ESC Team RISE with Cooperativa One in Italy | Participants’ Testimonials

The ESC Team “RISE” project, funded by the European Solidarity Corps programme and implemented by Associazione Joint in collaboration with Cooperativa One in Crotone, has come to an end!

We asked the participants to share their experiences.

Mario’s Testimony

My name is Mario, I am 28 years old and I come from Italy.

Before the project, my life was practically at a standstill, both professionally and socially. The need to break out of my personal situation was the main reason I applied for the RDC project, along with my desire to try a volunteering experience. I had high expectations for the project, especially regarding being part of a group of young people and living and sharing experiences with them. I saw this experience as a great opportunity to challenge myself. I also had positive expectations about the project itself, particularly the idea of helping the local community and taking part in meaningful activities.

Now that the project has come to an end, I have often thought that my expectations were not fully met. In part, that is true, but I do not feel I can say only that. Personally, these two months have been quite demanding and have really tested me, and now I feel the “fatigue” of it all. But in the end, that was exactly what I was looking for.

It is true that it was not exactly what I expected, but how could it have been? We carried out support activities in various areas: from helping at the Caritas soup kitchen to agricultural work, from assisting at a dog shelter to maintaining a road safety education park.

However, the aspect of this experience that gave me the most was the relationships among us volunteers. Through them, I had the opportunity to meet people with different personalities, perspectives, and ways of thinking. I relearned and rediscovered many things, and I feel I still have a lot to learn from these two months.

In general, I believe projects like this are a great opportunity for personal growth. I would recommend this experience to others; it is a valuable chance to challenge yourself.

Alessia’s Testimony

There are many reasons why I decided to apply for this project. First of all, I was going through a difficult period in my life. Everything I had planned had not gone as expected, and I felt frustrated, sad, and discouraged. I was in the process of rebuilding my life and making new plans when someone told me about this project and the opportunities it offered participants. My first thought was: “Why not?”

I did not have any particular expectations, nor did I want to. I prefer to be pleasantly surprised rather than build expectations that reality will probably fail to meet.

At the beginning, I was full of insecurities and worries, but little by little, as I got to know the other participants better, I realized that I was not the only one feeling lost or facing difficulties in life. This helped me change my perspective on both my life and myself. I have always been very critical of myself, but thanks to the activities and experiences I had during the project, I learned a great deal about who I am. Now that the project is coming to an end, I feel less insecure and more determined to achieve my goals.

During the various activities we carried out, such as those at Terre Joniche and the dog shelter, I genuinely felt that I was doing something useful for others. At the end of each day, I felt satisfied and appreciated both by my group and by the people we collaborated with. It was a new feeling for me, and it helped me recognize my potential and, in a way, my strength.

Sharing this experience with other people was not always easy, especially because group dynamics were not always simple. However, overall, I can say it was a positive experience. I met people who were facing challenges similar to mine, and this made me feel less alone and more valuable than I had thought.

For all these reasons, I recommend this experience to other young people. I also say this because I discovered this opportunity too late and am now too old to participate in another project. So, if someone is reading these words: do it while you still can!

Esther’s Testimony

The first thing that led me to join a volunteering project like this was the feeling of being lost in life. I did not have a job related to my studies, and I wanted to change my situation. I had always considered volunteering as a possible option, and this year I finally decided to give it a try.

Before arriving in Italy, my expectations were to work with young people and the community of Crotone, helping to improve the city. I do not think we fully achieved this goal, but that does not mean it was a bad experience. I learned other important things that I wanted to improve in my life, such as working in agriculture and gaining a better understanding of teamwork and personal growth.

One of the positive aspects of this project was the variety of activities we carried out:

• Road Safety Education Park (painting and cleaning the facilities)
• Gardening and agricultural work at Lilly’s and Terra Jonica
• Animal care at the dog shelter
• Supporting people at risk of social exclusion through the Soup Kitchen, Ágora, and Camper services (cooking, distributing food, and spending time with them)
• Learning how to work in a cocktail bar at Chilling

I really enjoyed the project, but I think additional activities could be organized to help the community even more, such as cleaning public spaces, especially the beach, which truly needs it. I believe the project could be approached from a different perspective and organized differently in order to make a greater contribution to improving the city.

I highly recommend this experience, but only to young people with a strong mindset. You need to be prepared for demanding fieldwork and hands-on activities, and be willing to commit yourself fully to the project. Teamwork is essential, and an individualistic attitude does not work. You must be willing to improve your skills every day. It is all about having a growth mindset: you do not need to know how to do everything from the start, you simply need the willingness to learn.

ESC Teams and the European Solidarity Corps

ESC Teams stand out because of their short duration: projects can last from two weeks up to a maximum of two months. For this reason, they are an accessible opportunity even for young people who are studying or working and cannot commit to longer periods abroad.

Although shorter than other volunteering opportunities, group ESC projects are intense, dynamic experiences rich in human exchange. In just a few weeks, participants can develop practical and transferable skills, live closely with people from different countries, and build genuine connections through shared daily life.

For many participants, these projects become a space to step out of their routine, challenge themselves, gain greater independence, and rediscover the value of collaboration and community living.

If you are considering going abroad for an international experience but cannot commit to several months, an ESC Team could be the perfect starting point.