Youth Inclusion Toolbox
Volunteer Experience (By Ivan Doer)
By the end of 2019, I took a part in a Study Visit in North Italy, in a town called Manerba del Garda. The project was about social inclusion and youth work. We were 21 participants from 7 different countries. Throughout the project, we managed to visit several social centers, and to learn about their methods of work and project implementation.
Among these organizations was one, that is dealing with “mafia issue”. In general, it is a sensitive topic for Italy. Till nowadays, mafia have a negative influence on the community. Gladly, the situation slowly gets better because of this institution.
We were accommodated in a pre-church hostel, that is relatively fresh renovated. Conditions were great, the food was even greater. Facilitators we professional and managed to run the project in a best of possible ways. We were not sticking to the schedule as in most of the projects. We tried to be flexible and adjust every day towards possibilities and weather. From my perspective, that played out well.
As a cherry on a pie, we had a great time with fellow participants. Intercultural night, game nights and absorbing conversations. Open-minded characters made this study visit to be a real pearl among the projects. Also, it was a wonderful way to end up the year.
