Volunteering from praxis greece eyes
Vera Lennartz
In my opinion, a voluntary service is a great chance to develop your personality. Making new experiences and meeting new people help to broaden your horizon, which is very important.
I see it as an interesting challenge to live in a completely new environment with new people for a longer period of time. From my point of view it helps to get more independent and self-conscious.
Furthermore, I am certain that a voluntary service gives you the chance to discover new possibilities - new possibilities how to involve yourself in social pursuits and ideas for your professional future.
First of all, I was interested in voluntary work in the field of media and communication, because I am a very communicative, creative and open-minded person myself.
On the other hand, I wanted to pass on my enthusiasm for cultural exchange and interaction, which is an important feature of today. In order to make young people becoming aware of how important communication is and how we all can benefit from one another and various cultures, participating in a project in which working with children and teenagers is one of the main parts seemed to be a very nice opportunity.
Besides I’ve already gained intercultural experience during a six-week stay in Ireland and therefore knew how fantastic it is to get to know a new country, its people, its culture, its food, its language, its landscape …
I thought that I was ready to adapt to the new way of life in Serres and according to this point, I see this voluntary program as a chance for young people like me to promote tolerance, international exchange and friendship.
Moreover, I hope that the voluntary service will not only contribute to the development of my personality and help me in finding my profession, but also change something in the local society for the greater good. I wish to learn to stand in for the things I believe in and hope to be able to have an impact on current issues.
This is why I wanted to receive the possibility to support the Mediart Praxis Project not only to further develop my personal abilities, but in order to make others benefit from how I may assist. What I wish for is that together we can reach and connect people. Praxis' aim to present a range of cultural activities to youths and to spread cultures is another feature why I chose it to be the project I wish to engage in.
Julian Heyder
After I finished my final exams in germany, I really wanted to go abroad and see more of the world. Therefore I was thinking about going to travel and see other countries. At the same time I wanted to help people in need, which I wouldn't have accomplished if I would have just travel around on my own. So I decided to do an european voluntary service and until now, currently two months, I don't regret my decision, because it feels really good to help the refugees and build up a connection with them. Furthermore I am able to experience the country with it's culture on a different level when just traveling through, because I am a long term volunteer.
At the end I have to mention the biggest drawside of this service for me. It is not seeing your family and friends for a long time and not being able to see them everyday, like before, makes me miss them a lot.
Being a volunteer is a great job to make people that really deserve happy. Just put a little of effort and a lot of smiles we can make this world a little brighter!
Maris Lepp
If you would ask my family and friends, they would probably say that volunteering is the only thing I have been doing. At least for the last 5 years or so. I have always been the active one, who next to her studies or other responsibilities is involved in all kinds of voluntary stuff - organizing public events, taking part of social campaigns, spending a day with people in need, cleaning the environment around us… the list can go on.
Why I do this? Why not! I have some time, I have my knowledge, I am physically capable of doing more and I can put my energy somewhere it’s needed. Not even talking about the feeling I get after seeing the result of my effort - even if it’s just a smile or thank you. Voluntarism is just another form of self-realization for me. And if with that I can bring some positivity in someone else’s life, I couldn’t be happier.
I discovered the "Volunteer´s life" plenty the last year with my first trip to Greece and right now my life is totally different.
During my experiences I have met a lot of beautiful people from all over the world with the same thought or dream: To bring hope to the world! Maybe sounds a bit "romantic" but is the truth. How a lot of people work together to get the same goal is amazing.
Now I am economicly poorer but I am rich in experiences and I have filled my body with the good energies of the people that I have met and there is no money to buy that.
You may say that I am a dreamer, but I know, I am pretty sure, that I am not the only one!!
For me the meaning of be a volunteer is about support someone or something with your own willing. You take and give your time, knowledge and strength to make something great. Volunteering is a good feeling. Makes others heart warm and your heart too.
If I can mention here something so obvious and simple thing; you don't need to travel for other countries to be a volunteer, you can be always a help around your town, your school, or near your neighbourhood. You can start something small and you will see how big it is going to be raised by the time.
Look at me! When I was a kid I went to collect garbage in the forest, or when I was a teenager I baked for charity, and I can go on..
I started small and now I live with this amazing opportunity to be a volunteer in Greece. I can only say thanks for this experience for the life, because I have improved and learned a lot since I am a volunteer.