Angelika ya está aquí

Ya tenemos en la oficina a nuestra nueva voluntaria, ella ha venido a través del programa Cuerpo Europeo de Solidaridad. Ha llegado en el principio de Agosto 2019. Angelika es de Polonia, tiene 18 años y viene a estar con nosotros 9 meses, hasta Abril 2020.

Queríamos conocerla un poquito más así que hemos hecho con ella una pequeña entrevista para que nos hablara un poco más sobre sus expectativas y motivaciones para participar en el Cuerpo Europeo de Solidaridad. Nos gustaría compartirlo con vosotros, esperamos que lo disfrutéis.

We have just received our new volunteer who is participating in the program “European Solidarity Corps”. 

We were really happy for Angelika´s arrival as she is is our first volunteer with ESC in Youropía.

Once she arrived, youropía teamwork had a welcoming breakfast, also she brought us sweets from Poland, and everything was just yummy!

The day next, we wanted to know her more, so that we could know better her main and deep motivation to participate, also we thought that might be interesting for youngsters who are thinking to participate in the European Solidarity Corps Program, So we decided to share it with you. Hopefully, our volunteer can inspire you 😉 Anglika is Polish, 18 years old, and she is going to be with us till April 2020.

Here we go, 
Hello Angelika, Tell us about your experience from where to where and for how long it will be, in which field is your voluntary work and with which program are you participating?
I have already finished high school. I am coming from Poland to Spain, and I am going to stay here for 9 months. My voluntary work is related to youth and I am participating in the European Solidarity Corps. 

tell us please,What was your deep motivation to participate in this kind of projects? 
I did not want just follow the crowd. It is very good chance for me to meet people, work with them on different levels, to share ideas, to get experience and to learn many things, not only a language!

Talking about difficulties, What were the barriers you have faced to arrive here?
Not to have enough information about opportunities that I had, but finally I got it, so it was not an issue. Maybe, It was also difficult for me to leave all my closest friends, my life and my “comfort zone” and to start a new life here from the beginning. This is a challenge that I have to face now. 

Were there a mobility information office, NGO or an entity…etc. that could help you to adapt, to integrate or to feel comfortable and what were the main needs that they have covered?

Yes, I was looking for information for two years, so I was always asking for options and once I had this opportunity they could help me with all the documentation stuff and they told me about this program.

If You would highlight a learning, what could it be?
Being open-minded and being curious. If you have an opportunity, do not lose it. Of course, it requires a risk, but it is worth it!

Talking about your professional career, how do think the voluntary work might help you?
It might help me to be more self-confident, more independent, purposeful and open-minded. I am going to meet different people from various jobs and nationalities and I think It can help me a lot to understand everybody and not to prejudge people. Moreover, that experience would be valuable if I decide to connect my future work with that kind of things. 

What do you think the footprint you can leave through this experience and how can you keep it from losing?

In general, I would like to help other young people as much as I can.  Motivating them would leave a strong and lasting impact, I would tell all young people: “go for what you want to do and do not make excuses”.

An advice that you can give for youngsters like you who are thinking to participate in the same or a similar mobility program.

Be brave and do not worry! Life is going on, but it depends on YOU how it will be.