I could not imagine that volunteering could have been one of the most fruitful life-experiences of my life. My name is Aura, and I am twenty-two years old, from Catalonia, Spain; I have been offering my help to Erasmus Learning Academy for the past five months in the city of Bologna, Italy.
I arrived by the second week of July to the Italian city; it was a heavy summer, but to me, it matched the red-orangish colours of its architecture and citizens’ vibe: the city is young, boiling, and mesmerizing. The first thing I thought was that I would get lost immediately, due to the long path of arches that shelter the streets, and that it was a romantic city, a city which could perfectly be a setting for a Wes Anderson film.
The project I applied and was selected for was in the Erasmus Learning Academy association; It is an academy that provides more than sixty educational courses for European teachers whose centre is accredited by the European Union having the possibility to be sent to a destination (in this case Bologna) during a week, expenses fully covered (except the travel costs), to take part in an educational course. The courses offer a wide range of varied topics: from how to use technology in education, to how to improve the green skills in the educational spaces. My tasks involved welcoming teachers, taking part into an active conversation with them, performing cultural activities such as being a tour guide in the Bolognese city, or accompanying groups into trips to other Italian cities after the courses. Furthermore, I arranged the rooms where the courses were held and supported both the trainers and the courses with my participation in class (If required). Finally, there were some tasks related to association promotion: I wrote and published articles in the association webpage, created videos, and made pictures for the dissemination of the courses and the spreading of the academy, doing so with technological platforms I had never used before, but that were interesting and useful to learn how to use.
The reasons why I chose to embark myself in a volunteering project were several: firstly, when I applied, I was almost about to end the degree of English Philology in the University of Barcelona, and was surely assured that I wanted to work in the educational field as an English teacher, so the project was perfectly suitable to get a first insight on how do teachers work, the different European educational systems and methodologies, and updated and useful information related to education throughout the courses. Secondly, I was sure about wanting to live in Italy again: two years ago, I did my ERASMUS+ program in Rome and was another changing and life-experience that I was sure of repeating. Finally, I wanted to meet new people, go out from my comfort ‘bubble’ in Spain, and discover new places on my own.
I have to say that one of the best things, apart from the project I took part in, was the people. Since the very beginning my flatmates, and also volunteers were nice to me: coming to the station to welcome me, helping me if needed, comforting me if necessary in the first days when everything is uncertain and confusing…During these four months I have had ten rotating different flatmates, met about ten other volunteers, worked with seven inspiring and intelligent women, and got to know other projects and beautiful people, and that is a gift I have never believed I could receive. When you volunteer, you do not expect anything in exchange, you are open to give, but I am sure that in this case, I received more than I gave. These people are now my friends, the ones that made me strong along these five months, not only professionally, but also personally. Despite the background, culture, ideals, nationalities, we were able to speak the same language: the one of love, tolerance, and cooperation. Now, I can find myself at home in Bologna, the city warmed me, and I (almost) now do not get lost.
Being able to accept that you do not know how things work when you arrive, that you have to make efforts to build connections and that you are going to be open to learn everything for the first time and you may fail was essential to enjoy from my experience. I accepted my limits, and sometimes surprised myself positively crossing others. Met people from countries I was not able to even put on the map and then ending up wanting to travel so badly to them. Being myself in every moment and having healthy people that accepted and cherished me fully. The worst part…It is always the goodbye.
Volunteering was renovating. I will remember these four months forever.
