My name is Maša, I’m 24 years old and I come from Belgrade, Serbia. For the past six years, I have been living in the Netherlands, where I completed my university studies in International Relations and started my first work experiences. After finishing my studies in 2024, I spent the next two years doing internships in my field. Eventually, though, I felt like I needed a break (political economy does that to a person). Since I had never taken a gap year before, I thought this was the perfect time to try something completely different.

I first decided to try short-term volunteering to see whether this kind of experience was something I would enjoy. I ended up spending two months in a small village near Koper, also in Slovenia, and those turned out to be some of the best weeks I had had in a very long time. By the end of the project, I knew I definitely wanted to try long-term volunteering next.

Coming back to Slovenia was partly a coincidence. I applied for projects in a few different countries, but Familija’s project caught my attention right away and quickly became one of my favourites. So I was very happy when I found out that I had been accepted! 🙂 And now, a month in, I can already say that the work is very enjoyable and never boring.

My volunteering is divided between two places, which I switch between every week. One week I work at a primary school, where I help different teachers and classes with various activities. This can mean anything from helping pupils with English exercises and grammar to accompanying the younger children to a sports day. The other week I work at a daycare centre, where the children can do their homework, talk and spend their free time. They have plenty of activities to choose from, including arts and crafts, but we mostly play board games. 😀 I think I’ve tried at least 10 new ones since getting here!

At both places, I am also working very intensively on my Slovenian! Coming from Serbia, I already understand quite a lot, but I really want to make the most of my time here and learn to speak Slovenian fluently (we’ll see how that goes :D).

One of the things I enjoy the most about the volunteering is seeing the small ways in which I can have a positive influence on the children. Whether it is helping them learn something, introducing them to a new game or skill, or simply having fun together, it is really nice to feel that I can contribute something to their everyday lives.

And then finally there is Škofja Loka itself. The town was another reason I was so happy to return to Slovenia. It felt cosy to me from day one, and the surrounding nature is absolutely breathtaking. It has been a month already and I still haven’t got used to seeing the Alps in the distance! There are also plenty of hills, forests and hiking trails to explore, which is exactly the kind of thing I was hoping for.

I am very much looking forward to experiencing autumn and the other seasons here, continuing to learn Slovenian, and seeing what the rest of this year in Škofja Loka brings! 🙂