Program, akce: Evropský sbor solidarity (ESC) — týmové dobrovolnictví (dva týdny)
Termín konání: 22. duben—6. květen 2025
Místo konání: Barcelos, Portugalsko
Přečtěte si infopack zde.
Přečti si také, jak se líbilo naší dobrovolnici na čtyřměsíčním dobrovolnictví v této organizaci zde.
- Hostitelská organizace: SOPRO – Solidariedade e Promoção ONGD
Report z dobrovolnictví:
My First ESC Experience with SOPRO – A Journey of Growth, Connection, and Culture
By Viviane
Hello! My name is Viviane Abus, I’m 24 years old, and I recently completed my first European Solidarity Corps (ESC) experience with SOPRO in Portugal. It lasted 15 days and was truly unforgettable. I had never done an ESC before, so this was all new to me, and I was the only participant representing Czechia!
During the exchange, I stayed in a house with 16 other people from Lithuania, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Hungary, and Germany. It wasn’t a very big house, but we made it work together. It was a great way to connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
We were divided into five groups, and each morning one group would visit the home of an elderly person. SOPRO also assigned a Portuguese speaker to each group to help translate. Since I speak Portuguese, I was often the translator and could really understand the elderly people we were helping. I believe this helped me build an even stronger bond with them. But even those who didn’t speak the language found meaningful ways to connect, the elderly were always excited to see us, offering hugs and kisses as a heartfelt way to say thank you, I felt very touched specially because remind a lot me about my grandparents, and how important this program is for them, Specially not to make them think they are alone in this world..
In the afternoons, some volunteers worked in Eden, a garden that is being developed for elderly people so they can spend more time in nature. Others went to St. Eugénia, a center where elderly people go daily to do activities like sports and crafts. All of the activities were meaningful and enjoyable. Most volunteers ended up working in the garden, which was more physically demanding, but not difficult. It was actually a great way to bond with the other volunteers. We were always laughing, singing, and making jokes while we worked.
At night, we had group activities organized by the SOPRO volunteers. These were designed to help us get to know each other better and to explore self-awareness and personal reflection.
We also had free evenings and weekends, and we were lucky that our exchange took place during several holidays. This gave us time to travel and explore Portugal. I even walked part of the Camino de Santiago, 42km in one day, since the route passes through Barcelos! SOPRO planned the exchange perfectly, so it aligned with Festa das Cruzes, one of the biggest festivals in Portugal, held right in Barcelos. For seven days, the city was full of lights, music, and people, something was happening every day. It was magical!
Each of us received 11 euros per day as pocket money, which was also meant to cover food. We cooked our own meals in the shared kitchen and often helped each other out. The house we stayed in wasn’t perfect—it was small for 17 people, and the kitchen wasn’t very spacious. We all shared one large room. Sometimes it was cold. But despite those challenges, the sense of community and shared purpose made it all worth it.
I truly enjoyed my ESC experience. Even while I was still there, I found myself already looking up more opportunities. If you’re someone who wants to feel connected to a local community, to make a real impact through your work, and to grow both personally and culturally, then ESC is for you. I went there looking to make a meaningful contribution and found just that. Plus, I met amazing people and joined a great organization.
SOPRO feels like a family, and I’m proud to now be a part of it. I would 100% recommend this experience to anyone, as the motto of SOPRO “Pequenos gestos mudam o mundo”.
