As part of my European Solidarity Corps journey, I recently spent an inspiring week in Orahovica for my On-Arrival Training. This week was a unique opportunity to connect with a diverse group of enthusiastic volunteers from across Croatia and to lay the groundwork for a successful volunteering project.
The training was designed to help us integrate into the Croatian community and better understand the framework of our projects. We spent time discussing how to achieve solidarity during our ESC projects, clarifying our rights and obligations, and exploring the support systems available to us. We have dived deep into the ESC Info Kit and the official guide, sharing a wealth of resources from helpful mobile apps to volunteer networks, that will make our daily lives easier. We had some activities reflecting on our project to measure our satisfaction with all parts of the project.
One of the highlights was the hands-on approach to project management. we worked in teams to design our own mini projects. This allowed us to experiment with techniques for brainstorming and collaboration, giving us the confidence to contribute fresh ideas and personal initiatives to our host organizations.
We had an interesting time talking about our different cultures and learning from each other. We shared stories about our backgrounds and talked about “culture shock “that strange feeling you get when everything is new and different. We also learned ways to handle stress when things feel difficult.
On the final day, we focused on the YouthPass, learning how to document our learning outcomes and use them for our future careers. A truly touching moment was receiving ‘support letters’ from former volunteers, including their experiences and advice for us to keep doing well in our projects.
Beyond the sessions, the atmosphere in Orahovica was peaceful and welcoming. A standout memory was participating in the “Hello spring” event in the city center. Seeing the lanterns rise into the night sky was a beautiful symbol of our new beginnings and the connections we built during these five days.
I am leaving Orahovica with a full heart, new friendships, and a clear vision for my project. It was a week filled with knowledge, growth, and, most importantly, fun!
