For eight months I was an EVS volunteer for the Youth Centre of Kalamata. Here I did basic things like making sure the workshops went well, design & editing the monthly newsletter, front office, informing people (all ages) and cleaning the building. Besides this I did my own workshops and joined several side-projects. I had a ‘Practise English Conversation’ workshop and in the other one I taught people the Dutch language. It was very interesting to put myself into the shoes of a teacher. Now I know that it’s not that scary and it’s actually fun to do! Side-projects included beach-cleanings, clothing-exchange bazaars, a street-festival, information sessions about EVS, theme-parties and school-visits. I also got Greek language lessons twice a week, through which I learned to read and to make simple conversations.
I didn’t have a lot of expectations to begin with, but for me everything was really more than fine. Overall my project was a success. I was satisfied with the tasks I got and the freedom they gave me to do more or different things.
Farhana, Netherlands, 01/05/2012
For seven months I was an EVS volunteer in a Farm that works based on the concepts of natural and biodinamic farming. Here I did basic things like planting vegetables, collecting herbs and drying them, collecting seeds for our bank of seeds, giving support in open events in the farm and activities with children. Besides this, I taught Portuguese in the youth center of Kalamata that was a very interesting and different experience for me. I also got Greek language lessons twice a week, through which I learned to read and to make simple conversations.
My project didn’t match with my expectations in the beginning but it turned out to be different but in a good way. I am very satisfied with my tasks and all the activities I was involved.
Diana, Portugal, 07/08/2012
During my project I had the opportunity to work with horses and children with special needs, so my the main tasks included taking care of the horses, preparing them for the therapeutic sessions, leading the horses and ensuring the balance/stability of the children on the horses. Also, part of it was playing with the children educational/therapeutic games.
I am very happy with this experiences, as it gave me the chance to develop and see things I would not have been able to see otherwise.
Michal, Czech Republic, 30/09/2012
I have been working with children and adolescents with autistic spectrum disorders,offering time to play, to organise music and movement team games and cooperated well with members of therapeutic team. I have learnt and used recognised valid techniques from TEACCH aproach, PEACS and Sensory Investigation.
I am completely satisfied with my project. It exceeded my expectations and was a good way to learn more about this kind of disability.
Samy, Spain, 09/10/2012
I worked for 7 months as a volunteer in the Youth Centre of Kalamata,, where I overtook some tasks and also created my own tasks. Every day I cleaned one part of Youth Centre and some working days I had the responsibility to keep the Youth Centre’s schedule in time and to keep the Youth Centre in a good condition. I also gave German- and guitar lessons to children and adults and joined some workshops in the Youth Centre as well. Another task was to organize events for the Youth Centre as a treasure hunt, EVS-Café, Events and Presentations. For the advertising of EVS I made a video about EVS-life.
Overall I really liked working in my project because it gave me the chance to learn a lot about my abilities and myself. Actually in the end a lot of tasks didn’t meet my expectations since I imagined the project totally different. But I had the chance to do several other tasks I didn’t expect before.
Tonia, Austria, 05/07/2012
The service I gave was part in the youthcenter of KANE and part in the Mirto Fifa farm, which served as my main projekt. There I helped with the farm works and other environmental projects, which included harvesting, taking care of our seeds collection, preparing products for selling, solving problems that dealt with the premises of the farm. In the other projects, which was mainly the RE:think project, that deals with recycling ideas and composting solutions for the city of Kalamata. There we work on selfmade things we created from used material or prepare educational events for children, schoolclasses or teachers at the farm, an action that which is increasing. I also helped with other projects or tasks in the farm, in events she did or went with her in the neighbourhood to promote the composting project or took care of the composting tank. In the youthcenter I was every Monday and in an environmental action me, the other volunteer from my project and a changing third volunteer from the center cleaned the square which isin front of the youthcenter. I also did other works, like reapairing stuff from the center, painting walls or working in the roof garden project. On Fridays I gave German lessons in the center.
My expectiations were fulfilled from the point that I wanted to learn, both practical things and personal and social skills. I did learn a lot, but not the way I expected it. The biggest issue to learn was that you meet such different conditions and ways of living in another country and you have to expect everything. The project I worked in gained a lot of succes from my work – not through a certain tasks of me but through my participation and help. So my coordinator was able to concentrate on bigger projects because I worked with the daily tasks in the farm and is now able to host a lot of actions and projects on the farm now. So, for me that I learned about farming and evironmental education as well as I developed my social skills and for her with her projects my EVS is quite successfull. In the beginning it was hard to see this positive outcome, also in the middle of our work together, because we were facing some understanding difficulties and didn’t work together so well lots of times. But we managed to smooth it out and wokred vene btter from the thigs that we learned from these diffilcutlies.
Lina Marie, Germany, 15/06/2012
I was working in the Therapeutical Horseriding center. There I was conducting horseriding therapy with children with autism. Also I was teaching the Russian language in the Youth Center (Kentro Neon Kalamatas).
I had very good experience with my project. It totally met my expectations.
Katya, Ukraine, 15/10/2012
I worked at the Youth Centre (Kentro Neon Kalamatas). There I worked as a theatre director’s assistant and at the same time as a journalist ( I wrote the interviews with actors). I was flamenco and Creative occupation with children teacher. Also, I was working at the Info Point at our centre, giving information about the activities at the Youth Centre and about volunteering in general. Moreover, I participated at some events such as cleaning Kalamata, Kardamili, presenting EVS at the schools, etc.
In general, I do not have complains about working in the Youth Centre. I really enjoyed it. Working with the theatre group I had some problems, as I sometimes felt unusefull and that I did not have to be there, but I managed to solve them. I think that it was a really good learning experience for me, that will help me in my future projects.
Rasa, Lithuania, 04/06/2012
