Maria's volunteering journey
Meet Maria from Spain, she’s been volunteering here in Latvia for one year. In this short interview, Maria talks about what she has done and gained during this year as a volunteer.
1. What inspired you to become a volunteer?
I like to help others, so I thought, why not become a volunteer? So I did it.
2. What were your initial expectations about this volunteer work? Have they been met or changed since you started?
I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and try some new life-changing experiences in my life, and I think it was a very good choice, because it helped me to grow and learn a lot about myself.
3. What have you learned from working with children/youth in Ventspils?
I learned about the different interests of young people, like their entertainment. Thanks to that, I learned a lot of new games that I didn't know.
4. What’s your favorite moment or event you’ve organized with the youth, and what made it so special?
I made a board game based on the 1995 film Jumanji. It was a lot of work, effort and breakdowns, but I don’t regret doing it because it was something I made from scratch, and for me it’s a very special project.
5. What would you recommend to someone who is thinking about starting volunteer work with youth?
Be sure you really like working with young people and that you have the patience needed to do it. It can sound very obvious, but I think it’s really important because if you don’t like it, the volunteering experience is gonna be horrible for them and for you.
Projektu "Youth of Tomorrow" līdzfinansē Eiropas Savieniba. Šī publikācija atspoguļo vienīgi autora uzskatus un viedokli, un ne obligāti Eiropas Savienības, Eiropas Komisijas vai Valsts agentūras (Jaunatnes starptautisko programmu agentūras) viedokli, kuras nav atbildigas par tajā ietvertās informācijas jebkādu izmantošanu.