When I first got accepted as a volunteer to come to Cyprus so to work at Hope for Children, I immediately started to think about what I could bring to the project.
I am familiar with organizing different types of leisure and educative activities for all ages, so my first thought was about this. Before arriving, I had in my head an idea of what to do here with the minors.
After knowing the group of teenagers and getting familiar with the work placement I began implementing the activities.
During these months I have been doing different workshops and activities such as creative writing, painting, games, etc.
Although I tend to be really organized when it gets to plan activities, there is also a huge possibility towards improvisation and changes.
I am really satisfied with the results of the activities; the minors are involved on them and all the spaces and materials are adequate.
Still, this is the easy part for me because I am comfortable with it.
Then, comes the part where I had to learn and gain new skills.
Being part of a big team allowed me to learn how to communicate better and I realized how important is to feel comfortable with the team in an environment like this one.
The shelter is challenging both professionally and personally. I learned how to find the balance to not carry with me things from work to my free time.
Here every day seems quite the same (same dynamics, tasks such as taking the minors to the hospital, monitoring their eating hours, doing activities, spending time speaking with the minors, fixed time for this, fixed time for that…) yet if you observe closely, you will find the big differences.
I never know how the day is going to go.
Sometimes I am energetic, and I come here with a big smile, sometimes I just feel down and I don’t want to be here. I learned to manage myself emotionally because every single change in the way I feel affects what I am doing here. I learned that to do the things in a productive way I have to take care of myself first and then work with the minors.
I perceive the EVS as a learning process and I am trying to have it in mind when I see my colleagues working because I think I can enrich myself with their experience and the different ways of working.
Regarding the minors, I think I have more tools to work with them since I am here. They share their reality. With this experience I get to see how my colleagues go on with all the procedures regarding the asylum seekers and I get to discover amazing things about them during the activities.
Volunteering here is not easy, but I wouldn’t change it for any other experience.