Volunteering Stories: My Experience Abroad – by Renata

I am located in a small town in Italy called Modigliana, where I work at a day center for people with disabilities as part of a project organized by the Kara Bobowski Association. My project started in the beginning of February and it’s a 7 month experience.

The project is quite flexible. I am allowed to do what I want without pressure to complete specific tasks that I “have to do.” Still, I believe this freedom also comes from the fact that I try to do as many things as I can and help as much as possible.

My working schedule is from Monday to Friday, six hours a day, starting at 8 AM and ending at 2 PM.

My main responsibility is to organize creative activities together with the beneficiaries of this center. Working with people with disabilities can be quite challenging when it comes to finding activities that everyone can participate in, but this only motivates me to come up with more diverse and engaging ideas.

As I mentioned earlier, I have a lot of freedom to choose what I do during my working hours, so I have also taken on additional tasks in the kitchen, such as preparing snacks and washing dishes after meals.

When the weather is good, we go out for walks in the town or in nature, and I try to encourage the beneficiaries to stay active by walking as much as possible. If the weather is not favorable, I play music indoors so we can dance together or do warm-up exercises.

I believe that my main role here is to bring positive energy so that each day can be as dynamic and pleasant as possible.

Outside of my work experience, I had the opportunity to participate in the on arrival training program by ESC, where I met volunteers from all over the world who are currently located throughout Italy. I also had the chance to meet many kind and beautiful people in my town. I am lucky to live with other volunteers from different parts of the world, with whom I’ve formed truly meaningful friendships. Together, we’ve explored other towns and beautiful places in the surroundings.

I am deeply grateful for every day spent here. The work I do doesn’t feel like work, it makes me feel fulfilled and happy while learning about the needs and experiences of people with disabilities. At the same time, I have the privilege of being surrounded by nature and beautiful places where I can go and enjoy some peaceful time in my own company.