My volunteering experience in Palermo

Ciao!
My name is Anzela, I’m from Latvia, and I want to tell you about my experience as a volunteer, but first let me introduce myself.
I’m twenty one yeras old, not working at the moment, but studying on higher education as a media worker.

The thought of going on this kind of adventure came to me when I was at another project in my country that was helping unemployed people, and one day my mentor just sent me a Facebook link of this volunteer work and wrote, “Want to try?”. I was surprised, but first thought was like, “who believes in Facebook posts”, but then I decided to at least try, and I didn’t regret it.

The volunteering experience started at the sixth of August and it last one month. It was planned to last one month and it happened at a nice and quiet atmospheric place called Isola Delle Femmine, Sicily. Our main task was to green the desert area of the inhabited island. We were planting plants, watering them, cleaning up the territory of the island and helping injured seagulls that were caught in trash. To the island, we were going with a boat and the view from it was amazing. 

At the free from work time, we were going to the beach and it was terrific, because the water was very clear and very warm, so we were spending almost all of the time there. The time that we weren’t there we were driving with a bus to the capital city called Palermo where we went shopping, enjoyed local street food and sightseeing

Then when this camp ended, I went to another one that was in a school. There we were eleven people counting me and we were helping prepare the school for the new school year. Our main task were to carry stuff, clean up the classrooms or garden and paint the classroom walls. First I was a bit scared that I won’t be able to do the job right but when we started I understood that it’s a lot easier and I shouldn’t have been so nervous.
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This month flee fast from the start I thought like who am I to get to this kind of place, but when I’ve been there and did stuff I understand that it’s the most amazing thing that I’ve experienced. Independency, traveling, helping others and understanding yourself better this is what the EVS is all about. Who I was and who I am now it’s different and I can feel it. So I want to say this message to everyone who is still afraid to try, because if we don’t try, nothing will happen.

Anzela