A new surprise to me: We got used to living in this place very quickly, arriving as individuals of free choice. The walls that separate us from one of the most horrifying places ever present. Wherever our eyes glance houses of perpetrators and buildings were mass destruction was systematically planned in its smallest detail. Volunteering,…
“Diverse” – Youth exchange in Illora, Spain
My scepticism was very high, I have to admit it. An all covered stay of one week in Spain where I could discuss social issues and experience cultural diversity with other 30 people from all over Europe: it must be a joke or a randomly dream that I had. I mean, if it would be…
What European Youth Event 2018 taught me about Europe?
The EYE2018 takes place on 1-2 June 2018 in the European Parliament’s seat in Strasbourg. It is a unique opportunity for young Europeans to make their voices heard. ‘’This might be your only chance to join this kind of an event. It’s may be now, and never again’’ – this kind of a sentence (with few…
When a friend from Voluntariat told me about the training “From small steps to big changes” and asked me if I could participate, I knew right away that I wanted to be a part of it. I even ended my trip to Skopje earlier to be able to go. The topic is really close to my heart…
Volunteering for Acceptance and Tolerance
I participated in a short-term EVS in Macedonia as part of the project ”Volunteering for Acceptance and Tolerance”. I spent 3 months in Kumanovo – a town located in the north-eastern part of Macedonia. My project was divided into two parts – I was working in the youth center and in the refugee camp in…
(Re)Discovering the meaning of “feminism” in Tanzania
My name is Sara and I have always had a weird relationship with the word feminism. In the beginning, when I was a kid and came to hear the word for the first time I found it deeply attractive. It sounded like something mystical, as if people were speaking of a secret cult of some…
My arrival to Switzerland
Say “hello” to our new EVS volunteer in the office – Sofiya from Ukraine. She arrived a month ago and is now the Placement Officer of SCI Switzerland. My arrival in Switzerland started with a day full of adventures. But now, after having finally arrived, it all looks like magic. So many new impressions, new…
As a “Nature Friend” on the Holy Nose (Svyatoy Nos)
In the summer of 2016 I was finally able to fulfill a dream of mine – a trip to Lake Baikal in Siberia, the emblem of the Republic of Buryatia, the Buddhist center of the Russian Federation. Lake Baikal is the oldest ( >25 million years), largest (673km long x 82km wide) and deepest (1642m)…
Project Management seminar in Greece
I Ms. Alpana Bhadra, SCI India got this opportunity to attend the Project Management seminar in Greece. I was super anxious and super excited at the same time as I had never ever travelled alone in my life in such a different country as I come from a patriarchal society so this was a new…
Inspirational EVS story: I came, I saw, I stayed!
I’m Nastja from sLOVEnia. Before I went on my EVS, I was just an ordinary person. Working a job I didn’t like, buying stuff I didn’t need, complaining all the time, and most of all, living a life with no deeper meaning. My head was full of ideas with even more of the obstacles…
My year as an EVS Volunteer in Switzerland
Working in the SCI office was so much more than what I expected, I learned much more than I had thought. The work was very diverse and I was able to help for very diverse activities, such as organizing events and carrying them out. I did presentations, although I was terrified of it in the…
Let’s deconstruct Voluntourism by talking about it
During the third edition of « le festival des voyageurs alternatifs » set up by the Interphaz association, SCI France and partners organized a conference about « Voluntourism ». We were welcomed by the University of Lille SHS in the library. In this way we enjoyed talking about this subject on a beautiful setting. How can we avoid those…
