Volunteering can be defined as giving of one’s time, talents, or services to the benefit of other people, groups, or causes. In my opinion, volunteering fosters the development of a person’s global citizenship, broadens their knowledge of the world, and helps them acquire a variety of skills.
European Solidarity Corps volunteering projects are great examples of these kinds of volunteering, as ESC projects are rooted in the desire to make a positive impact on society, promote solidarity, and address social, environmental, or cultural challenges.
People can hone abilities including problem-solving, communication, leadership, and teamwork by volunteering. Whether you volunteer locally, internationally, or through the ESC, these experiences promote professional and personal development – assuming, of course, that the programs are relevant to your line of work.
My volunteer work involved participating in the radio club at Siauliai Didzdvaris Gymnasium and my duties included managing the radio club’s social media accounts, hosting a radio show, and taking pictures of the school’s events and activities. Given that the radio was a novel and unusual experience for me, this volunteer role greatly impacted my professional and personal development and provided me with several chances to learn new skills and abilities. My involvement in the radio station meant using digital technologies, learning how to manage the radio settings, and also learning how to utilize Adobe programs such as Audition, Lightroom, Photoshop, etc.
Taking pictures of school events and activities was another thing I had never done before. During my volunteer work, I began to learn how to handle a camera on my own, and later on, my fellow volunteer friend showed me how to use different presets both indoors and outdoors in order to increase the quality of the photos, which I can say helped me to take one step ahead in photography.
All of these things— freshly acquired knowledge and abilities, as well as newly developed tools—caused me to come to an understanding and altered my perspective of who I was. I found working at the radio station to be challenging since I was constantly learning new things, but it was never difficult—instead, it was easy and comfortable because I wasn’t under pressure to complete things quickly or in a certain order. I didn’t have any concrete objectives before the project began, but I wanted to experience everything, learn new skills, and improve my current ones at my own speed. I believe I was successful in achieving these aims.
Despite previous travel experience, this was my first time leaving my own country and spending a significant amount of time in a European nation. Thankfully, I can easily adjust to any situation and blend in with any group of individuals or culture. These experiences provided me with a chance to step back from the monotony and gain a fresh perspective on who I am. They also allowed me to decide what it is that I truly wanted out of life and who I wanted to become which came about as a result of a lot of self-reflection and self-exploration.
I faced some sweet challenges here, or maybe I should say I had to confront them: moving to a new nation, quitting my job to volunteer in a totally different location, working under different circumstances, picking up new language and skill sets, and, in the end, making new friends. It took just a week for me to get adapted to the harsh weather here; perhaps this is because I adore snow so much. 🙂
The other challenges had to do with job responsibilities and competencies, but they were all pleasurable. The language itself was the toughest difficulty for me to learn because it is one of the oldest languages in the world. However, I found it easier to go through it because I had regular language sessions with clear explanations and presentations. Later on, I learned that there are certain parallels between Lithuanian and Russian, which helped me understand it even more.
Before arriving here, I had the impression that all Lithuanians were distant and unfriendly, but that was absolutely OK because I too thought of myself as a remote individual who values their personal space. In such a situation, I discovered that, despite my love of privacy, I am not at all remote when residing in Lithuania. Anyway, when I made Lithuanian acquaintances and friends, that stereotype fell apart, completely altering my viewpoint.
I believe volunteering is a great experience that should be done at least once in a lifetime, and volunteering with ESC is an even bigger adventure. I would highly recommend volunteering to all young people, considering its advantages and a huge influence on personal and professional growth.
Nilufar Badali, ESC volunteer
