Wednesday 13 August 2014

Who else wants to get to know other cultures?

Who else wants to get to know other cultures?
by Radu Brănișcan

I was looking for an EVS to spend my summer in a very useful way and after a month of searching I’ve found it. It was called Multi Kulti, a project by Polites Association with 10 volunteers from 5 different countries that lasts 1 month and a half in Szczecin, Poland. I’ve applied and got accepted. I was very happy and at the moment of writing this article only 10 days have passed since arriving here.

I was the first volunteer to arrive in Szczecin and in the train station Kasia was expecting me. After arriving in my room in the dormitory the long way to the 4th floor was rewarded with some sweets and a fridge full of food (for all 10 volunteers of course).

I was eager to meet the other volunteers from Bulgaria, Italy, Spain and France and after the first workshops I got to know them better: what they like, don’t like and their personality.

When I meet people from different countries is like I have visited that country because of specific and unique cultural background that person has: language, cuisine, way of thinking and much more.

The youth are happy to talk with foreigners and help them if they need. Also, some of them asked why we choose to volunteer in such a city which for them isn’t so great. I think they don’t see what and how many opportunities it can offer to them. It’s all about the mentality and what advice they’ve got from school, parents and friends.

After almost over 10 days here, I’ve met the Polish kids from the project, play with them and have a lot of fun together. I’m learning from them and they are learning from me. It’s such a wonderful and hard thing to do in the same time.  But the rewards from the kids are huge:  energy, happiness and creativity. I hope they will travel one day to my country, Romania, if not then to see the importance of learning English as a foreign language. If you like to push the limits to think in ways you never taught before, to experience, have fun than English is a must.

In the end I want to say thanks to all the people and volunteers at Polites Association for their help and support. If you the reader is thinking of going on an EVS, try it, you don’t have anything to lose, instead you have only to gain!

I’m the guy with the blue t-shirt.
I was organizing the kids and EVS volunteers for the start of a fun game called the Snake
Radu is one of 10 European Volunteers and is taking part in a MULTI KULTI project co-financed by Erasmus+ Youth