Hi! I'm Sara, I'm 18 years old and I come from Western Finland.

I did a team project ESC “Regeneration in Sicily” in the period 01.12.-16.12.2024.

I decided to volunteer abroad because I wanted to learn about cultures, improve my language skills, and help local people and nature.

In Milena we renovated a fountain, cleaning, painting, transporting earth and creating an installation with images related to water. In Palermo we worked on Monte Pellegrino cleaning paths, making signs more visible and cleaning a stream for the water that frogs need to reproduce.

My favorite memories from my free time were the nutcracker ballet, the puppet theater, and celebrating Finnish Independence Day with the decorations we made and the Finnish snacks we brought to share with the long-term volunteers. The group was great, I felt safe and supported when I faced a language barrier or culture shock.

I think that volunteering ESC is the right place for young people who want to make new friends, have good conversations, see other cultures and work for something you appreciate.

Sarah Laitala