Hello, my name is Rosana, I’m 29 years old and I’m from Spain.
I am a volunteer with Europejskie forum Młodzieży (EFM).
My project is in an Integration School – Zespół Szkół Integracyjnych im .Jana Pawła II – where there are also children with different disabilities.
The main tasks I am developing are: on the one hand participating in English classes, supporting the main teacher and helping children with different needs. I am also preparing leisure activities so that the children can learn English while they are playing.I introduce my country, in this case Spain, to give them an idea about other cultures and different custom. On the other hand I provide Spanish classes after school for the youngsters who want to learn Spanish in non-formal way.
It is hard to summarize the many experiences of this volunteering placement. I truly believe that this EVS experience is one of the greatest achievements of my life and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
My project is 6 months long and right now I am in my fifth month, therefore, I have just one more month and it really saddens me that this will end so soon. Time has passed at the speed of light and that speaks for itself.
At the school where my activities were, I was not always productive but almost every day I come back home with a smile on my face from all the love that I received from the children.
Volunteering is also a great opportunity to meet people, make friends, to travel,to improve English and learn from other cultures as there are always volunteers from many other countries…
The word “easy” is not what I would use to describe the activities in the school as communicating with the children was not always easy. It can be difficult when you want to express something and the teacher may not be able to always understand you. That’s the moment where you will have to think on your feet and use skills that you didnt know you even had.
For me, the best part of my experience was that I discovered that I can do things that I never imagined. Being out of your comfort zone is a great way to get to know yourself and from there you can begin to achieve your objectives. Everything is possible, just take the initiative to try it.
I encourage everyone who meets the requirements to come and live the experience of European Voluntary Service!