Unica Radio Raccontiamo la città che cambia
In this episode of the LIVE project podcast, we talk with Marija from North Macedonia who is taking part in an ESC project in Zagreb, Croatia. She found out about the volunteering opportunities with ESC last year on social media, and decided to give it a try. As she already fell in love with the experience during her short-term project last year, her decision to come back there for a longer period was more than easy.
Marija has been in Zagreb since September last year and she is staying until this August. The NGO which she volunteers for is called Udruga Amazonas. They implement a lot of projects to encourage the development of creativity and social potential of children, youngsters and adults. Additionally, they promote the strengthening of social skills through teaching capoeira which is an Afro-Brazilian art form that incorporates live music, dance and acrobatics. Moreover, the NGO puts focus on social groups with reduced opportunities and disabilities by holding various trainings and workshops.
Next, she explains how she learnt a lot of things with practicing capoeira and how it has opened a different view for her. Besides that, she has other various tasks within her service: Writing articles, holding English lessons and drawing workshops for children, taking photos and videos on events. She has written articles on the topics of non-violence, bullying and even a short story for kids about capoeira! And although these activities were somewhat challenging, it helped her improve her skills a lot.
Why young people should give a chance to ESC
Marija states that even though the beginning might be harder than it seems, this journey is worth trying. You have a chance to start exploring the opportunities that the world offers, discover your talents and potentials and learn from other people’s experiences. Thus, going by yourself in a foreign country might be very beneficial for one’s growth as a person.
She is actively trying to inform youngsters about ESC and encourages them to apply to a project that interests them. Marija’s ESC service ends in a few weeks. She feels happy to be going back home, bringing with her a lot of memories and also sharing the spirit of capoeira to her fellow Macedonians.
If you want to hear more about volunteering, listen to more episodes from the LIVE podcast!
