Showing posts with label EVS. Show all posts

EVS | Creativity with the little ones



If one year ago, you told me that working with kids would be something natural in my daily basis, I would laugh at you. If you told me it would be with Polish children I would tell that you were crazy.
Never say never, Lídia, never say never!


Some of my responsibilities at the center are to help coordinate, with Ewa and João, about one hour a week of creativity workshops with children between the ages of 4 and 7.

We've made already 3 workshops.
As the weeks go by, I feel less and less a little fish out of the water and a little more comfortable in what it isn't at all my comfort zone.
 Note, a little ... that dealing with children has a lot to tell!


I will not lie, the first impact can be a little bit scary. 
It's impossible not to hyperventilate when you see a group of ten children that don't know you entering the door.It's difficult to predict how will be their reaction to our presence and a lot can go well but a lot can go wrong.

This is where Ewa's fundamental support comes in. Ewa helps us and gives us advises in the planning and during the activities, and she's also the person that makes our communication possible.
Although language is a barrier between us, it also ends up being what unites us, because we are both taking the first steps in a new language: we in Polish, they in English ... 
Be proud, I already know some colors and animals in Polish! And all thanks to these workshops and the games and activities. 
I do not know who gets more excited to see us give a few touches in Polish if us or them!

Memorizing names can be tricky, decorating names in polished is a challenge (mostly in the beginning) but challenge accepted!  And I dare to say that challenge accomplished!


Some of the activities that we did with children at workshops. In the first photo, for Valentine's Day, we made lovely owls. Beautiful some super funny storks. This week, it was the turn of the little fat penguins. Why? Because they are adorable! Do we need a better reason?

It was only three workshops of many to come, and I believe that when the number will get bigger I will have a bag full of stories to tell, and another one full of laughs!

Remember the games we used to play during afternoons at birthdays parties and school lunch breaks?
They're still funny!

EVS | EVS in Plichtów


During the next months, Natolin will be my home and Plichtów my workplace.
Plichtów and Natolin are neighbor villages and belong to the Nowosolna district.
Although they are different villages, they are very close to each other and it is possible to make the way home to work in just a few minutes.
Plichtów is about 13 km from Lódź, the third largest city in Poland.

Plichtów Cultural and Ecological Community Center

"Discover your neighborhood, discover yourself" is the name of the project that I joined, along with João at the Plichtów Cultural and Ecological Community Center.
The center is very close to the accommodation house so we usually do that distance by walk, although we have the option to do it by bus.



At the Community Center, there's a lot of activities organized for the entire community, from English classes for children and seniors, Latin dances, tai-chi, yoga, ceramics classes, painting ...
Now, with my contribution and João, the Center can add Portuguese classes to that list.
The center is really cozy and we have the privilege of working with people very competent and dedicated and always attentive to our possible difficulties and their resolutions.
Although not all spoke English, they all welcomed us with much sympathy and with open arms.

João and Ilona

We are living on the second floor of one of the employees of the Center house, where we were very well received by everyone, Tofik (the family dog) didn't welcome us so warmly but I think we are on a good way to create a relationship based on affection, confidence and dog treats.
It is not always easy to communicate because we do not speak (yet) Polish and they do not speak English, but nothing that is not solved with patience, willpower, and mimics.

Who said being away from home had to be super difficult?

EVS | What's EVS?

Credits: João Miller


Increasingly known, but not much yet, the European Voluntary Service is a program funded by the European Commission that seeks young people between the ages of 17 and 30 to do a volunteer project, in another country that's not their country of residence.

There are lots of projects, in many fields like culture and arts, activities with children, youth or seniors, sports, recreational activities, environment, among many others.
So, it's easy to find a project of interest where we can put our skills to practice and acquire new ones.
High-risk interventions, such as immediate disaster relief, or post-crisis situations, are excluded.
The project can have duration until 12 months and there are short, medium long-term projects.

The accommodation, food and travel tickets are funded.
The volunteer will also have a monthly (money) or pocket money amount that he or she can use as preferred (the amount is set by the European Commission and it varies from country to country).
However, the money provided is not for the purpose of pay for the services and activities performed, but provide the best possible conditions of survival and ensure their physical and psychological
well-being.

Unplash being the savior of  incredibly huge posts

The place of accommodation and forms of payment are variable according to the country and the project that the volunteer takes a part in - it is, therefore, important that the candidate gets to know all these factors previously with the association or organization involved in the project.
An EVS project involves a partnership between the volunteer, the sending organization (in the country of the volunteer) and the host organization (in the country where the project will take place) and both have responsibilities, from preparation, training, and follow-up of all project.

There are several associations in Portugal working with this program.
ProAtlântico is one of them, and it is also the sending association associated with my project in EVS.

At the end of the project, the volunteer will receive a Youthpass, which is a kind of certificate describing the project and the activities that the volunteer was inserted, the skills acquired and developed during his/hers EVS.
This is a great alternative for those who want to know the world, learn new languages and experience new cultures.


Okay, I'm one of those people! What do I have to do?

Go to Proatlântico's website (or another association that works with the program), there you will have a list of projects, with the country, duration, and the date of the beginning of the project.
In most projects, you will only need to send your resume and motivation letter in English, but be aware if you need to respond to any specific project requirements (do not worry, if it is the case it will be specified in the information from the project).
On the Proatântico site, you also have some models of motivation letters and resumes to help you.
After the application, you only have to wait for them to contact you.

If you need any more information or a little push for what may be the adventure of your life, do not hesitate to talk to me and you can always read some testimonies of those who have already done EVS.

Go go go!

The EVS category of the Kalidioscope is officially open!
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