HOW I BECAME A VOLUNTEER, a compilation.
Recently, we hosted many volunteers from various European countries, who came to Kazanlak to help with organizing EcoFestival. We wanted to know what made them to became a volunteer. Why they decided to spend their free time for this activities. What was their motivation. They replied us and now, we will tell you their stories and…maybe motivate to became a volunteer?
“Last year I met the manager of my sending organization, she always told me about EVS, so one day I decided to take this possibility seriously and become a volunteer, my first choices were always long-term projects And always in western countries but I never found the right project for myself. To be honest I decided to join this project for two reasons. First of all, since I was young I have always had a great connection with nature, with the environment. I’ve been a Boy Scout for 10 years, I’ve learned that when you go anywhere, it’s better to leave it at least a little cleaner than you found it at the beginning. Secondly, a short term project allows me to do a second EVS and after the first experience I could not be happier.”
Luige, Italy
“The idea of volunteering has being always on my mind, but for some reason I have just done one voluntary service till this project. The main reason to become a volunteer is the opportunity of learn and expand my horizons while working and being useful in a social environment. I have being looking for an EVS project suitable to my profile during the last year and “Deep Roots” EVS in Kazanlak has matched perfectly my interest and the timing in my personal path.”
Santiago, Spain
“It’s always an adventure and big unknown, but as far as I checked, it works pretty well. It’s the cheapest opportunity to travel around the world, the most fun way to get some professional experience and the most intensive style of social growth I could have ever imagined. And it’s definitely not my last try!”
Magda, Poland
“Luckily, the expectations I had from reading the description of this project were high enough to make me look past my fears and come for two months in Kazanlak, Bulgaria. I was expecting this project would help me grow both in a personal and a professional way. Personally: Without the phobia of getting fired I have associated with a job, I wanted to try to learn how to work in a relaxed manner and fully emerge in the fulfillment of the creative process. Professionally: It’s been a long time now that I have felt the calling of my artistic nature. I was wondering what if and not liking to live in regret, I tried to find opportunities to explore more that side of me. As Deep Roots is not straying away from my main career path, which is sustainability, it seemed the perfect environment to see how more of my creativity can meet fulfillment.”
Dimitria, Greece
We hope this project was a good experience both for volunteers and for local society and everyone learned something from others.