My ESC experience in Youth for Equality: How I learned, had fun, and met amazing people
Hello there,
Let me start by saying — writing something like this isn’t exactly my strongest skill. But if I need to reflect on the past 10 months of volunteering with Youth for Equality in one word, it would be fun. Seriously.
Thanks to the amazing and diverse team I got to support, I spent most of my days in the Youth for Equality office — learning, laughing, and being part of something meaningful. Through the many inspiring projects, I met even more great people from all across Europe.
Throughout my ESC journey, I found myself in an environment where language wasn’t just a means of communication — it was a powerful bridge between ideas, cultures, and people. One of the ways I contributed as a volunteer was by helping to workers with project texts, drafting documents, and translating materials from English into Slovak. It wasn’t just about changing words between languages — I tried to keep the meaning and tone, adapting content so it made sense for different audiences.
Supporting the youth workers and the team also meant working closely with people from various backgrounds, which helped me develop my writing and communication skills. Everyone had their own style and way of expressing ideas, and it inspired me to grow and try new approaches myself. Because the projects were always evolving, I learned how to adapt quickly and think creatively when it came to using language.
Besides translation, I also helped create presentations and organize important documents. These tasks showed me how structure, tone, and visual presentation can make a huge difference in how messages are received. Whether it was working on a project or writing up a summary, every task helped me improve and share ideas more clearly.
After 10 months of coming into the office every morning, making coffee, chatting with the team — and then suddenly (well, not that suddenly) it all came to an end — I felt a mix of sadness and deep gratitude. I’ll truly miss this experience, and I can honestly recommend it to anyone who’s thinking about volunteering.
Thank you, Youth for Equality. You made this time unforgettable.
Mário
