Dates: 1. 11. 2018 – 31. 10. 2019
Venue: Olhão, Portugal
Programme and action: European Solidarity Corps
Please read the EVS infopack.
Hosting organization: A hosting organisation is MOJU – Asociação Movimente Juvenil
Volunteer: Alice P.
Volunteers come from: Cyprus, Czech Republic, France and Spain
ESC report:
My journey started on 1.11. when I flew south of Portugal to a small town named Olhao. At the bus stop my coordinator welcomed me and showed me the apartment where I was supposed to spend the next 12 months. The apartment was large, relatively modern, and above all I had a spacious room for myself. The apartment was situated 10 minutes’ walk from where I worked. I shared the apartment with three other volunteers from France, Spain and Cyprus.
The organization where I worked in was called MOJU. We had a wide range of activities, so we were never bored. One of the main objectives of my project was to support the development of activities for the children, which also included
group dynamics, teambuilding activities, cultural activities and sport. We created various workshops and activities for disadvantaged children (children with poor conditions, problems with parents and so on). During the school year we also focused on supporting them during their studies. In practice, this meant that we were doing homework and school projects with the children. Knowledge of Portuguese was not necessary, because there was always someone to help us with the translation and soon we developed our own system of communication – with gestures and pictures. We had a Portuguese course in the second half of EVS, but because, as I mentioned, there was no need of Portuguese at work, I didn’t learn anything from the language. Throughout the school year we worked in the afternoon, during the summer holidays all day. We almost always had free weekends. I used the weekends mainly for rest and relaxation.
I would evaluate the whole project positively, it gave me of new experience and I had to face new challenges. I know that after EVS I am much more open to new things, new cultures and opinions of the others. I would recommend participation to everyone.
Alice
