U Opatiju su pristigle dvije mlade djevojke, Laura i Cristina koje su Žmergo odabrale kao udrugu u kojoj će prvoesti svoju stručnu praksu u okviru Erasmus+ programa. Sljedeća tri mjeseca djevojke će sudjelovati u nizu aktivnosti kroz koje će usvojiti nova znanja, steći nove vještine, a njima osnažiti svoje kompetencije za poslove u skladu sa svojojm strukom u skoroj bodućnosti, a koja se tiče socijalne integracije ranjivih skupina u društvo.
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Name: Laura Jiménez Herrero
Age: 21
City/country: Osorno la Mayor, Palencia
Studies: Social Integration
Hobbies: Skating, dancing, and drawing
Favorite music style: Punk rock, reggae, and rap
Animal I identify with: Lynx
Why did I decide to participate in the Erasmus+ program? Why do I think this program is important?
I decided to take part in Erasmus+ to improve the knowledge acquired during my Social Integration course. Additionally, participating in Erasmus will help me gain the experience necessary to carry out my professional role in the future.
On the other hand, this is a great experience to travel, meet new people, and open both work and personal opportunities, as it is a way to overcome fears, challenges, and increase personal autonomy.
I think this program is important because it’s a great opportunity to enjoy yourself and see that you can achieve many things independently. It’s a valuable opportunity that provides tools for future careers and helps improve a foreign language, in my case, English. I recommend it to everyone.
How do we relate our professional role to environmental care?
We work with vulnerable groups, and often, they lack the knowledge or tools to care for our planet. Therefore, we must focus the activities we do on environmental care, using recyclable materials or training in recycling routines and environmental care.
Both Cristina and I believe this movement and these tools are very important because little by little our planet is deteriorating due to poor care and, above all, ignorance about the importance of caring for our home, the Earth.
Name: Cristina Rodríguez Cárdenas
Age: 22
City/ Country: Soria (Spain)
Studies: Social Integration
Hobbies: Reading, listening to music, walking, doing sports
Favorite music style: Rock music
Animal I identify with:: Jellyfish
Why did I decide to participate in the Erasmus+ program? Why do I think this program is important?
I decided to take part in this Erasmus because it seems like a great opportunity to travel and get to know another city and country with its culture and people, as well as meet new people and practice and improve another language, in my case, English.
It’s a good experience to step out of your comfort zone and test your abilities, seeing how you manage in another place alone or with a friend if you go together. Although it’s nerve-wracking or scary at first, once you take the leap, people welcome you very well and you realize it’s not so complicated.
I think this program is important because it allows you to experience different ways of working and living, learn from them, and gain experience and training through the work you will do.
What were our expectations before arriving, and how was the arrival?
We had high expectations of living a great experience, meeting new people, and developing our English skills. Although we didn’t know exactly where we were going or what we were going to work on, we were excited and eager to arrive and meet the workers. From the beginning, they were very kind and made things easier for us to participate in Erasmus, so although we were nervous and a little scared, we felt calm.
The arrival in the country was very pleasant; the people of Croatia in general are very friendly and speak English as soon as they hear you speak another language, and they try to help with everything. Moreover, both Rijeka and Opatija are very beautiful as they have both sea and mountains.
The arrival in Žmergo, where we do our internship, was welcoming, and we received great treatment; the people are very nice and fun. They manage to create a good atmosphere and ease any tension you may have when starting a new job in another city and with another language. I recommend that if you have the opportunity to go on Erasmus+, you should take it.
