Ines i Joana iz Portugala volontiraju u Žmergu mjesec dana

Ines i Joana iz Portugala volontiraju u Žmergu mjesec dana

Dvije mlade djevojke iz Portugala pridružile su se Žmergovom timu te će u Opatiji provesti mjesec dana volontirajući na nizu aktivnosti u projektu We Are United (WAU) čiji je nositelj organizacija Associação Juvenil de Peniche, dugogodišnji partner Udruge Žmergo.

WAU se provodi kroz program Europske snage solidarnosti kojeg financira Europska unija, a riječ je o projektu međunarodne mobilnosti koji omogućuje sudjelovanje mladih iz Penichea i zapadne regije Portugala u volonterskim projektima solidarnosti kako bi razvijali nove kompetencije i vještine u interkulturalnom kontekstu, ponajviše kroz metodologiju neformalnog i informalnog obrazovanja.

Po dva volontera_ke će u Opatiji i Žmergu provesti po mjesec dana u 3 ciklusa, a ovom prilikom predstavljamo prvi volonterski duo – Ines i Joanu.+

Name: Inês Guimarães
Age: 22 years old
City/Country: Barcelos, Portugal
Occupation: Currently taking a Gap Year
Hobbies: reading books, listening to music, doing yoga, painting, watching films, taking photos
Favourite animal: otters
Favourite movie genre: Documentary, Experimental

Why did I decide to participate in this volunteer project?
Traveling to other countries has always been a dream of mine. I have had the opportunity to participate in different Erasmus+ short term duration projects and an ESC program in Iceland and loved the experience of meeting people with different viewpoints on central and political topics worth discussing. One of the reasons why I want to take part in this project is the possibility to travel to Croatia and to experience the local culture and get in touch with the local community of Opatija while being active in environmental action.

I am excited to learn more about climate change, animal protection, sustainability and environmental management, to record the knowledge I will obtain and share it throughout my life and implement these practices into my daily life. I am considering working in the environmental field where I could actively contribute to the fight for climate justice so I think having this opportunity will help me figure out my role in this fight. Moreover, I am a digital and analogue photographer and cinematographer so I think this project will foster and improve my technical and artistic skills.

I believe this experience will give me more understanding on the different types of people I will encounter and new values that will help throughout my life. I know I will learn a lot from day one and that my sense of curiosity and reflection will be constantly open to new experiences during this month.

Why do I think these type of youth activities (Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps) are important?
I suppose projects like what I am taking part right now are important to get in touch with local NGOs and communities other than your national country and that all young people benefit from the activities I will be participating in. After getting my college degree, I think it is significant to challenge myself to be active and engage in political and civic projects like the ones provided by the EU in order to foster my personal and intercultural skills. If you ever consider taking part in any project supported by the Erasmus+ and ESC programs, I recommend you to do so since it will be an asset to your professional path – you have so many opportunities to volunteer in any of your interest areas that it won’t be difficult for you to feel you are contributing to something that is close to your heart.

Name: Joana Almeida
Age: 24
City/Country: Viseu, Portugal
Occupation: Designer
Hobbies: Arts&Crafts, Cake design, Singing, Watching movies
Favourite animal: Deer
Favourite movie genre: So many! Top genres must be historic, disaster-suspense and animated movies.

Why did you decide to volunteer?

I was a volunteer Girl Guide at Associação Guias de Portugal (international WAGGGS) for 15 years and although I’ve taken part on several volunteering projects, I’ve never done it abroad. The main theme for this project is sustainable development and environmental preservation. It’s necessary to learn how to decrease our overall consumption, not only plastic, water or meat. We must learn and encourage conscious consumption so we’re able to significantly reduce the negative impact on the environment, as human overconsumption is driving the climate crisis and costing us the earth. It’s something more and more present in our lives nowadays, and personally I need to learn much more about this major issue in order to be able to really contribute to a change.

Furthermore, I would have the chance to practice my English skills, perhaps learning a new language, visiting a new country (I had never been to Croatia and so far I’m loving it!) and meeting new people. All this together[?] was the perfect motivation for embracing this opportunity. I love to know about other cultures, travelling and discovering new places!

Why is it important to participate in European Solidarity Core?

I want to know more about climate change and sustainability while contributing to a cause I support, learning about a new culture, meeting new people and places and getting out of my comfort zone.

Volunteering and participating in youth exchanges within the ESS programs allow young people to live and witness new countries, cultures, history and people, while learning about and supporting a cause they believe in. The set of skills they’ll gain with these opportunities will contribute to both their professional and personal development and growth. Overall, these are amazing opportunities [this word again?] and I highly recommend everyone to try it at least once.

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