{"id":7932,"date":"2024-09-05T11:57:21","date_gmt":"2024-09-05T09:57:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthforequality.sk\/index.php\/2024\/09\/05\/esc-health-week-copy\/"},"modified":"2025-07-23T10:44:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T08:44:09","slug":"esc-health-week-copy24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthforequality.sk\/index.php\/2024\/09\/05\/esc-health-week-copy24\/","title":{"rendered":"ESC Health Week 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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A Volunteering experience that opened our eyes \u2014 Reflections from Slovakia<\/strong>
By Mariella, Irene, and Bogna<\/em><\/p>

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Volunteering can be a transformative experience \u2014 not only because you help others, but because you challenge yourself, grow personally and professionally, and discover new perspectives. We recently took part in a three-week European Solidarity Corps (ESC) volunteering project<\/strong> in Trnava, Slovakia<\/strong> during City Health Week<\/strong>, organized by the non-profit organization Youth for Equality<\/strong>. Here\u2019s how it impacted our lives.<\/p>

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\ud83c\udf0d Mariella\u2019s experience: Living and volunteering in an international environment<\/h3>

When I first saw the list of volunteers, I was fascinated to see how many different countries were represented: Finland, Turkey, Armenia, Poland, Italy\u2026 I was also a bit nervous \u2014 how would it feel to live and collaborate with people from such different cultural backgrounds?<\/p>

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Those worries quickly disappeared when I met my flatmates. Although I had never lived with anyone outside my family, I immediately felt comfortable. After our volunteer activities, we would often gather on the couch and talk for hours \u2014 about life, culture, the future\u2026 These conversations were so inspiring, especially for me, just out of school and still shaping my own path.<\/p>

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Even in our project work, I always felt we were working together<\/em>. Sometimes communication was a challenge \u2014 English wasn\u2019t the mother tongue for any of us \u2014 but we learned to ask more, listen better, and support each other. Preparing a workshop with three other volunteers was especially interesting. We all had different approaches, and although it was challenging at first, we found a way to combine our ideas under the lead of experienced youth workers.<\/p>

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These three weeks were intense and inspiring. I learned so much about life in other European countries, about myself, and about how powerful it is to stay open to other people and perspectives.<\/p><\/div>

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\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf0 Irene\u2019s experience: Discovering Slovakia and connecting through shared moments<\/h3>

Before coming to Slovakia, I was nervous \u2014 I didn\u2019t know what to expect. But now that this journey has come to an end, I\u2019m incredibly grateful for all the new adventures I\u2019ve experienced.<\/p>

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The project was designed in a way that gave us free time after activities and on weekends. We used that time to relax or explore. Trnava is a well-connected, clean, and green city. I loved its unexpected gems like the Synagogue Caf\u00e9 \u2014 a caf\u00e9 in a beautifully restored synagogue. Every weekend, the local market filled the town center with fresh produce, flowers, and delicious Slovak specialties like halu\u0161ky<\/em>.<\/p>

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Youth for Equality even provided us with bicycles, which made it easy to get around \u2014 and I was amazed at how many bike paths the city had!<\/p>

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Besides our main volunteering tasks, we were offered many side activities: Spanish lessons, art therapy, dance classes… These helped us connect even more as a group. Evenings together \u2014 like when we all watched Eurovision \u2014 made it feel like a little family.<\/p>

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This experience made me more independent and more open to others. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to challenge themselves, meet amazing people, and create unforgettable memories.<\/p>

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\ud83d\udca1 Bogna\u2019s experience: A break that changed everything<\/h3>

For me, this project was a much-needed break from daily life and a chance to reflect on my career path. As a pediatric physiotherapist, I\u2019d been working mainly with children in individual sessions \u2014 but I missed working in teams, developing soft skills, and creating something together<\/em> with other adults.<\/p>

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Through this ESC volunteering project, I got all of that and more. I realized how much I enjoy working in an international environment, and how much I\u2019ve grown \u2014 especially in communication, teamwork, and confidence in English. One moment that really stood out was a workshop on creating CVs. It helped me improve mine and see my skills from a different perspective.<\/p>

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The biggest inspiration, though, was the people I met. Just hearing everyone\u2019s life stories gave me new motivation. Being surrounded by young, passionate people made me feel ready to act, explore, and live more fully. Now I\u2019m seriously thinking about starting new studies or even changing careers \u2014 this time with a clearer vision and more confidence.<\/p>

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\ud83e\udd1d Final thoughts<\/h3>

Volunteering abroad, especially in the field of health and community engagement, is a unique opportunity to contribute to local well-being while growing personally.<\/p>

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In our three weeks in Trnava, we:<\/p>