mednarodno-udelezenci

Hey everyone!

I never imagined that moving to another country would change my life so much. I come from a large, overpopulated city, Athens, Greece, which was stressful for me to live in. I decided to move to Slovenia because I wanted to improve my quality of life. So, I found this program related to the social and human sciences that I’ve studied (psychology), and I seized the opportunity! Working with young people and kids is a great opportunity to enrich your creativity and improvisation. It’s a fulfilling experience that it definitely assists you to discover yourself even though sometimes is challenging. You know, it needs a lot of energy and motivation working with youngsters!

Slovenia is a magical place, surrounded by nature, beautiful rivers, and the greenest scenery I’ve ever seen in my life. However, the most magical thing about this place is the people. This was my biggest concern before I moved here. But, it’s so easy to find friends because the network of volunteers is so wide, and you will never be alone!

Me and my 4 flatmates we live in Škofja Loka, a small, cute town, which is an enriching experience in many ways. The town’s picturesque charm, nestled amid stunning natural landscapes, offers a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life. The community here is welcoming and tight-knit, making it easy to connect with others and make meaningful relationships. Whether exploring the historic streets, enjoying outdoor activities along the scenic rivers, or simply soaking in the serene ambiance, Škofja Loka truly embodies the essence of Slovenian beauty and hospitality. Each day brings new discoveries and opportunities for growth, making this quaint town feel like home.

Overall, this is the best year of my life, making friends, sharing culture, traveling to neighbor countries, going for walks in the nature and improving myself. I wish everyone had such a wonderful experience abroad as I have.

Hello, hello!! I have been told I have to explain why I moved to Slovenia and why I am doing such project here… Well, let’s start!

I am currently living in Škofja Loka, beautiful town close to a river and between mountains, just like the rest of the country. The reason why I moved here was not because of the country itself but because of the project I am working on. My project consists of attending two schools – special primary school and ordinary primary school. In both places, I have the same role which is to be a volunteer. But you may ask yourself… what does being a volunteer mean in such a project? Well, for me, it means to learn by putting in actions. Once you are put in a class, a lot of the times it is your job to look around and see what you can help with. Teachers may be busy in their daily tasks, but you need to find your space in every classroom and help children and teachers to do their best. It can be challenging but that’s part of the learning process. My main motivation to be part of this project is to learn new methodologies as to how to be a teacher – because that’s what I studied in university. I thought that being in another country would help me see new ways of teaching and then hopefully, be able to apply them in my own teaching professional practice. 

This project lasts 11 months and I live with 4 other flatmates from different European countries. Each of us has their own project in their own places but we still share a lot of the same interests since we all work with kids and young people. The language of the project is of course English and don’t worry about Slovenian people because mainly all of them speak very good English!

At the beginning of the project, I got to meet a lot of local and new people who have been around EVS volunteers for a long time and they are really friendly and easy-going. Hiking, books, climbing, traveling, and learning how to play the guitar are my absolute highlights and free-time activities perfect for this time of my life 😊 Below, I will leave you with some of the pictures that I will always bring with me after this project!

Have a nice time and see you!!

Hi, my name is Marketa and I am currently living in Škofja Loka, Slovenia as part of a volunteer project through the ESC. I joined the project because I wanted to improve my English and I felt that I would not be able to do that in the Czech Republic and after finishing my Master’s degree it seemed like the perfect time to travel abroad. To be honest, I had never thought about living abroad before and if I did, I wanted to choose an Erasmus programme for 2-3 months. I just couldn’t find one and when I saw that I could be near the Slovenian mountains that I fell in love with, it was a SURE thing. Next, I was looking for an opportunity to work with children of different ages to test which age range suited me best and which I would choose to work with in the future.

It’s been three months since I arrived in Slovenia, so let’s see what has happened in that time. In the first two weeks we have been introduced to local organisations, student clubs and the local culture. Thanks to this, I met other hiking enthusiasts like me, got to know my mentor and started to get to grips with the fact that I would be spending the following year here.

Everyone in charge here is very friendly and open to just about everything 😃 We’ve also had plenty of opportunities to get to know each other better… after all, I’m roommates with four other people. But to my pleasant surprise it’s very nice to have them here. Although everyone has their quirks, I’m incredibly glad for them. They’re slowly becoming my family, and I’d say that’s common in this type of program whether you want it or not.

The organisations I work in are a constant challenge. The first centre is the MDC BLOK, which is very similar in its functioning to our Children and Youth Homes. The children come here after school and BLOK is a place for them to have fun, play or experience something new in the workshops, which I am also in charge of. The age range here is between 8-15 years old and for the younger children I sometimes struggle with the language barrier as they don’t fully master the English language. The other organisation is left with teenagers who are looking for work, have dropped out of school or want to return to school. Here I find communication in general a challenge… I am used to working with children of kindergarten or younger school age. They constantly surprise me or put me in situations where I have nothing to say 😃 On the other hand, working with them is very diverse, each one is unique and the preparations for the workshop have to be much more thoughtful.

To sum it up, in these three months I managed to meet a lot of new people, go to the seaside, visit the cinema, spend a whole night in the corridor of a motel in Ljubljana just because we got the bus departure time wrong, attend my first karaoke party which I remembered the whole next day, cook lasagna for the first time and try paragliding which became my absolute highlight!

See you later, adijo!