"Memory trip to Palermo"
Sinem Akdeniz talks about her European Voluntary Service in Italy
My European Voluntary Service (EVS) took place from March to December 2011. In the meantime, I had a lot of time to reflect on everything again and would like to take you on a little trip down memory lane.
The togetherness
I arrived on a very dull and rainy evening in Palermo, which is the capital of Sicily and is located northwest on the island. The day of my arrival was a very exciting day in my life, because everything was suddenly very different - the cars, houses, lights and even my key. But I received a very warm welcome and soon got to know the other volunteers. In the course of my stay I learned to love this hospitality and this "warm togetherness" very much, I often miss that here in Austria.
Our team consisted of about 18 volunteers who came from all over Europe to work in Palermo. C.E.S.IE was our recipient organization and assigned us to different centers. There were several kindergartens, a refugee center and a canteen for the homeless. We were allowed to "sniff" everywhere once. Nevertheless, my work, together with a volunteer from England, Aaron, and one from France, Youssouf, was fixed on the kindergarten "Il Giardino di Madre Teresa" which is located in "Ballaro".
The kids
Here we cared for about 30 to 40 children between the ages of one and six. Most of the children had their roots in African countries. But we also had children from the Middle East or Palermo. The founder, Rosita Marchese, told me that she hardly earns anything from the kindergarten, but for her it is a matter of the heart. For this she had (and still has) my admiration. Besides a regular daily routine, which means eating, sleeping, playing at certain times, I was able to organize workshops. The work there gave me a lot of pleasure and I could really make a helpful contribution, because we volunteers were important reference persons for the children for a longer period of time, who also got visits from volunteers from the city, but not every day.
I didn't know Italian when I went to Palermo. But there was a three-month language course in the first months and also learning together with the children helped me. That was a great experience. Still, it wasn't always easy to communicate, but if nothing else helped, I could always resort to body language.
What remains after the EVS?
My stay in Palermo was one of the most beautiful and valuable experiences I could have in my life so far. Through the volunteer service, we were provided with "pocket money" as well as accommodation (together with other volunteers) and did not have to worry about financial matters.
Palermo is a popular tourist destination during the summer months, but the majority of residents struggle to find employment. There are still many houses that were damaged after the Second World War and have not been restored to this day. On a guided tour of the city, I was told that they are now trying to use art to make these buildings more attractive.
In addition to a great treasure of experiences and knowledge that I was able to take with me from Palermo, I also began to think more politically and to grasp the world a little more. The question of whether one can ever fully grasp it, I would like to leave open....
(I am currently studying International Development at the University of Vienna as well as the two teaching subjects Psychology/Philosophy and Biology and Environmental Studies).
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 to live 3-12 months in another European country (there are also - few - places outside Europe), and to work there in an ecological, cultural or social project. Travel to and from the project, insurance, rent, food, pocket money, transportation costs to the workplace are covered by the program JUGEND IN AKTION(Youth in Action), in return you work 20-30 hours per week on a voluntary basis.
TIP: Start organizing in good time (about 8-10 months before the planned start of the project)!
