The volunteer participated in various environmental and community projects on Madeira Island through the Teatro Metaphora organization. Some of the initiatives included creating street art from recycled materials, recycling workshops, a theater play involving local youth, and a conference on virtual skills training. The volunteer also assisted another local association with activities like face painting and a "Human Library" event to encourage cultural exchange. Overall, the experience allowed the volunteer to discover life on the island and take part in meaningful work that benefited both the environment and social integration.

2. The beginning
In my case, everything always starts from a dream.
I just felt strongly that I really want to experience life
of being a volunteer and based of listening to my gut
- that it will something that brings changes into my
life forever. I applied during almost one year, looking
for opportunities strongly connected with my skills
and interests. I found Teatro Metaphora while they
didn’t have open recruitment process for the Poles,
but it changed during few months and I got a “green
light” personaly from the President. It looked like
destination, isn’t it? ;)
I took a chance in my 30., left my work, regular life
in Kraków and follow the dream to discover a life on
an island.

3. Tales of the
two city
The project that I participated was aimed at various
objectives, nevertheless the most important goals of
the project were to inject in people’s heads
knowledge on using alternative to aluminum
packaging, teach them how to take care of household
west and also what are the environmental threats
that Madeira faces in recent years and what as
citizens we can do about it.
Next to environmental projects our other initiatives
were destined to build stronger integration of local
people, show them healthy and profitable ways how
to spend free time.
I must admit that each separate project has achieved
its desired results.

4. Initiatives during
the program
• Can Art
• Animate for action
• Recycling Workshop “Do It Yourself!”
• Theater play + making costumes and props
• SEED conference
• Face painting and hand-made workshop in Viva
• Participation in Human library Event + visual
identification of the event
• Booklet
• Summer games

5. CAN ART: recycling doors and street
instalations
EVS participants along with
association supporters had a
chance to create unique street
decorations, for example recycling
doors made from aluminum cans
collected by volunteers and
coworkers. The association has its
own secret method how to change
colorful trash in dinamic elements
that actually remind mosaic in the
final result.

6. Recycling
Workshop
“Do it yourself!” was a course of
lessons and workshops about reuse
and recycling old objects (trash) in
order to give them new life. Had a
place in Basic School in Camara de
Lobos with group of adult.

7. Theater Play
Main idea of the play was
to involve young people
with fewer opportunities.
Involving them in activities
such as set construction,
making costumes and acting
will occupy their leisure
times preventing them from
following unhealthy habits.
It will also increase their
participation in community
and civic life.

8. SEED- Sectors United for foresting employability
SEED Project was aimed at development of
competences for young adults in virtual
environment. The EU Partners from 6 different
member states, each from distinct regional sector
formed an ally force and produced an online
platform with courses designed at teaching how to
properly work remotely, that’s away from the office.

9. Viva Association
activities
I started to cooperate with another local association
called Viva.
Their main goal is to work on several areas of social
action such as integration of elder and retired people,
summer school for children from families with
difficulties and creative way of spending free time.

10. Face Painting
I was invited few times to do a facepainting
during some events in Viva Associacion.
I believe that the communication trough art
is one of the best intercultural way to
understand each others. You basicaly don’t
need any language, maybe except…body
language. It’s a great lesson to understand
how to express yourself in many different
ways.
It was a good task to awake children
creativity, body awareness, intercultural
communication and friendship.

11. Human library
Initiative organized by a Kate
Popovska, EVS participant.
Human Library was the very first
event of such kind organized in
Câmara de Lobos, and most
probably in the whole island. The
gathering targeted local people
to exchange ideas and
experience, since each individual
is like an open book that has
stories to tell. The event turned
out to be a great success with
over 20 participants taking part
in the event. Teatro Metaphora
may in future continue the
project since it fulfilled its aimed
objectives.
I was one of the participant of
the event as a “book” and aso
designer of visual identification
of the event.

12. On-arrival
and mid-term training
One of the obligatory parts of the project were internal and external, that’s
happening away from the association’s premise, training. The trainings
organized by The Portuguese National Agency was a great chance to solidify
knowledge about methodology of non-formal education as well as to expend
and evaluate personal development. It was also a great time to meet inspiring
people for expanding the net of contacts.

13. In my spare time -
I enjoyed beautiful nature around me as much as
possible.

14. I had a fabulous chance to visit incredible places and meet great
people. I’ll treasure this experience for a very long time.

15. If you’re thinking of taking part in
EVS Erasmus Plus, don't wait for the
right moment.
The time is now! Don't be afraid:
the world takes care of brave hearts
in special way :)
Just go and “be the change that you
wish to see in the world” as said M.
Gandhi.