One year with WeWorld: ESC volunteer experiences

Last year, 25 boys and girls from different European countries had the opportunity to leave with WeWorld in 10 countries where we operate thanks to the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), project funded by the European Union and in partnership with Action Against Hunger Spain, for a training experience in international cooperation and humanitarian aid. At the end of their journey, we asked some of them to share and tell us about their experiences: the significant moments, the challenges they faced, the lessons they learnt along the way and how they are continuing their professional lives, to inspire and encourage others to embark on this journey.

“What I enjoyed most was working in a team! I enjoyed working with the project staff very much, there was a lot of coordination between us and it was a good team effort. On a more work-related level, it was an opportunity to learn many technical things that I didn't know before”.

Lucia, ESC volunteer in Lebanon, mainly in Beirut, as Project Management Assistant.

Lucia worked on a project focused on education in northern Lebanon, with an increased emphasis on the protection and inclusion of children with disabilities. During this experience, she had the opportunity to learn new skills and knowledge through the many activities in the project. The volunteer programme was an excellent opportunity for her to enter the world of volunteering and to learn on a practical level what it means to work in an NGO.

“In a year's time, I would like to continue working in the world of cooperation and experience new contexts together with WeWorld”.

After completing her volunteering experience, Lucia left again with WeWorld…this time as Junior Project Manager in Ukraine!

“Before this experience, I had never managed a project activity. I understood more clearly how a project works, your and other people's expectations, the cross-cutting and responsibilities between different roles. I also improved my English and acquired greater fluency in speaking. On a personal level, I gained deep friendships with people on the other side of the world”.

Olmo, an ESC volunteer in Cambodia as Project Management Assistant, worked on the management and implementation of projects implemented by WeWorld in Cambodia in primary education, with the objective of preventing the risk of school drop-out.

Despite the initial professional challenges, his time in Cambodia was a valuable experience that allowed him to explore new professional and, above all, personal scenarios: he learnt about a new culture, “a different perspective on life because I realised that when you live in your context, you take a certain mindset and take certain things for granted. When you leave, you see that there is an alternative and you come back with the realisation that everything is relative, that the one you live in is just one of the realities in the world and that you can make a choice that you didn't think could be there before. This is the gift I received by changing context”.

“In a year's time I hope to still be in Cambodia or I hope, at the very least, to be back in Asia. I like it very much and it is magnetic. Moreover, it is a continent that is moving fast towards new positive scenarios both economically and financially”.

After completing his volunteering experience, Olmo stayed on to work in Cambodia with another organisation, again in international cooperation!

“For me, it was the first experience in project management. From a professional point of view, I experienced many new things and activities, while from a human point of view, I made very strong relationships, travelled, and experienced new and different things”.

Eloïse, an ESC volunteer in Tunisia as Project Management Assistant, has participated in the management and implementation work of a solidarity economy project in Tunisia to support vulnerable groups of women and young people to access the world of work and create new local enterprises. She had the opportunity to enhance her professional skills in the role of Project Manager and to experience new human and working scenarios that allowed her to develop her skills and knowledge. She also experienced the local and welcoming culture of Tunis, which she found to be an accessible and comfortable city.

“In a year's time, I hope to be in the role of Project Manager again. This experience has enhanced my idea of working in this profession even more. I loved Tunisia, I see myself there and I am ready to move there, but I am also very interested in Africa in general”.

After finishing her volunteering experience, Eloïse left again with WeWorld... this time as a Junior Project Manager in Mozambique!

If you would also like to experience personal and professional growth with ESC and join our projects, find out how to do it here!