On March 11, Barcelona Activa hosted what the program documents call a “meeting with partner organizations” – but in reality, it was the moment when several months of preparation suddenly took shape. Italy, France, and Portugal ceased to be lines in a table and became people across the table who know your name and have already chosen a room for you.
The ALMA program is for young people aged 18 to 29 who, for various reasons, have found themselves left behind – without stable work, without an educational path, often with a difficult background behind them. Migration, long-term unemployment, insufficient qualifications – all of these things make the usual start to adult life much more difficult than it appears from the outside. The program responds to this with internships abroad lasting from two to six months, and today marked the official beginning of this transition from theory to practice.
The meeting took place at the Convent de Sant Agustí, a medieval monastery in the heart of Ciutat Vella, which Barcelona Activa has transformed into a space for such programs.
“There were questions, there is fear – and that’s perfectly normal,” said Josep Maria Alonso Farré, executive president of Fundació Catalunya Voluntaria, opening the meeting. “Last year, we realized that if people didn’t see each other before leaving, their anxiety only multiplied in their minds. That’s why we changed the format this year–less formal stage time, more small groups, more time for real questions that usually remain unasked.”
Alberto del Arco, coordinator of ALMA, drew the participants’ attention to the fact that today’s meeting is a resource that should be used immediately, and spoke with an intonation that only people who sincerely remember themselves at a similar point in time can have: “I myself was involved in sociocultural animation, and that part of my journey was really important to me. By the way, the world doesn’t end at 29 – just so you know. Make the most of today, because your partners are right in front of you. Don’t wait, go up to them and talk.”
The OpenCom – Hosting Power team from Italy got straight to the point: coordinators spend the first day with participants so that meeting their tutor and the team doesn’t turn into a stressful test. Then there are meetings every two weeks, an open line of communication, and constant presence. But the most honest thing was this: “Projects like this are a roller coaster, and the first few weeks can be tough. I did Erasmus myself and wanted to go home for the first two weeks. Then something clicked – it’s different for everyone, but it happens.”
Aventura Marao Clube from Portugal brought a video shot by a volunteer right on the streets of Amarante, a town that the Portuguese themselves call the “city of love.” No staging, no tourist gloss – just a river, old houses, and an ordinary morning in a city where some of those present in the hall would soon wake up for the first time.
Semana Activa, the host partner company, presented its approach to working with participants – and it turned out to be far from a standard corporate internship. The partner said that it was more important for him to first unload what people come with – personal experiences, insecurities, internal blocks – and only then build something professional on top of a solid foundation: “Everyone here is special in their own way, and my job is not to press the same button for everyone, but to understand where each person has resources and where they have inhibitions that need to be released first.”
By the end of the meeting, the small group discussions had become more specific: addresses, transportation routes, details of work schedules. Participants left Convent de Sant Agustí with a different feeling – not “I’m going somewhere,” but “here’s where, here’s when, here’s with whom.”
March 11, 2025, Barcelona Activa, Convent de Sant Agustí.
Event partners: Fundació Catalunya Voluntaria, OpenCom – Hosting Power (Italy), LeLab (France), Aventura Marao Clube (Portugal).
Material prepared by Olha Oltarzhevska
