opportunity and project where I can express myself and show that I’m a productive young person.
As much as I care for myself, I also want to care for others in the community where I volunteer. It is a pleasure for me to be a volunteer among young people and help them create things that are important and meaningful to them. Social work is very valuable when viewed from the perspective of volunteering, because through it we build knowledge and skills needed by people of all ages. I am glad that I have the opportunity, through social work and what it brings, to pass that on to the youth.
I’m happy that I will return to Bosnia and Herzegovina carrying with me a wonderful volunteering experience from Split, remembering all the beautiful memories - nights out, hanging out, travel, beaches and partying, and everything that comes with young adulthood - and I will never regret that I went volunteering for a moment.
Updated on Þriðjudagur, 17/02/2026