Wolontariuszki Kasia i Dominika wzięły udział w projekcie wolontariatu "Together: a common challenge, a common responsibility"(2018-1-PL01-KA125-050111), finansowanym ze środków Komisji Europejskiej w ramach Programu Erasmus+. Działania realizowały w organizacji SOPRO - Organização Não Governamental de Solidariedade e Promoção w Barcelos, wPortugalii

1. KATARZYNA LIMANÓWKA
Together: a common challenge,
a common responsibility
EVS Project I November 2018 – September 2019 I Barcelos, Portugal

2. Surprises...
In Barcelos, I found the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. The sun was mine
the greatest surprise during my whole stay in Portugal. I have come to Barcelos at
the beginning of November last year and was welcomed by heavy rain and stormy
weather. I was doubly surprised because I left Poland where was nice and pleasant
sunny autumn and so my adventure with EVS began.

3. SOPRO ONGD
My hosting organization was SOPRO ONGD, NGO founded in 1996, situated in
Barcelinhos. They are working with young people with special needs, at-risk youth
and cooperating with international and local volunteers. They are also supporting
communities in Mozambique. Their mission: "youth's education on solidarity and
promotion of cooperation projects for human development in the world”.

4. Social Center
in Cristelo
My hosting organization was SOPRO, but I was working with children at social
and cultural center Abel Varzim in Cristelo, a small village nearby Barcelos. I
spent the first five months of my project there, mostly supporting children with
their English classes and proposing additional activities, workshops, and
handicrafts for them.

5. English
Classes
The part of my activities were connected with English classes. For the first couple of
weeks, I was supporting children with their English homework and after some time,
when we got to know each other, I proposed an additional English course in a
nonformal way. Together with my co-volunteer Dominika, we started to organized
some games, present some music and videos to practice English with children in a
more interesting way than at school.

6. Polish cookies
In December I organized Christmas Workshops together with Dominika. For
three days we were preparing Christmas decorations, cards, and cookies.
During “Cookies Day” we decided to bake and decorate polish Christmas
cookies “pierniczki” to show kids a little bit of polish tradition.

7. Valentine's
workshops
Similarly, we organized Valentine’s Workshops. During three amazing days together
with children, we tried to make Valentine’s Box to encourage them to send some
friendly messages to their friends and classmates. Through the next days, we
prepared some nice decorations and of course valentine’s cards. Kids had a lot of
fun during those days and they impressed me with their imagination and positive
energy.

8. Let's build a
castle!
One day we proposed recycling workshops for small children. Together we
decided to build a castle by using only old boxes, newspapers and toilet paper
rolls. I wanted to pay their attention to the recycling issue and to help them to
understand that they can reuse different sorts of things and still have a lot of fun.

9. On-arrival
training -
Almada
For sure I will never forget my on-arrival training in Almada near Lisbon. At the
beginning of December, Portugal National Agency organized the first training
for those volunteers, who have already come to Portugal to join some EVS
projects. During five amazing days, I have met so many people from around
Europe, who inspired me with their stories, ideas and positive energy.

10. The
Mozambique
campaign
After a huge tragedy in Mozambique, when Cyclone Idai destroyed so many
cities and killed a lot of people, all volunteers from SOPRO stared to help with
the Mozambique campaign. From that moment most of the time, I was helping
with sorting, preparing and packing boxes with food, clothes and school
materials for the victims of Cyclone Idai.

11. Language
Exchange
As a part of our actions together with the other volunteers from Estonia and
Lithuania, we decided to organize Language Exchange events in Barcelos. It
was a good opportunity to practice some Portuguese with some people from
the local community, but also to present our projects, our experience of living
in Portugal and our cultures and languages.

12. European
Youth Week
At the beginning of May, we were celebrating the European Youth Week. Due to
that event, we prepared presentations about our EVS experiences in Portugal for
two meetings with teenagers at Escola Alcaides de Faria, which held on the 7th
and 10th of May. It was a pleasure to meet so nice and courageous youngsters,
who were interested in our stories and very curious about our life here in Barcelos.

13. Visiting school
in Vila Real
In June together with the other volunteers, we took part in meeting with
teenagers at school in Vila Real. It was another opportunity to talk about our
experience and EVS projects to encourage those youngsters to join the
Erasmus Plus projects.

14. Intercultural
Night in Ponte
de Lima
In July I took part in Intercultural Night with teenagers from Colégio La Salle in
Ponte de Lima. I and Dominika made the presentation about Poland, as well we
prepared an easy song in polish language to teach them a bit of polish. It was
a nice time, where we could share our culture, languages, and traditions.

15. Youth Festival
in Barcelos
From 18th to 21st of July I took part in The Youth Festival in Barcelos (Festa da
Juventude). During those days we were presenting to the local community our
experience connected with EVS and Erasmus Plus. We decided to arrange our
tent as a volunteer's house to make a nice and pleasant atmosphere for
sharing our stories with youngsters from Barcelos.

16. Exploring
Portugal
But EVS is not only about volunteering. This is also a great opportunity to
discover another culture, tradition, lifestyle and to meet new people. During
my stay in Portugal, I have fallen in love with Porto. It is so amazing and
magical city, which can surprise me with every corner, with every piece of
street art and with every park I can find there.