Dates: 1 July 2020 – 23 June 2021
Venue: Molfetta, Italy
Programme and action: European Solidarity Corps (ESC) – volunteering partnership
Please read the infopack.
Hosting organization: Comune di Molfetta
Volunteer: Jesús Ríos Sánchez
ESC report:
I was a volunteer in the european programme called “European Solidarity Corps”, the former “European Voluntary Service”. The project started on 1st of July 2020 and ended on 15th of April, and took place in Molfetta, a middle size city in Southern Italy, near Bari, the main city of Apulia and connected by train with Molfetta.
I lived in a shared flat with three other volunteers in the historical city centre, 10 minutes by walk to the beaches. The flat was old, but was equipped with everything you can need. I have my own room and share a kitchen and a bathroom.
My hosting organization was the city council of Molfetta and my main tasks were to research about the local history and the city’s heritage in order to create a tour, to teach Spanish language for four groups at the city council (also to teach Spanish in a local school) and to develop some tourists upgrade programmes.
My work during the experience was very limited by the sanitary crisis of COVID. We had to cancel, delay or do online activities such as a face-to-face Spanish language course, the tour and an ecotourism project with a local company.
I worked around 20 hours per week, including the Italian language course that I attended every Monday and Wednesday.
I travelled a lot during the summer, visiting many cities and villages around coastal Pulia. Thanks to the regional government, I was able to experience cultural activities to discover the traditional heritage. The best of these activities was a bike way (around 30 kilometres) close to Ostuni, in which, we stopped in different interesting places, like a ancient ranch where we visited the oil press enginery (in the basements), a traditional restaurant with amazing views to the sea and the fields, a beach…we finished doing a olive oil tasting
made by a traditional and experienced company.
Throughout my stay, I learnt Italian and how to get ready for a class (currently,I am working some hours per week as a Spanish teacher) and I improved my English level and my computer skills. The best thing I took with me is the new friends I met there.
Jesús Ríos Sánchez
