A conversation with Anna about her 11-month EVS at Autismo Burgos
Hello Anna! Thank you for allowing us to interview you about your European Voluntary Service. Where and when did you do it? I did my European Voluntary Service EVS in the north of Spain, in Burgos, for 11 months from September 2017 to July 2018. The organization is called Autismo Burgos.
How did you come up with the idea of volunteering in Spain in the first place? What appealed to you? I already knew in high school that I would like to go abroad to do a social year after my A-levels. My sister, who had also spent a year doing social work in Romania, inspired me to do an EVS. Spain was my project country purely by chance, as I focused on the type of project rather than the country. It was exciting for me to know that I would be going to a foreign country for a year, with a foreign language, culture etc., to help others there and also to learn a lot of new things myself.
When you think of one of your biggest challenges during the EVS, what comes to mind? The biggest challenge at the beginning was definitely the language, as I didn't speak a word of Spanish before my stay in Spain. I did take part in a language course on site, but it was still very difficult to communicate at first. (It should also be added that the Spanish people there in Burgos speak almost NO English).
... and when it comes to moments of happiness, what comes to mind? My moments of happiness in Spain were very different: I was very happy working with people with autism and my colleagues and we had a great relationship and a lot of fun together. In my free time, I did great things and met good new friends from all over the world.
What did you learn during your voluntary service? During my year as a volunteer, I learned to appreciate things that we often take for granted and completely forget that we have them. By living in an apartment with 3 other volunteers, I also learned to be more independent and, above all, considerate. In addition to the Spanish language, I was of course able to get to know a lot of Spanish culture and experience how to live a real "Spanish" life. All in all, I learned an incredible amount and am very grateful for this experience.
Who would you recommend the EVS to and why? I would recommend an EVS to anyone because it is simply a great challenge for everyone. You never know exactly what to expect and of course things might not go so well from time to time, but in the end it certainly takes you a lot further in life. I think the EVS is a great opportunity for young people to go abroad, get socially involved, travel and discover new things, and if I had to choose it again, I would do it all over again.
Thank you so much for your answers and for sharing your experiences!
More information
Attention. The EVS no longer exists in this form. The project is now integrated into the European Solidarity Corps and is called ESK. However, the framework conditions have remained largely the same. Our current article focuses on the change from EVS to ESC.
EVS = European Voluntary Service, means living in another European country for 3-12 months (there are also - a few - places outside Europe) and working on an ecological, cultural or social project there. Travel to and from the project, insurance, rent, food allowance, pocket money, transport costs to the workplace are covered by theYouth in Action program, in return for 20-30 hours of voluntary work per week.
TIP: Start organizing in good time (about 8-10 months before the planned start of the project)!