Showing posts with label Voluntário. 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?
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