Viktoria's thoughts on volunteering
1. What motivated you to start volunteering, and what drew you specifically to our organization?
I enjoy creating various crafts and I like to help others, so when I saw the opportunity to volunteer at Attīstības fabrika, I thought I could combine these two interests, use my creative mind to create workshops for youth in Ventspils. It was also a perfect opportunity to pause my usual life, do something else, and figure out what I want to do next.
2. What have you learned about working with young people in Latvia that you didn’t expect before starting?
I can't say that I had any expectations about Latvian youth. But I definitely did not expect to learn memes from them.I liked to do workshops for them, to craft something together. And I also learned a lot about working with kids with disabilities, both during my workshops and my time in Cimdiņš (the local center for kids with disabilities).
3. What has been the biggest challenge you faced as a volunteer, and did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge I faced was public speaking. It's stressful and anxious for me but the more I practiced and did it during volunteering the easier it became. I also got to know a lot of amazing people in Ventspils, and that made my experience here even better.
4. Has volunteering affected your plans (studies, career, or personal goals)?
Some people choose ESC projects as their gap year after school or university. I did this project as a kind of gap year from my life in Ukraine. I think that it's never too late to pause your life and do something interesting like this volunteering project. I learnt new skills, learnt how to work in an international team, got to know Latvian culture, and grew up personally and professionally.
5. What advice would you give to a new volunteer starting their first month at the Youth House?
To the new volunteers, I would say this: there are endless possibilities of events that you can organise here. Think about what you like to do. If you don't know it yet, it's a perfect opportunity to explore yourself and your potential.
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.