Lucia in Raquel sta se prejšni teden udeležili usposabljanja, ki je namenjen vsem ESE prostovoljcem, ki delujejo v Sloveniji. Prosili smo ju, naj delijo njune izkušnje. Preberi si več spodaj!
Hi, here Lucia and Raquel again!
This time around, we want to explain to you about our last week’s on-arrival training, which is part of our ESC volunteering program. These days have been organized by MOVIT, the national agency that takes care of programmes in the field of youth.
The training took place in Bohinjska Bistrica, where we stayed in a hotel with other fellow volunteers who are staying around Slovenia and who are from many different parts of the world. This gave us the opportunity to get immersed and learn about many diverse cultures, which turned out to be such an enriching experience for us!
When we arrived we started doing some introductory games to break the ice and get to know each other. During the rest of the days we did some activities where we learnt about wide and important concepts like solidarity and culture. This non-formal education, a way of learning that isn’t based on theoretical lectures, was very interesting and useful. Most of the activities we did, even if they included some theory provided by the facilitators, were done in teams or by ourselves, where we were encouraged to reflect about the topics. So if you ever have the chance to try this type of learning, don’t hesitate to do it!
In addition, the facilitators gave us information about the ESC programme, as well as about our roles and responsibilities as volunteers. Besides, we got to know about the possibility of creating our own personal project as part of our volunteering. Then, we also explored and discussed some of the key topics that this volunteering aims to help with, like ˝Participation and civic engagement˝ or ˝Environment and climate action˝. We’re very glad that we were able to understand more about ESC, as we feel we now have more knowledge and tools to make the most out of our experience in Slovenia.
But apart from learning, we also had some free time for ourselves. One afternoon, when the weather allowed us to do it, we decided to do a hike to see a spring waterfall. We enjoyed this moment a lot, since the path and the company were both amazing. By the way, Slovenian people, you can’t imagine how lucky you are to have this beautiful natural landscape surrounding you all the time!
Although at the beginning we did not know what to expect from this training, these days have really exceeded our expectations. Not only do we come back with much new quality knowledge, but what has really made the difference was to meet people who are living the same experience as us. We hope that throughout our stay here we can have a good time together and also support each other when needed. Overall, it has been a very inspirational experience, as we had the feeling of being part of a very beautiful project where each individual is valued and celebrated.
Finally, we don't know how lucky we are to have these projects at our disposal where we can participate giving our knowledge and enthusiasm, and in return we will be able to make an impact and we will have the feeling of belonging to a project that will make the difference. So, if you have the opportunity to be part of your youth centres, youth exchanges, ESC volunteering... Don't hesitate to do it because your work adds up and it will be a great experience!
This is all for now, we hope to tell you more soon about our journey!
See you around,
Lucia and Raquel
