Olá Bom dia! My name is Kasia, and I’d like to share my experience as a volunteer with the European Solidarity Corps. I took part in the program “Picture it – Build your Future” in Lisbon. My sending organization was Fundacja Rozwoju Społeczeństwa Przedsiębiorczego, and my host organization was Spin Associação. I chose to volunteer because I wanted to experience something new, learn new things, and experience life in Portugal. My volunteering period lasted for six months. Spin, my hosting organization, is located in Bairro Padre Cruz in Lisbon. Their primary role is organizing youth exchanges for young people from around the world.
During my time there, I helped with preparations before the youth exchanges, such as getting materials ready, preparing activities, or creating the list of food needed and ordering it. Spin also runs a hostel where participants stay during exchanges, so I helped in preparing beds and ensuring the hostel was ready for each group. During the exchanges, I was helping with activities, setting the tables, cleaning after meals, preparing coffee breaks, and taking care of the hostel. Sometimes I participate in activities with the participants, for example I learnt the Brazilian martial art Capoeira. I also really enjoyed painting a mural. With other volunteers we also organized cultural visits for participants, and we were taking them for example to the castle or museums.
When there were no youth exchanges, we worked in the office from Tuesday to Thursday, from 11 am to 5 pm. On Mondays and Fridays, we usually worked from home, which actually meant day off. In the office, we helped with administrative work for example scanning and organizing documents. I was also responsible for a blog where I posted testimonies of other volunteers. I also translated CVs from Portuguese to English for seniors who went to Italy as part of a European Union-funded program. Sometimes we also supported the local community, like painting a kindergarten, or we also encouraged people in Lisbon to participate in the European Parliament elections. The team at Spin was very kind and fun, and the office atmosphere was nice and chill.
In mid-June, I had the opportunity to go to Marseille for the Youthful project, which focuses on creating a guide for immigrants arriving in Lisbon and Marseille. I really like the concept of this project, so I’m glad I could be a part of it and share my ideas. I enjoyed meeting another organization and their volunteers, who welcomed us warmly. I loved Marseille, especially the beautiful beaches nearby that look like paradise.
Living in Lisbon was an incredible experience for me. The city is lovely, not too crowded, and very green with many parks and viewpoints offering stunning cityscapes. As a resident in Portugal, I could visit various monuments for free on Sundays, which allowed me to explore many museums and historical sites. I also traveled around the country, visiting both the south and north of Portugal, and the whole country is really beautiful. I also really like Portuguese food—it’s truly delicious. The Portuguese people are very kind and open, they made me feel in Portugal like at home.
This volunteering experience has profoundly changed me, and I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity. I feel that I have grown so much during these six months. Even though there were tough moments, I believe they also shaped me and taught me even more. I learned a lot about myself and moving to another country made me braver and I feel like I am not afraid anymore to try new things in life. This is a precious life experience that no one can take away from me. If I had to decide again whether to go, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second.
Feel free to check the presentation below, with the photos 😉
