The project involved 15 volunteers from 8 organizations across 7 European countries who worked on raising awareness of social issues like inclusion, loneliness, mental health, and unemployment. Volunteers participated in a variety of activities like creating podcasts, social media content, and board games to promote topics like COVID-19 awareness, LGBTQ+ rights, and wellbeing. The project aimed to give volunteers experience helping socially excluded groups while addressing important social challenges.

1. THE SOCIAL
CHALLENGES -
SOLIDARITY
HEROES
15 volunteers, 8 organizations, 7 European countries
15 volunteers, 8 organizations, 7 European countries
15 volunteers, 8 organizations, 7 European countries
Natalia Germanek
2022

2. Language Academy Wales from the UK;
Fundació Catalunya Voluntària from Spain;
ORFEAS A.M.K.E. from Greece;
Teatro Metaphora - Associação de Amigos das Artes from Portugal;
Enjoy Sicily Associazione Culturale from Italy;
Aventura Marão Clube from Portugal;
Naermiljosentralen from Norway;
MTÜ Lapsepõlve Akadeemia from Estonia.
Project imprint:
Project name: "The Social Challenges - Solidarity Heroes"
Financial contract number: 2020-1-PL01-ESC11-079141
Project duration: 15/06/2020 - 14/09/2022(27 months)
Grant-aid: 157.735,00 EUR
Project beneficiary: Fundacja Rozwoju Społeczeństwa Przedsiębiorczego
Partner Organizations:
Publication financed by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ Programme.
Text composition: Natalia Germanek
Text correction: Natalia Kirillova
Graphic design: Natalia Kirillova
Photos source: Canva.com; private volunteers' archives
Cover photo source: Canva.com
Number of mobilities: 8
Number of involved countries: 7
Number of involved organizations: 8
Number of involved volunteers: 15
All activities were conducted by using non-formal methods.
Participation in them was free of charge.

3. Table of contents
2 Introduction
4 Volunteers in Language Academy Wales
12 Volunteers in Fundació Catalunya Voluntària
17 Volunteers in ORFEAS A.M.K.E.
28 Volunteers in Teatro Metaphora - Associação
de Amigos das Artes
43 Volunteers in Enjoy Sicily Associazione
Culturale
54 Volunteers in Aventura Marão Clube
60 Volunteers in Naermiljosentralen
70 Volunteers in MTÜ Lapsepõlve Akadeemia
74 A few words about our organization

4. Introduction
2
Volunteering projects (former European Voluntary Service - EVS) is one of the activities
currently (since 2019) carried out within the European Solidarity Corps, known before as
Erasmus+. These projects answer important social needs, contribute to social integrity
and at the same time enable volunteers to gain practical experience, skills and
competences necessary for acquiring new knowledge as well as personal development
during voluntary work.
The projects are conducted in the EU member countries and neighboring countries (so
called partner countries as well as the Mediterranean Basin countries).
"The Social Challenges - Solidarity Heroes" (PL: "Wyzwania społeczne - Bohaterowie
Solidarności") is a project funded by the European Commission within a program
Erasmus+ - Volunteering.
The initiative engaged eight different partner organizations from five EU countries, two
neighboring countries and its participants were 15 volunteers from Poland. Their stay in
the host countries lasted between four and and twelve months.
Language Academy Wales from the UK;
Fundació Catalunya Voluntària from Spain;
ORFEAS A.M.K.E. from Greece;
Teatro Metaphora - Associação de Amigos das Artes from Portugal;
Enjoy Sicily Associazione Culturale from Italy;
Aventura Marão Clube from Portugal;
Naermiljosentralen from Norway;
MTÜ Lapsepõlve Akadeemia from Estonia.
The project has been a result of cooperation between the partner organizations -
Fundacja Rozwoju Spoleczerstwa Przedsiebiorczego from Poland and:

5. 3
the lack of integration people who „fall outside”, we mean f.eg. refugees issues;
spreading loneliness among children and the elderly people;
mentally ill, homeless or jobless people are treated as worse kind of humankind;
the lack of awareness towards social issues in each local community and even at
national/regional levels in each host country;
social apathy, specially from younger generations. New concepts of millennials,
generations Z and Y[Generations theory,Strauss&Howe], who spend too much time
online and is decreasing social relationships;
increasing longevity, low birth rates, the EU is facing major demographic change as
older people make up an increasingly large proportion of the population. As of
2019,21% of Europeans are aged 65 but this is predicted to rise to 30% by
2060[Eurostat].
All the organizations participating in the project work with or in favor of the youth.
Together we wanted to face the challenges of today's world, which namely are:
As part of the project, a number of foreign mobilities took place, whose common
denominator was to enable participants to gain theoretical and practical knowledge about
supporting people at risk of social exclusion (migrants; elderly; kids and youngsters with
fewer opportunities - among them also orphans; people with mental health issues; jobless
or homeless etc.) through trainings provided by host organizations; to acquire new skills
useful in the labor market. The volunteers used formal and non-formal learning methods
to promote coherence and understanding in different groups, promote equal opportunities
and reduce performance gaps.
The brochure presents the activities and experiences of all volunteers in the period
from October 2020 to July 2022 and their activities under the project. The brochure is the
result prepared by all organizations and volunteers involved.

6. Volunteer
in the Language Academy Wales
CARDIFF, UK
Mobility A1

7. 5
Language Academy Wales (LAW) is a non-profit organization, an English language
school based in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. The main focus of the school is helping
the social inclusion youth group via exchange programmes (e.g.
linguistic/cultural/environmental) and promoting the understanding of different cultures
and raising awareness in the equality and diversity agendas as well as developing
languages and personal development. The academy has many years of experience
working with People with Fewer Opportunity (PWFO) with European and Asia partners.
Their activities consist of promoting collaboration with international schools, colleges and
private training providers to provide affordable, effective and accessible English and
language training to individuals of all ages throughout Europe enabling them to develop
themselves and their potential.

8. 6
Jakub Smoliński
I decided to volunteer for the European Volunteering Corps long before I left for Cardiff.
My decision was influenced by frequent involvement in helping volunteers from various
countries of the European Union, as well as from outside. It was thanks to the contacts
with volunteers that I decided to try my hand at one of the EVS projects. The project in
which I participated took place in the capital of Wales, Cardiff. I spent most of my time in
the Language Academy Wales office, where my tasks were varied (doing research,
helping with administrative tasks, designing flyers and banners, and much, much more).
MOBILITY DATES: 18/10/2020 - 18/10/2021
One of my main tasks was to help in the
promotion of important and necessary online
information on projects such as MEW (Mental
Health and Wellbeing), Raising Awareness
about COVID-19, or RAINBO. Each of these
projects was aimed at helping the wider or local
community.
The reason the MEW project was launched was
that there was a lot of pressure on mental
health in the UK. It was in the news and so on.
So we did some studies that found mental
health to be a big problem for a lot of people,
and more importantly, there wasn't much help
for it. The idea was that we should create a
project where we could raise people's
awareness of their own mental health and how
they can stay healthy and take care of their
well-being.

9. 7
The main goal of the MEW project is raising awareness of mental and emotional well-
being, developing an understanding of how our mental and emotional well-being can
suffer and how it can manifest itself through depression, anxiety, panic attacks, self-harm
and more, addressing and taking corrective actions.
My duties included:
- searching for Good Practices designed to help people solve problems and make
decisions. Examples of such practices are:
1. Individual Placement Services (IPS) - IPS helps people with severe mental health
problems find employment. It is associated with intensive, individual support, quick job
search, followed by remunerated employment and unlimited time support at work for both
the employee and the employer.
2. Lifeworks - aims to improve the mental health and resilience of socially excluded
people.
3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) - CBT aims to help you deal with overwhelming
problems in a more positive way by breaking them down into smaller parts.
4. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) -
The mission of HSE is to prevent
death, injury and ill health of
employees and others.
- searching for questions and answers,
and designing the MEW board game:
Here is an example:
Critical thinking has a negative impact
on problem solving.
Answer: False. Problem solving gives
you the chance to experience the
importance of critical thinking.
- assistance in creating a website for
the MEW project, thanks to the training
'' Introduction to website design '' lead
by CareerChangeWales.
- and occasionally writing articles, or
creating leaflets and banners
promoting and inviting people to read
our work.
However, the most satisfying element
of the Mental Health Emotional
Wellbeing project was definitely the
board game called MEW.

10. The rationale behind this game was the limited number of board games based on
social and personal competences (i.e. communication, self-confidence / self-esteem /
emotional education, assertiveness, problem solving and intercultural skills). Therefore,
designing this interactive tool was a valuable method of learning about ourselves, our
emotions, good and slightly less good sides, or just how we can help ourselves when
dealing with mental health problems. We believe this game will provide the right kind of
situation, improving adult learners' wellbeing and social / key competences. Most
importantly, this game has a large interactive “fun” element that everyone will appreciate.
The idea behind the MEW game is to promote mental health and wellness. The rules of
the game are 2 to 5 players aged 14 or over.
8
Preparation:
- Shuffle the cards in each category;
- Place cards from each category on the
board, face down;
- Find a cube from any game you might have
at home or build your own;
- Find 1 pawn / pin from any game you may
have at home or from any small item
(penny, earring, stone, ...);
- Have a stopwatch on your mobile phone or
other device ready when needed.
Beginning:
Each player (or team) rolls the dice, starting
with the one with the highest score.
Then proceed clockwise.
Objective:
The players decide at the beginning of the
game whether they choose to play Option A
or B.
A) Collect 1 card from each category by
correctly completing 1 question / challenge
from each category.
B) Collect 3 cards from each category by
correctly completing 3 questions /
challenges from each category.

11. - You can move in any direction where you have a connection (black line between 2 dots),
but you cannot go back to the point where you were directly before;
- When you reach the dot (according to the exact number indicated on your roll of the
dice), the player to your left draws the top card of the deck / correspondent color and
reads the challenge of the question;
- If you get to the white dot, you can choose the category you want to answer;
- If you complete the question / answer correctly, keep the card to yourself, if not, the card
retreats to the bottom of the corresponding deck / color;
- Each player / team has the right to change the card once;
- Either the player wins the round or not, the turn should always move to the next player
(left).
Game:
- The first player in the first round
starts with the black dot;
In subsequent rounds, each player
moves from the point where the
previous player stopped;
- Roll the die at the start of your
turn - move the full number shown
on the die;
9
Winner:
The players decide at the beginning of the game whether they choose to play Option A or
B.
A) When the scoring is completed (3 cards from each category) you win the game.
B) After scoring (3 cards from each category) you must try to land on the black dot where
the game started, the exact number of dice rolls. If you cross it, you will have to wait
It's your turn again and keep trying until you land on it; When you land on the black dot,
your opponents select the category card of their last game (without reading the cards
first). If you complete this successfully then you win the game.

12. The Raising Awareness about COVID-19 for young people in Wales project involves:
Raising awareness of Covid-19 among young people and better understanding how
COVID-19 can easily spread in the community, family and social groups. Identifying fake
news posted on social media and on the Internet. Understand how we can all play an
important role in helping to stop and contain the spread of the coronavirus. Help
government and community combat the spread of Covid 19. Chat with residents about
their views on the coronavirus.
10
Certainly, an unusual form of the campaign to raise awareness
of threats and general knowledge about the coronavirus was the
use of the TikTok application as a transfer platform. We did
some research and we found on the Internet that young people,
our target group, often use TikTok, not only for entertainment, but
also to gain some knowledge from there. Together, we used this
to raise awareness about Covid-19.
The RAINBO project is the most recent project of the Language
Academy Wales organization, which is based on:
Identifying the challenges and inequalities faced by the
disadvantaged LGBTQ population during the COVID-19 pandemic,
and examining the level of digital literacy of healthcare
professionals and service providers who deal with LGBTQ
customers.

13. Looking for good practices regarding the LGBTQ community. Research on health
issues, mental health issues, and gender dysphoria in this community. Finding existing
VET (Vocational Training) programs to help you learn about the LGBT community in the
UK and the European Union were some of the tasks I was tasked with doing.
11
The coronavirus pandemic definitely made itself known, but it
allowed me to improve my digital competences and use technology
to help the local community. An inseparable part of every project is
its logo. So it was a lot of fun for me to be able to design a logo for
some of the LAW projects. By using only Publisher, I was able to
design logos, publications, leaflets, banners. I wanted the RAINBO
logo to be easy to perceive, tangible and reflect the message of our
project.
So, summing up my tasks:
Hours spent in front of the computer, scanning and printing documents, binding,
participation in professional training. Of course, in all these tasks I was supported by
another volunteer from Turkey and by the staff of Language Academy Wales. All this may
seem a bit tedious, but it teaches me that even despite the problems (mine was a
pandemic), we are able to quickly adapt to the situation and come up with other forms of
communication to help communities.

14. Volunteers
in Fundació Catalunya Voluntària
BARCELONA, SPAIN
Mobility A2

15. 13
Fundació Catalunya Voluntària is a nonprofit, independent organization, whose
mission is to foster active volunteering for positive social change, through non formal
learning and as part of the Culture of Peace, in Catalonia and around the world. Its vision
is a world, where everyone, especially young people, has the willingness and the
capacities to take actions with a positive impact in their communities, as global active
citizens. FCV actively promotes solidarity and peace education as tools to transform
society and as a real opportunity to gain relevant competences. It uses non-formal,
intercultural and service-based learning methods to empower young people, according to
their personal intentions and situation, and works together with young leaders and youth
workers to improve the social and global impact of their initiatives.

16. 14
Iwona
Wierzbanowska
Fundacio Catalunya Voluntaria is working with young people who are experiencing
different forms of social exclusion: because of their origin, gender, disability, economical
or social background etc. During my voluntary project we were reaching different groups
trying to increase the conscience about important issues. Also during the ESC project we
were facing pandemia and all of the restrictions that it brought. Nevertheless, volunteers
managed to lead online and presencial activities with the groups of young people.
MOBILITY DATES: 04/11/2020 - 03/11/2021
Methods:
- Podcast
The aim of the podcast about sustainability that
I was realizing with my coordinator was to raise
the awareness of the actions that we can take
to help our planet. We were co-operating with
different organizations and activists from
Barcelona. The podcast was realized in the
Spanish and Catalan languages and directed to
different target groups but mostly young people
in Catalunya to show them which tools they
have and which actions they can take in
everyday life.

17. I was responsible for a few months to create a content for Instagram, together with other
volunteers we organized the first IG Live where we talked about health issues. Together
with loanna, a volunteer from Greece, we were creating as well funny content for TikTok
(dancing or making sketches related to volunteering).
- Workshops:
In the frame of my project I realized a few on-line workshops for young people: about
human rights in Poland, music production and situation of women in the music industry. I
was using Zoom and Ableton software to show music production basic techniques.
During the workshop about the situation of women in the audio industry I invited female
sound engineers to share their experiences, tell about their job and discuss what an be
done to prevent gender inequality.
15
- Social media:
In FCV we try to develop different social media platforms that are
popular among young people like Instagram and TikTok.

18. For me this experience and volunteering is about..
16
sharing your experience and knowledge
caring for others
challenging yourself and others
making your environment better and personal growth

19. Volunteers
in ORFEAS A.M.K.E.
XYLOKASTRO, GREECE
Mobility A3

20. 18
ORFEAS A.M.K.E. is a nonprofit organization, whose purpose is the utilization of free
time, informing young people about international and national programs, and the
encouragement of participation. One of the missions of this center is to provide to
volunteers as well as to local youngsters with fewer opportunities and disadvantaged
groups an informal intercultural learning experience, encouraging their social integration,
active participation, increasing their employability and giving them opportunities to show
solidarity with youth from different countries.

21. 19
Kaja Borkowska
For 3 months I had the opportunity to participate in the project The Social Challenges -
Solidarity Heroes: Let's develop social sensitivity in Xylokastro, Greece. The project was
run by the Fundacja Rozwoju Społeczeństwa Przedsiębiorczego organization. My host
organization was the Orfeas A.M.K.E. located in Xylokastro in Peloponnese peninsula.
My adventure started in the end of February, 2021 and as it was already the second year
of the coronavirus pandemic, we encountered a lot of difficulties on the way...
MOBILITY DATES: 28/02/2021 - 06/06/2021
But it didn’t spoil my experience at all! Since we
had to improvise a lot, we had to be really
creative and spontaneous and for me it was the
best possible way of working.
My principle task was to make the local youth
aware of their possibilities of development. Our
aim with this activity was to provide an informal
intercultural learning experience, encouraging
their social integration, increasing their
employability and giving them opportunities to
show solidarity with youth from different
countries. We managed to achieve it mostly by
running the discussions, language exchanges,
artistic projects realized all together and
creative language classes.

22. At the beginning of the project we were in the strict lockdown, but we used this time to
prepare the future classes and activities. In the middle of March we launched the English
classes for the small group of young people, trying to make it as amusing and creative as
possible. We used the creative methods of learning, such as role-playing, story-telling as
well as including popular games like the hangman or the card game dobble.
20
As soon as the government eased on the restrictions, we could also run the English
classes outdoors, which let us achieve even better results. All together we tried to manage
with everyday situations, using the phrases needed in the shop, in the train stations etc.
We also involved some competition, playing the game “10” in which you have to name 10
first seen objects in English.
The idea of the classes was to learn the most
useful phrases and volabulary, that is used
during everyday activites, for instance during
workout...

23. In the end of March the other long-term volunteer’s environmental project was accepted
and this is how we started a bewildering adventure with murals. The first murale we
created on the 40-metres wall in Xylokastro, then we moved to Manna, the nearby village,
where I proceeded with my personal project. Already in Manna we decided to expand our
field of action and we involved the local community in the process of creating the murale.
21
Never before had I realized the
power of community work so
intensely! The children aged from 7
to 15 were immensely involved in
their tasks and even though we
couldn’t communicate with the same
language, the body language, the
gestures and the aim in common
were more than enough to hit it off!
Furthermore, the children had the
opportunity to enhance the
collaborative skills, because they
had to interact with the other kids,
looking for the compromises,
negotiating and sharing the
equipment.
We also cooperated a lot with the local
authorities. Since they were really satisfied
with the results, they offered us to paint
another wall in Manna. All together we were
discussing the project of the new mural. I
had the opportunity to commence this mural
with the amazing artist, my close friend,
Marie, who is going to finish the wall on her
own, because my project has come to an
end.

24. I also developed my social and team skills and acquired the competences to run the
project like these in the future. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and for the
impact it had on me.
We were always craving for delicious Greek food served by the sea...
22
My mentor, Katarzyna Kalyva and us really hit it off! We spent great
time together at her place.
We also enjoyed travelling so much. Here you can see the sunset in Patra.

25. 23
Natalia Kąkol
The Social Challenges – Solidarity Heroes project takes place in the youth information
office of the Orfeas organization in Xylokastro. The goal of the project is to show the
possibilities to the young people of the region between 12-30 years old. The main task is
to provide an informal intercultural learning experience, encouraging their social
integration, active participation, increasing their employability, and giving them
opportunities to show solidarity with youth from different countries.
MOBILITY DATES: 04/06/2021 - 12/03/2022
THE TASKS OF IN THE PROJECT:
-Communication between volunteers and the
Orfeas office (Supporting volunteers in the first
days in Xylokastro by taking them on a city tour
and getting to know the rules of the apartment /
welcoming new volunteers and making contact
with them before departure to provide
information about transport, life in Greece and
their project);
-Social media management;
-Office tasks: supervising volunteer documents
(YouthPass, creating folders, exchanging e-
mails;

26. -Giving English classes for short-term
volunteers;
-Supervising and documenting short-term
volunteer work;
-Participation in the ESC promotional event
organized by the Orfeas Organization;
-Organization and conducting of English
language workshops for the local Xylokastro
Language School;
-Participation in interviews with candidates for
long and short-term projects;
-Organization and conducting of Youth Pass
workshops for volunteers.
24
Events:
-Open Art Festival: Help in organizing art and art workshops for children in the local
commune. My main task was to support children in their efforts to paint pictures. I
handed them the paints and gave them instructions on how to mix the colors. Through
my attempt to speak Greek, the children were more willing to share their works, which
allowed them to integrate better and bring joy around us.

27. -Ziria Festival is one of the biggest cultural events in Greece, the more I feel honored that I
could participate in it. As a volunteer there, I was responsible for helping to prepare more
than 2,000 places, setting up tents and tables before the great artists began their
performance. My task was also to keep the queues in order and to provide information to
the festival participants. These activities had a positive impact on me and also on the
visitors, as sharing the experience allowed for the spread of awareness in the realm of
other cultures and traditions.
25
English classes: As a volunteer also
working in the office, I was responsible for
providing information to other volunteers
who came for various projects. The
European Solidarity Corps offers great
opportunities for young, inexperienced
people and people trying to become
independent, which is why people who do
not know or want to improve their English
often come. To help them in this, together
with other volunteers we organized
English classes. Sometimes these were
discussions on any topics (usually
everyday life), quizzes (eg Kahoot), games
and activities that allowed the volunteers
to feel at ease and overcome the fear of
speaking barrier.
-Environmental project: Logistic and
practical assistance for short-term
volunteers in implementing nature projects.
One of them was to spread awareness
among local residents about recycling,
which has a great impact on our future. Our
task was, among other things, to create
information boards in Greek and English.

28. They are designed to visually show the problem we all struggle with. The plaques were
placed in the center of the forest park in Xylokastro.
26
-English workshops: Together with the cooperation with the local language school, we
organized English language workshops. Our task was to plan activities for students taking
into account their level of knowledge. At the beginning, we took care of the preparation of
the topic, vocabulary, exercises and the preparation of an action plan. At the beginning,
while still in a large group, we organized a brainstorming session to overcome shyness
and meet students with volunteers. Then we divided into several groups in which the
volunteers talked with the students.

29. Contact with people who do not speak Greek gave the opportunity to better use the
acquired knowledge to communicate with others. The students were asked to prepare a
presentation in English on a topic that they had discussed in small groups. Each group
had different questions to discuss. Our goal was to encourage young people to speak
English and increase their confidence in speaking.
27
International Evenings: As the volunteers come from different
countries, we organized international evenings on a regular basis.
They were to increase our multicultural awareness and learn more
about the traditions, food and languages of our roommates.
-Local community help: Once a month, with the cooperation of the Xylokastro county, we
helped to pack the basic products, and then they were handed over to the inhabitants in
need.[

30. Volunteers
in Teatro Metaphora - Associação de
Amigos das Artes
CAMARA DE LOBOS, MADEIRA, PORTUGAL
Mobility A4

31. 29
Teatro Metaphora - Associação de Amigos das Artes is a non-profit association whose
purpose is to develop cultural activities for benefit of community’s development and
education. Its objectives are to develop social and personal competences of children,
youth, and adults by organising local and international projects, camps, training courses,
conferences, seminars, consultations, lectures and other educational activities, based on
non-formal education principles for kids, youth and adults.

32. 30
Jacek Szakuro
The main goal of our activities was to fight the exclusion, prejudices and stereotypes of
the community living in the city of Camara de Lobos. The city is located on the
Portuguese island of Madeira in its southern part, 5 km west of the island's capital -
Funchal. The city is located directly on the ocean coast. The population is approximately
18,000.
MOBILITY DATES: 06/12/2020 - 06/10/2021
Camara de Lobos
The town is one of the oldest on the
island. It was founded around 1430 by
the discoverer of the island Joao
Goncalves Zarco (1419). The name
refers to the shape of the cliff above
the bay (port. Camara) and the sea
lions that once lived in large numbers
(port. Lobos marinas). Today,
endangered animals can be found on
the protected islands of Ilhas Desertas.
The town is famous for its port and
colorful fishing boats. You can also
enjoy amazing views of the bay, cliffs,
local architecture and banana
plantations.

33. Description of the social problem
The current social problems result
from the uninteresting past of this
place. The way of life of the
inhabitants was of great
importance. History allows us to
understand some of the problems
that still bother the inhabitants of
this fishing town.
31
In 1933 the newspaper "O Povo" reported: “poverty
exists everywhere, but poverty takes on a tragic
dimension there [...]. Some houses are not suitable for
pigsties but have three, four or five tenants [...].
The streets are narrow and occupied by dozens of
women who are constantly embroidering in order to
earn a few pennies with which they hypothetically
support the family hunger. We look at the houses of
these people. Everyone condemns deprivation,
suffering, tuberculosis."
British Prime Minister's visit to Madeira in 1950.
Winston Churchill visited Camara de Lobos, where
he painted a picture showing a view of the bay.)
Problem diagnosis
Despite the fact that government institutions and
publicly denounced the problem, both in the
regional and foreign press, the fight against poverty
was systematically postponed. Instead of basic
resources, a cult of charity was promoted over the
years, which met with a favorable response from
the society of that time.

34. Charity fairs, fundraisers and food (usually soups) were distributed. In the twentieth
century many help programs have been launched. However, not all of them turned out to
be successful. Local infrastructure was slowly improved. Schools, kindergartens and a
health care center were built. Building housing for the poorest was a big undertaking. The
beauty of Camara de Lobos began to be appreciated and the town quickly became a
center of tourist attractions. Improved communication with Funchal, recreation centers
and the appearance of the city.
32
The current situation in the Camara de Lobos is
good. The infrastructure is at a high level.
Tourism has developed a lot and improved the
city's appearance and created new jobs.
Unfortunately, you can still meet people
begging. Residents are still struggling with
negative stereotypes related to the
uninteresting past. The main one is the belief
that the inhabitants of the Camara de Lobos
are criminals, they are uneducated, and inferior
to the rest of the island's inhabitants. People
have prejudices against them. It is connected
with the frequent lack of initiatives, willingness
to educate and low aspirations. A particular
problem is among young people. Sometimes,
some children come from dysfunctional
families.
During the activities organized by Teatro
Metaphora, we wanted to promote positive
behavior, such as caring for the environment,
openness to other cultures, social awareness
and willingness to educate.

35. Workshop of sustainable clothing industry
We were visited several times by school groups, scouts and children at the holiday camp.
The workshops were aimed at promoting more sustainable behavior and encouraging
responsible consumption. We intended to raise awareness of a major environmental and
social problem caused by the clothing and textile industry. The production of clothing is
resource-intensive and polluting on the planet, and uses cheap labor in inhumane
conditions.
33
We have carried out
various practical activities
to promote reflection on
these issues and which
warn of the dark side of
this highly polluting
process. More and more,
we want people to buy
diligently, considering
where products come from,
the environment and the
social impact of a
product's life cycle, in this
case, clothing. We have
prepared several points for
our guests where they
could participate in
interactive workshops in
small groups. Participants
learned about the
important role and use of
water. We showed how to
give a second life to
clothes with the help of art.

36. 34
Workshops of art
We had visitors from the local technical school. We showed them around the city center
and showed our artistic works made of recycled materials. It was a meeting entitled
"Training of cultural sensitivity and the transfiguration of the cultural sensitivity of
experience: aesthetics." Then we presented the history of our organization and the
techniques we use to create art. Each of the participants had the opportunity to try to
create their own work. During the meeting, we talked a lot and exchanged views.

37. A visit to the youth center - Human Library
We visited the Youth Center, where children and teenagers spent their free time during the
holidays. We conducted integration and physical activities. The main purpose of our
meeting was the Human Library. This activity is about turning a book into a human.
35
The participants chose the title of
the book, and then the person told
the story to the audience (readers).
This is an interesting method,
because it allows you to learn a real
narrative, while breaking down
barriers, prejudices and stereotypes.
The topics were experiences as a
volunteer, Polish culture, and
tolerance in Georgia. At the end of
the visit there was a small table
tennis tournament.

38. A visit to the youth center - Cleaning
Another visit to the youth center was about
caring for the environment. At the beginning, we
conducted integration and physical activities.
Together with young people and caretakers, we
cleaned the area of the center and the sports
field. We found a lot of different garbage. During
the cleaning together, there was time to get to
know each other better and to exchange culture.
We wanted to set a positive example and show
a positive change. It was also a form of
education to care for the environment.
36
A visit to the youth center - Human Library
We had the opportunity to integrate with the local community of a very interesting activity,
which is the Human Library. The meeting took place at the Municipal Library in Camara de
Lobos. At this event, the books are people, everyone has their own specific story. We have
printed interesting book covers with our stories.

39. 37
At the beginning, we conducted animations integrating the group and movement games.
We divided the participants into groups.
Each group could choose a given book and listen to the story. The topics were
"Unpleasant Experiences at School - Avoidance and How to Deal With Them", "Travel to
India" and "Far Country Poland". The first part consisted of a story, and then there was
time for questions. The groups then changed and could read / hear another book.

40. 38
Blanka Wawrzyniak
For the last 7 months, I had an opportunity to be an EVS Project volunteer in a non-
profit organization called Teatro Metaphora and based in Madeira Island. My Project The
Social Challenges - Solidarity Heroes: Enhancing the quality of life was organized by
Fundacja Rozwoju Społeczeństwa Przedsiębierczego. In my daily work I was cooperating
with EVS volunteers from several European countries as well as with Portuguese
volunteers.
MOBILITY DATES: 06/12/2020 - 10/07/2021
The promotion of cultural heritage and art
among local society was my main task as a
volunteer. As organization we were obliged to
prepare installation art for the upcoming Day of
Saint Pedro, which took a few months. Cans,
keys and used plastic bottles were the
materials used by us to create the decorations.
Our main goal was to pass a message on to the
local community about the importance of
recycling and its positive environmental impact.
What’s more, we wished to show the possibility
of creating art from any materials. We were
able to create colorful flowerpots from huge
plastic containers, the lamps made of plastic
bottles and the spinners prepared from cans
and keys.
As volunteers, we were responsible for
organising the workshops for children,
teenagers and seniors. The subject area was
diverse and involved such topics as art creation,
healthy lifestyle and peace between countries.

41. The workshop programs were adjusted to the age of participants. Laughter therapy was
one of the activities prepared by us. Organised for the seniors from the nearest Culture
center, their main task was to reduce stress, make people happier and more committed
through laughter. The workshop started with a short warm-up accompanied by lively
music which prepared participants for the next exercises. During the workshop everybody
had a chance to participate in plays like guessing and mimicking the various animals,
parodying your partner, dancing in the circle. The main goal of the exercises was breaking
the ice between the local community and volunteers. The workshops finished in a friendly
atmosphere with glad and smiling participants.
39
During my stay in Madeira, we
prepared special attractions for
primary school students for
International children's Day.
Each volunteer had his task like
face painting, theatre
workshops, playing Tag or Red
light, green light. But the most
important activity was a puppet
show educating children about
how important recycling and the
rule of the 5R’s (Rethink, Reuse,
Reduce, Reduce & Recycle) are.
Thanks to the attractions
students had a possibility to
gain valuable knowledge in an
interesting and funny way.
Much of my work as a volunteer was expanding the environmental awareness of the
local community. I took part in plenty of Eco activities organized by Teatro Metaphora.
The frequent event is a beach clean-up which takes place in different parts of the coast.
But one of the most recognizable events was Eco Marathon consisting in walking and
gathering the trash from the well-traveled paths of Madeira. Each time we gathered even a
tone of waste – that shows how much work still needs to go into environmental
education. Fortunately, the actions of Teatro Metaphora and the rest of organizations take
effect and the state of the environment is improving.

42. 40
Nela Radzyńska
Senior people are often excluded from society after retirement world usually forgets
about you. My job as a volunteer was to bring some new air into those people's lives and
learn from each other. Ladies from the association I worked with had a hard life: abusive
relationships, living in poverty, it was not easy to get an education for them. The life they
know nowadays is to come to the organisation mainly to spend time together, cook, play
cards and do embroidery.
MOBILITY DATES: 08/09/2021 - 04/12/2021
That is why coming there and
entertaining them with various
activities was a new experience for
them.
The exchange of intergenerational and
intercultural experiences between
volunteers and seniors of the
municipality was to promote the
acquisition and consolidation of
personal, social, and physical skills and
mental well-being

43. Getting to know each other. The meeting
was organized in Teatro Metaphora,
volunteers introduced themselves with a
presentation, we were sitting in a circle and
exchanging our life stories.
We did physical exercises together and
danced our polish dance 'polonez'. Ladies
sang their traditional songs.
Actions taken:
41
Learning embroidery with the ladies.
Madeiran traditions in practice, this activity
engaged them to share their part of life with
us.
A presentation about volunteers'
hometowns, this way they could get to know
us better and different places around the
world.
A presentation about Polish traditions also
we brought typical dishes like dumplings
and apple pie. In exchange we were invited
for lunch with them, they prepared milho.
Sharing rough life stories, getting
closer to each other, and building a
bridge between the generations.

44. Workshop about tolerance and discrimination. We prepared posters, talked about the
definition of those terms, and performed two excesses: first was depicting a different
form of discrimination and ladies had to guess which one is it, the second one was for
them to come up with their own story of discrimination.
42

45. Volunteers
in Enjoy Sicily Associazione Culturale
MESSINA, SICILY, ITALY
Mobility A5

46. 44
Enjoy Sicily Associazione Culturale is a non-profit association, an informal group of
young people who love their territory and willing to revitalize the local community by
organizing cultural, sports and artistic activities for the benefit of all concerned. Since
2011 the group of Enjoy Sicily, made up of social educators, teachers, psychologists and
fans of European policies, has carried out several projects for the promotion and
dissemination of culture and European citizenship among young people.

47. 45
Alicja Bunda
During my ESC project, I had the opportunity to work with children from an orphanage.
It was an extremely enriching experience. I took care of two girls aged 4 and 5. They were
psychologically burdened by the recent loss of contact with their biological parents. I tried
to keep them busy and have fun. We created animal-shaped face masks together. The
girls loved to draw and this task developed their imagination.
MOBILITY DATES: 06/10/2020 - 05/10/2021
In addition to art classes, I had the task
of teaching children English. Due to the
fact that young children easily learn
foreign languages, the work went very
well for us. For educational fun I used a
ball and with each pass, the girls had to
say the color in English.
In the summer months, I had the
opportunity to conduct yoga classes
for children of all ages from 6 to even
14 years. . They were mainly children
from a problematic families who
needed additional activities to be able
to occupy them with something and fill
their free time, thus they could feel that
someone was taking care of them.
During yoga classes, I also tried to
focus on working with the breath,
because I know how much stress
children can have, stress that we adults
often underestimate. During my
classes, they could calm down a bit
and relax.

48. On the other hand, during Zumba dance
classes, children could go crazy and throw away
any unnecessary emotions in dance and
physical activity.
46
Another activity during our project was
working in the office, where we could
create podcasts and write articles for the
school newspaper. Thanks to this, we
had a real impact on providing
information to the local community and
drawing their attention to important
problems, e.g. the problem of garbage in
the city and problems with self-
acceptance among young people (I
wrote an article on body positive). During
our work, we tried to do important things
that can somehow change the situation
for the better.

49. 47
Katarzyna Plencler
Italian organization Enjoy Sicily is based in Messina, which is the third sicilian city in
terms of population. One of the pillars of my host organization's activity is participating in
Erasmus Plus program (what includes hosting volunteers taking part in the European
Solidarity Corps project as well as helping the local community to find projects abroad).
Other activities are: organizing exchanges, running web radio, or promoting the region.
MOBILITY DATES: 31/08/2020 - 30/08/2021
Tasks and responsibilities:
-Creating a magazine for youngsters
Objective:
Educating young people on social
issues, paying attention to the
important issues that we have to face
nowadays - the climate crisis,
overproduction of food and goods, still
insufficient women's rights, etc.
Method:
Writing articles in Italian and publishing
them in online magazine which was
distributed in high schools in Messina.
The texts have concerned important
topics, but in an accessible way,
adjusted to the age of the readers. The
first issue was published also in paper
version to promote it. The information
about European projects for young
people such as DiscoverEU were also
featured in the magazine.

50. -Recording podcasts for web radio
Objective:
Conducting conversations with members of the local community (such as fishermen or
the owner of the pastry shop), Italian artists (e.g. cartoonist and author of the comic book,
or writer), politicians (the mayor of Messina, education councilor), activists (in matters of
ecology or human rights) and specialists in other fields. Moreover, promoting the region.
Informing about different kinds of development opportunities such as international
exchanges and other projects.
Method:
Conducting live or online calls via Skype or zoom. It depended on the possibilities related
to pandemic restrictions and the current location of the interlocutor. Besides the
interviews, we also recorded podcasts on various topics, such as online safety or
travelling. Then we have published podcasts on Radio Antivirus channels, such as Spotify.
-Running social media
Objective:
Reaching to the community of Sicily. Raising awareness about EU projects among young
people and fostering mobility across countries. Providing valuable information through
social media. Moreover, promoting the region.
Method:
Creating graphics and informative texts and publishing on social media such as Facebook
or Instagram. Increasing the number of followers. Reaching to the residents of Messina
and the surrounding area, who can also come to the ES office in person to get all
information about volunteering, internships or exchanges, etc.
-Taking care of pupils of an orphanage
Objective:
Helping the care givers of the local orphanage. Also providing children contact with
external figures. Organization of their time in valuable way.
48

51. Method:
Organizing games and handicrafts, also teaching English. During my voluntary service two
new pupils, aged about 4 and 5 years old arrived to the facility. They needed constant
attention and care from adults. When they were under our supervision, the care givers of
the orphanage could take their time to the older children and help them with homework
and learning.
Completing the Enjoy Sicily website
Objective:
Acquiring people interested in taking part in the European Solidarity Corps program.
Method:
Search and publish volunteering offers on the Enjoy Sicily website through Wordpress.
49

52. 50
Marta Wnorowska
The project was a result of cooperation between Fundacja Rozwoju Społeczeństwa
Przedsiębiorczego from Poland and EnjoySicily from Italy.
The main goals of the project were to:
MOBILITY DATES: 06/10/2020 - 05/10/2021
-promote ESC as well as other short
and long-term youth international
exchanges;
-help Mesina become more attractive
to young people since many students
leave the city as soon as they graduate;
-educate and sensitize the public to the
problems faced by the young people
such as bullying, eating disorders,
homophobia, sex discrimination etc;
Mesina is the first city seen by the
tourists and is also located between
the sea and the hills what makes her an
interesting point for tourists, however it
is also neglected, full of rubbish and
closed in terms of historical buildings
that are not being taken care of and are
locked all year long.

53. How did we get the results?
-We were working with a group of young activists created by councilman of tourism.
Under the aegis of the municipality we were trying to reintroduce abandoned sites to the
public such as the tomb of Antonello di Messina or the old fortress;
51
-We promoted the city via social media with column
such as “Non c'e niente a Messina?” and touting
local events. We have also worked with a local TV.
-We interviewed local politicians, artists,
entrepreneurs and people outside of
Mesina who were somehow involved or
were responsible for events'
organization in the city.

54. EnjoySicily has also started a collaboration
with a local rugby club and organized free
lessons for girls.
-We were also a main organizer of simulation of
the European Parliament in local high schools, in
that way the kids had to prepare for a series of
debates that involved topics discussed on the
European forum. We had also written a monthly
magazine were apart from the general content
we had also a column dedicated to international
exchanges and possibilities of travel grants.
-I had also a possibility of an active participation
in a summer project for kids from problematic
families. As a stretching instructor I had
introduced kids to the exercises that will help
them release stress, keep the right posture and
work on their core muscles.
52
-The last important activity
was open Erasmus Day in a
local library connected with a
modern gallery. I had been a
guide in the gallery that day
which is otherwise closed to
the public. I had also
translated a brochure from
Italian to English in order to
attract tourists and help to
make a first step into
opening a gallery.

55. -In cooperation with high schools in Messina, our organization has created a card for
everyone between 14 and 30 years old with discounts in local restaurants, bars and
electric scooter rentals, encouraging young people to support local businesses rather
than big chains like McDonald's or Burger King.
53

56. Volunteers
in Aventura Marão Clube
AMARANTE, PORTUGAL
Mobility A6

57. 55
Aventura Marão Clube is a local, public utility, non-profit and civil law association
created in 1993 by a group of young people of Amarante with the mission of promoting
healthy practices and lifestyles among the population (especially youth) in Amarante. It
currently has more than 400 associates and has 3 Sections in operation: mountain biking,
canoeing and fair trade. The latter has been responsible, since 1999, for the management
of the 1st Portuguese Fair Trade store and, in particular, since 2008 for the management
of the CJ Amarante (Youth Centre and Hostel), through which it has already coordinated
more than 100 projects, mainly European, and involved around 4500 young people
(including 1500 locals) in international volunteer and participation activities. It is therefore
very committed to promoting Europe and its values ​
​
to the local youth community.

58. 56
Our project The Social Challenges - Solidarity Heroes Ambassadors of European
Solidarity took place in northern Portugal, Amarante. Our host organization Aventura
Marão Clube has goal to promote healthy lifestyle among local communities and promote
fair trade values. AMC is also responsible for the management and coordination of Casa
da Juventude de Amarante (youth center, which cooperate with many local institutions
such as schools, kindergartens, and local center for people with mental disabilities.
MOBILITY DATES: 11/08/2020 - 10/07/2021
During project we had opportunity to work
together with people particularly at risk of
social exclusion. Weekly yoga class for
clients Cerci Amarante (center for people
with mental disabilities) make us aware
how important for them is to experience
new movements, exercise, which require
concentration and being present. We were
so happy when we received positive
feedback from the nurse of the group, who
told me that the patients really like our
classes and wait for them every week.
We noticed that, it is so important for them
to stretch tight muscles, what help in
relaxation. In spring we start kayaking
together. In the kayak sits one volunteer
and one person with disabilities. Every
week we enjoyed surrounding us nature
and beautiful Tamega river.
Angela Gędłek
Justyna Zalesko
Kamila Hornowska

59. It is a great joy for all of us. Cerci Amarante has also huge amount of costumes from
different theater performance, so we decided to sort them and photograph them, in order
to put them on special website for costume rental, to make added profit.
57
Theatre was a big part of our experience in
Amarante. With all group of volunteers, we
prepared “Mulan” performance, “The little prince” –
puppet show, and Christmas caroling. We staged a
play for few kindergartens and center for disabled.
It was good solution to keep in touch with
communities and share joy, receive entertainment,
but in the same time keep the proper distance,
because of pandemic situation.
IWe also were writing a post about women abuse and bulling especially among children
and teenagers and sport as a preventative tool for this phenomenon. The posts were
published on social media of our organization in order to increase awareness. In
December with all group of polish volunteers we prepared polish month, in this time we
share a lot of information about our tradition, culture, history and human rights in our
countries. We used social media, but also present that in front of others volunteers
accompanied by delicious polish cuisine.

60. In last month of project, we had a possibility to share our passion and do yoga class for
children in kindergarten. I think is such a great method to make kids more calm, flexible
and prevent obesity and bad posture in the future. We also have taken part in “Fit for kids”
training for volunteers and participated in the sessions. The program purpose is to
increase physical activity among children that are more likely to be excluded from the
peer group. During the lesson we offered a lot of plays with balls that require running, and
simple strengthening exercise for legs and abdominal muscles. But integration and
exposure children for competition in safe environment and fun way is going to make them
more self-confident and able to socializing better, what is as important as their physical
health.
58
We organized cleaning river action regularly, unfortunately we could always pick few full
trash bags and a lot of cigarettes butts, which are especially dangerous for environment,
because they leach toxic chemicals into water. We received a lot of positive comments
from community and municipality.
On of the Aventura Marão Clube
assumption is to promote fair trade,
we are doing that by selling local,
organic products: vegetables, fruits
on our Saturday Bio Fair Market. We
also helped the farmers with simple
jobs, gardening, cleaning, on the
regular basis we visit vinery, horse
stables, community that live in
forest and try to be totally
sustainable and self-sufficient. Our
organization hosted the workcamp,
which I supported, so I took part in
everyday activities which were
focused mainly on harvesting, but
we also get to know how to
produce mushroom in organic way,
built your own compost, and find
out about fair trade values during
workshops.

61. 59
All of activities during the project
were very diverse, so we could meet a
lot of people, work in various places,
and try things for the first time. On of
the more significant task was
assistance in opening an art studio-
Modarte. The place to express your
creative self during special
workshops, organized by local
fashion designer and artist. Our
support included paining, creating
small ornaments, like welcome
bracelets, hanging the posters. we
took part in promotion video, and
finally we were a model during
inauguration for new collection of
clothes that were designed using
recycled fabrics.
Living with people from different
background, culture, with various life
experiences, made us more open-
minded, understanding and
significantly broaden our horizons.

62. Volunteers
in Naermiljosentralen
ASKVOLL, NORWAY
Mobility A7

63. 61
Naermiljosentralen is a non-profit organization, dedicated to work with culture, meeting
places, youth club, refugees, and helping teams and organizations in their work; a service
in Askvoll municipality, administrated by the health sector. Since the year 1991, they have
had a central role in the coordination work with and between volunteers in teams and
organizations, and authorities. They use cultural activities among the elderly and youth to
create meeting places for them. The organization is dedicated to create and implement
concepts that allows its participants to develop a defined strategy to non-formal learning.

64. 62
Karolina Kos
The problem of marginalization and social exclusion is quite common in the modern
world. Regardless of the geographic region and country in which we are located, we may
come across a threat of it. Norway emphasizes the principle of equality and that everyone
has equal opportunities in life and equal access to services, as well as an appropriate
standard of living. It proudly expands and promotes the idea of the welfare state.
MOBILITY DATES: 31/10/2020 -30/10/2021
However, also here, in the country
ranked sixth in the world in the ranking
of the happiest countries in the world
(https://worldpopulationreview.com/co
untry-rankings/happiest-countries-in-
the-world), we may encounter the
problem of social exclusion or
marginalization if we'll take a closer
look at it.
The groups exposed to social
exclusion that I have had the
opportunity to work with were mostly
refugees, immigrants, and older
people.
The specificity of living in such a small
town as Askvoll may also contributed
to the occurrence of this social
problem. We can call it the socio-
geographical factor. Let me introduce
you to the information about the town.
Askoll commune is located on the west
coast of the country. The population of
the commune is 3,027, while 743
people live in Askvoll (wikipedia, 2019).

65. The municipality also includes islands such as Atløyna, Værlandet and Bulandet. The
only way to get to the islands is by ferry. The first mentioned island is located quite close
to the town - the ferry goes ~ every hour and takes it about 15 minutes. By the way, the
residents have been waiting for the bridge construction project for several years. I heard
from locals that the government is reserved to the idea of building bridges to prevent
claims on a larger scale, as almost the entire west coast of Norway is covered with
inhabited islands. The last-mentioned islands are located much further. The ferry journey
takes over an hour and goes a few times a day. The journey is free, while the bus
transport is quite expensive. It can be mentioned that sometimes it is difficult to live the
town with public transport as it is not well connected. We have about an hour to the
nearest larger town by bus, which also rarely runs. That is why it is so important to have a
car and a driving license. This may be the reason why people are excluded or become
dependent on others.
Geographical isolation can limit openness and increase distrust and reservation towards
the new and the unknown, including people. From empirical observations, I noticed that
local residents who traveled a lot around the world were more easy-going, open and
sociable.
During the project, I had the opportunity to work with refugees from Syria. There are
several families in Askvoll. They all live in the same building. Housing policy can make
integration into society difficult. I noticed that active participation in professional life and
work, helps with the integration. It not only improves language skills, but also creates a
great opportunity to spend more time in contact with Norwegians.
63

66. Methods.
On Thursdays, we met with the girls from Syria in the activity room at Nærmilijøsentralen -
the voluntary center. We were almost the same age, so we felt comfortable in each other's
company and quickly found common topics for conversation. We talked about all topics
in Norwegian, with coffee and snacks. The girls were very interested in cooking,
housekeeping, fashion, children and family. When the weather was rainy, we watched
movies on Netflix and then discussed the plot. When the weather was good, we went on
trips to the seaside or by car with Astrid - the project coordinator, and then for a coffee at
a nearby favorite cafe.
64
As the topic of cooking enjoyed
the greatest interest, we came
up with the idea of organizing
Polish-Syrian-Norwegian
dinners, which we prepared
together. Once it was supposed
to be a Polish dinner and a
Syrian dessert, then opposite- a
Polish dessert and a Syrian
dinner. We also invited the local
project coordinator - Astrid.
One day we met in our
apartment to fry Polish potato
pancakes with mushroom
sauce. The girls prepared a
Syrian dessert made of
mozzarella and pistachios. The
next time we were preparing a
dessert - gingerbread with
chocolate, and the Syrian dish
consisted of homemade
hummus, kebab and vegetables.
The next time we met to make
pizza together.
Around Easter, we organized a picnic on the island of Værlandet, to which we took the
ferry. The weather was good for us, the sun was shining and it was not windy. We
prepared a vegetable salad and eggs with mayonnaise and horseradish - typical Polish
snacks around Easter. We talked about the traditions in our countries.

67. I truly believe it was a valuable cultural exchange. I got to know the Syrian culture,
learned how to celebrate meals, small moments and decorate the table nicely, as well as
spend time together over long conversations over coffee. I think that this type of activity
helped to get to know a new culture, broaden tolerance, openness and integration.
65
Moreover, sharing meals is a natural everyday
situation that gives us the opportunity to exchange
our stories, experiences and emotion, develop
language skills, make a sense of community,
integration and strengthens ties.
Holidays for everyone - summer and autumn camps
for families who could not afford to organize a
vacation by themselves. I worked there also as a
volunteer.
We took care of families during mentioned vacation in Haugland, a center driven by the
Nordic Red Cross. We had a lot of attractions for example : kano, SUP board, fishing,
swimming, pizza baking, tube.
An immediate observation was that families really needed this rest. The smiles on their
faces and the faces of their children was the best proof of how important it is to organize
this type of activity.
Another group at risk of exclusion may be the retirees. Unfortunately, I have not had the
opportunity to often work with them, mainly due to restrictions related to COVID-19.

68. I had the opportunity to work with one lady, during several Tuesday classes where I was
teaching her how to use computer, tablet and mobile phone. Usually, the meeting started
with Norwegian coffee. Then with the interview what the person wishes to learn that day.
We mainly practiced the skills of sending and reading e-mails, taking photos, using
Snapchat (in Norway it is a very popular form of communication between family members
and friends), Facebook, and how to write a book. In the meantime, we were also talking
about everyday days and simply about life. Our meetings were not only valuable lessons
of electronic devices, but also were of a social events, because the Lady herself admitted
that she feel lonely sometimes.
66

69. 67
Izabella Kurowska
The project “The Social Challenges - Solidarity Heroes: We build better place to live in”
was mainly based on the help of the local community. Assistance in the development of
young children and helping elderly sick people. Advising and ministering to people.
Preparing them a place to live. Working with people of all ages. Making everyone happy
and happy.
MOBILITY DATES: 13/07/2021 - 12/07/2022
Help in the development of young
children
Help and support for older people
Preparing a good place to live
Showing locals that volunteers can
be counted on
Taking care of the environment
Taking care of the local community
Help in solving difficulties
The goals of the project were:
The kindergarten is located near the
center of Askvoll. The building is
spacious and the playground is large
enough for children to move around
freely. The kids liked to play outside.
They had a lot of toys. There are many
kindergarten teachers in the
kindergarten who help and watch over
the children. There are 3 groups in the
kindergarten. The age range for
children is 10 months to 4 years. There
are 3 kindergartens in Askvoll.

70. Various activities were held in the kindergarten. Art and movement classes were the
most interesting. Children learned to sing and paint. Preschoolers painted pictures for
various occasions.
68
We taught various songs in Norwegian. At first they found it hard to remember the lyrics,
but later they were eager to sing by themselves. They spent their time actively outdoors,
regardless of the weather or the season. Going on the trip was an interesting activity for
them, because they were accompanied by a smile on their faces.
The nursing home is located near
the kindergarten. The facility is
huge. Older people can feel safe and
at ease here. They have daily care.
They are looked after by nurses and
babysitters. In the nursing home
there is a needlework stall made by
the residents. Older people are
visited by their family. My favorite
moment was tasting traditional
Vaffelrøre.

71. Older people are provided with entertainment during the weeks. The most common
hobby is needlework. They like to knit all kinds of clothes, such as scarves or sweaters. As
a volunteer, I became interested in my work. During my work, I participated in concerts for
the elderly and photo shows.
In my spare time, I traveled around the country. I have visited some interesting places. I
have visited: Oslo, Bergen, Førde, Lillehammer and Stavanger. Sightseeing is my hobby.
Each volunteer is entitled to vacation days. During this time, you can develop your
passions. At first, I am concerned that I will have time to myself, but my fears turned out
to be not worth it.
69
During volunteering, I also expanded
my culinary skills. I got to know
different flavors of Norwegian
cuisine. Norwegian cuisine is a bit
different from Polish cuisine.
Risgrøt and Vaffelrøre food are
popular here. A salty caramel-
flavored cheese is popular in
Norway. They like to eat it here. I do
not like it. They like to eat this
cheese with their Vaffelrøre or with
their sandwiches. Norway is famous
for its salmon. Here it is planted in
various ways. I liked the different
versions so much that I found an
interesting recipe for salmon
myself, which I made during my
volunteer work.
I believe that European Volunteering
offers a lot of opportunities. It gives
you new experiences and meeting
new people or developing new
hobbies. I am glad that I made such
a decision to volunteer. During
volunteering you can see your level
of English and you can expand it. By
the way, learn a new language. I
recommend volunteering.

72. Volunteer
in MTÜ Lapsepõlve Akadeemia
TALLINN, ESTONIA
Mobility A8

73. 71
MTÜ Lapsepõlve Akadeemia (NGO Academy of Childhood) is the organisation that has
been working with kids, youth, their parents and educational professionals for over 15
years using non-formal and informal educational methods. Over the years, it has been
developing the approaches and methodology to provide even better service in educating
local population. The leader of the NGO is self-employed entrepreneur who has
established self-sufficient and self-sponsored kindergarten, where specialists use
different methods to create safe environment for kids and guarantee their adequate
social, behavioral, physical and emotional development.

74. 72
Lorena Notter
In the period between 4th October and 7th February I was a volunteer in a kindergarten
"Academy of Childhood". I was working with a group of 14 children 2-4 years old including
four children with special needs. I was mainly working with a boy with Williams Syndrome
– Damir. Damir needs special treatment and approach. He is very sensitive to sounds and
shows talent for music – they organize drums lessons special for him in the kindergarten
and I played guitar with him.
MOBILITY DATES: 04/10/2020 - 07/02/2021
From the beginning he showed the
biggest interest in the guitar. You could
see he was very intrigued by the sound
of it.
Damir has also some problems with
aggression. In order to release his
emotion in another way we organized
special activities for him – we were
mostly dancing together as this was
also connected with his passion
towards music.
I was supporting him during the daily
workshops as he needs a constant
approval that he is doing a good job.
We were also doing art workshops with
him in order to build up his manual
skills and to teach him to stay focused.
Damir is a very sensitive and vulnerable
boy and he has a very strong need to
feel safe and loved.

75. 73
Beside, my task included also a project
„Entrepreneurship from kindergarten”
classes, workshops dedicated to pre
school children learning about different
professions, saving activities: money,
water, electricity, artistic competitions:
who I want to become as I grow up.
And many other activities with the
kids, supporting them in their
development as well as in their
playtime.

76. A few words about our organization
74
The unemployed and professionally inactive (high priority);
Those at risk of losing their job;
The employed who want to set up their own business but cannot afford
commercial advice;
Graduates who are entering the job market;
Persons without work experience;
The self-employed and microbusinesses;
Non-governmental organizations.
The Entrepreneurial Society Development Foundation (Fundacia Rozwoju
Spoleczeristwa Przedsiebiorczego) was established in 2014 to work for employment,
creating new jobs and developing entrepreneurship. It was created by experienced people
operating so far on different, but interpenetrating fields - both in public administration, the
private sector and nongovernmental organizations.
We promote development of entrepreneurship, we increase employment as well as the
level of knowledge about entrepreneurship and job market, we also strive to increase the
potential of NGO sector, We give advice such as where to find possibilities of getting
grants to those who are interested in opening their own business and support them in
writing a grant application. We also help those without professional experience to qualify
for an internship or a voluntary project including international projects; we help to prepare
for a job interview, we support in creating and correcting a CV; we inform entrepreneurs
about opportunities of strengthening their businesses, for instance through grants from
the EU or Labor Office, We also support non-governmental organizations through
trainings on how to vie to obtain funds as well as we provide legal advice on setting up a
business and also issues that have to be dealt with during this process. Our target groups
are:
Our mission is to support the development of entrepreneurship and to create new
workplaces and activities in favor of full employment. One of our target groups is the
youth, which is why we want to support them in finding a job and gaining work
experience, FRSP endeavors to help the youth from the Silesian Voivodeship in order to
extend their activities all over Poland Therefore we take part in different Volunteering
projects within Erasmus +/EVS which offer young people an opportunity of temporarily
leaving their homeland in order to see how people in other countries live, to learn a new
language, to improve their skills and to gain experience.

77. A few words about our organization
75
As an organization, we have successfully carried out 21 own projects and 29
projects in partnership. So far, we have sent over 200 volunteers abroad. Since
2018 we have also carried out two hosting projects and hosted six volunteers. At
the moment we are having two ongoing projects under which we are hosting
seven volunteers from different countries We also engage in youth exchange and
training projects. So far we have taken part in 10 projects of such types (own and
in partnership) giving the opportunity of participation to 100 young people.
Official website of the Entrepreneurial Society Development
Foundation: https://frsp.eu/
Learn more about volunteering and find a project for yourself:
http://volo.frsp.eu/

78. The publication was published with the financial support of the European Commission. The publication reflects only the situation of its
authors, and the European Commission and the National Agency of the Erasmus + Program are not responsible for its content.
FREE PUBLICATION