Hi everyone! I’m Yana, and this is the story of my volunteering journey ☺️
In February 2026, I completed my ten-month ESC volunteering project. Looking back, I can clearly say that this experience was much more than volunteering abroad. It was a journey that changed me and helped me grow.
When I arrived in Slovakia in April 2025, everything felt new and uncertain. I was excited but also nervous, trying to adapt to a new country, a new organization and a new daily rhythm. During the first months, I learned how Youth for Equality works and slowly found my place in the team. Those first three months laid the foundation for everything that followed. My first impressions and the beginning of my journey are described in my article HERE.
In June, I took part in my on-arrival training, which helped me better understand the ESC program, reflect on my expectations and connect with other volunteers. You can read more about this experience HERE.
July and August were a calmer period of the project. During this time, we slowed down, planned ahead and focused mainly on preparing for European Mobility Week taking place in September.
European Mobility Week was a three-week Team Volunteering project focused on sustainable urban mobility. Similar to City Health Week in June, ten volunteers from different countries came to Trnava. Together, we supported the implementation of activities for local residents, helped during events and worked as an international team. These activities were created for the local community and gave us valuable practical experience in international volunteering.
During the project, I helped and supported the presentation of our activities at public events such as International Day during Erasmus Days and the Nestrácať sa Conference. These experiences helped me improve my communication skills and feel more confident speaking to different audiences.
Almost every month, we organized Movie Nights for people from the local community. These evenings created a relaxed and welcoming space where people of different ages and backgrounds could meet, watch films and share their thoughts. Through these activities, I learnt how important simple community events can be.
An important moment of reflection during the project was my mid-term training in Nová Dubnica. It was good to reflect on my experience so far and think about my personal and learning progress. I could openly share challenges and successes, and it was also very nice to meet other volunteers again.
Supporting social media and content creation became an important part of my volunteering experience. I contributed to the organization’s online presence by designing visual materials, writing content, and working with various digital tools. During the project, I learned how to use Canva and gradually strengthened my writing skills. I also explored educational and interactive platforms such as Kahoot, Curipod, Padlet, and others that are widely used in youth work and non-formal education.
What truly made this experience special, though, were the people I met along the way. I connected with volunteers, youth workers, participants, and members of the local community from many different social and cultural backgrounds. These encounters helped me grow more open-minded, flexible, and confident when communicating and collaborating with diverse groups.
As I finish this chapter, I feel really grateful for the people I met, the trust I was given and everything I learned along the way. This experience gave me much more than just new skills and knowledge, it gave me a real sense of purpose and belonging. Yes, I know it sounds a bit cliché, but honestly, that’s exactly how it feels 😜
