Volunteers with the EVS program in Madeira, Portugal promoted tourism and guided tours for the Students' Union of the University of Madeira. Through these activities, volunteers acquired skills in areas like languages, time management, public speaking, and an awareness of European values. Volunteers gave tours of attractions in Funchal's old town, provided information at the help desk of Jesuits' College, and guided tours of places like the City Hall and local vineyards. They also helped at a store selling souvenirs and wrote monthly articles about Madeiran culture and history for the university's website. In their free time, volunteers engaged in community activities like reforestation efforts in the local ecological park.

1. My EVS
experience
Martyna Krupinska

2. MadeiraMadeira - the Atlantic Pearl
Culture
Tradition
History
Nature

3. AAUMa - Associação Académica da Univerisdade da Madeira
On my EVS I was working for the Students’ Union of the University of Madeira.
Promotion of the tourism and guiding tours in Funchal are main tasks of the volunteers. By presenting to visitors the
history of the island, a volunteer has an active role in the project which facilitates to acquire a specific set of skills and
competences, from linguistic abilities to time management and public speaking, as well as awareness of European
values, such as tolerance and cultural diversity. Aside from the attractions, there is a connection between the project
and the social support programmes developed by Students’ Union which enable various endeavours such as the
refurbishment of the University of Madeira, providing school supplies and daily meals to less fortunate students or
acquiring scientific publications for the library of the University of Madeira. By performing the guided tours and
explaining their purpose to the guests, the volunteer assumes a very important role in the promotion of these social
support programmes.

4. Heritage
Other volunteers and I promoted
Madeira’s heritage by giving
informations about attractions
available in the old town of Funchal,
also general information about the
island, distributing flyers to tourism
offices and encouraging tourists to
participate in our tours.

5. Help desk
In Jesuits’ College volunteers were in charge of giving
quick tours to visitors with general information about
its history and colligation to the university. We also
offered free audioguides in several languages for self-
guided tours in the college and the Church of Saint
John the Evangelist.

6. Tours
I guided a tour in the City Hall
showing the visitors fancy rooms of
Carvalhal Esmeraldo Palace that was
built for a noble family in the XVIII
century and today is an
administrative center of Funchal .
Other interesting tours we offered
were: Mysteries of Funchal, Hart of
the City, Wine and Culture...

7. Store
We also helped in the store located
in Jesuits’ College where visitors
can purchase some souvenirs, local
sweets and other traditional
products as well as try a famous
Madeira’s wine.

8. Articles
Every month we wrote an article published on AAUMa’s
website. The topics were related to the history, culture and
art. In this way we could introduce to the students some
noteworthy facts about our countries of origin.

9. Tree planting
Several times we participated in a tree-planting activity in the
Ecological Park of Funchal. Over 90% of its area was
devastated by a number of fires. The reforestation project is
essential to maintain a biological diversity in the park and to
protect endemic species.

10. In my spare time - hiking!

11. EVS is an amazing adventure - go for it!