My name is Louise, I’m 23 years old and I’m from the south of France. I am currently taking part in a European Solidarity Corps (ESC) program in the small town of Narva, Estonia, where I work in an informal education center called VitaTiim.
When I was looking for a volunteering opportunity, I knew I wanted to go to a country I knew nothing about. I think that when Europeans think about traveling, we often choose exotic destinations or places completely different from Europe in order to experience something new, which means we actually know very little about our own European community !
As proof, I didn’t even know where Estonia was on the map before coming here. I came across VitaTiim’s project announcement and it immediately caught my interest. Sherry on top, this city is a truly unique destination because of its history and location, it’s right across from Russia, you hear Russian spoken as soon as you meet locals, yet you are still very much in Estonia.
When I was looking for a volunteering opportunity, I knew I wanted to go to a country I knew nothing about. I think that when Europeans think about traveling, we often choose exotic destinations or places completely different from Europe in order to experience something new, which means we actually know very little about our own European community !
As proof, I didn’t even know where Estonia was on the map before coming here. I came across VitaTiim’s project announcement and it immediately caught my interest. Sherry on top, this city is a truly unique destination because of its history and location, it’s right across from Russia, you hear Russian spoken as soon as you meet locals, yet you are still very much in Estonia.
During this experience, I learned many different things, such as speaking in public, in English, with Russian-speaking people of all ages and in various contexts : mainly through my volunteering at VitaTiim, leading workshops with teenagers and adults or even running a full week of activities during children’s holidays. This aspect was quite a challenge for me, as it’s not one of my strengths. I’m proud that I was able to practice and improve whether on my own or with my Spanish colleague Lucía, in a very supportive environment surrounded by
many interesting people.
I also learned to adapt to a lifestyle different from my own in France, a different language, different weather and different ways of thinking. The biggest lesson I’ve taken from this adventure is that no matter where we come from,
even with language barriers and only basic English, there is always a way to communicate and to meet people who eventually become friends.
many interesting people.
I also learned to adapt to a lifestyle different from my own in France, a different language, different weather and different ways of thinking. The biggest lesson I’ve taken from this adventure is that no matter where we come from,
even with language barriers and only basic English, there is always a way to communicate and to meet people who eventually become friends.
A funny thing that happened to me has to do with the buses. I took the bus to go to VitaTiim and at the beginning, I often got confused trying to remember which ones to take. One morning, I ended up halfway on the road to Narva-Jõesuu by mistake and had to ride back on a Bolt scooter in the rain so I wouldn’t be late for work. Another time, I took the wrong bus home again and ended up on the other side of the city, in the rain and darkness of the night. A bus came by and the driver, seeing me alone, tried to talk to me but he didn’t
understand English. We managed to understand each other and he kindly drove me back home like a taxi bus.
Of course many great things also happened. I was lucky to visit Helsinki in Finland, it’s just across the sea from Tallinn. I also went to Riga in Latvia, only a few hours away by bus, and closer by, to Narva-Jõesuu, where I enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere surrounded by the beauty of the forest and the seaside. I’ve also had wonderful encounters during the workshops, whether with children or adults, with whom I’ve had really interesting conversations and of course, with the other volunteers too !
understand English. We managed to understand each other and he kindly drove me back home like a taxi bus.
Of course many great things also happened. I was lucky to visit Helsinki in Finland, it’s just across the sea from Tallinn. I also went to Riga in Latvia, only a few hours away by bus, and closer by, to Narva-Jõesuu, where I enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere surrounded by the beauty of the forest and the seaside. I’ve also had wonderful encounters during the workshops, whether with children or adults, with whom I’ve had really interesting conversations and of course, with the other volunteers too !
My expectations for this volunteering experience were exactly what I had hoped for : discovering a country and a culture I didn’t know while living a real day-to-day life working in that same city. All of that without paying anything, since an ESC contract is fully funded by the European Union.
What surprised me the most was how enthusiastic people were about the fact that we, the volunteers, were here in this small town. People would always ask us lots of questions during the workshops. I hope we were able to be a source of inspiration for them, to maybe one day encourage them to live a similar experience themselves.
I recommend the European Solidarity Corps to anyone who wants to have a “work” experience abroad without having to worry about the financial side. For example, young graduates looking for a job like me or simply anyone who hasn’t had the means or opportunity to travel or live abroad before.
I also highly recommend this experience for how enriching it is. It's so important to discover something beyond your home environment in order to understand our world better and maybe even realize that your true home might be somewhere else... or, on the contrary, that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side and that you’re actually happy right where you already are.
To say it simply : open yourself up and grow.
What surprised me the most was how enthusiastic people were about the fact that we, the volunteers, were here in this small town. People would always ask us lots of questions during the workshops. I hope we were able to be a source of inspiration for them, to maybe one day encourage them to live a similar experience themselves.
I recommend the European Solidarity Corps to anyone who wants to have a “work” experience abroad without having to worry about the financial side. For example, young graduates looking for a job like me or simply anyone who hasn’t had the means or opportunity to travel or live abroad before.
I also highly recommend this experience for how enriching it is. It's so important to discover something beyond your home environment in order to understand our world better and maybe even realize that your true home might be somewhere else... or, on the contrary, that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side and that you’re actually happy right where you already are.
To say it simply : open yourself up and grow.
