Boris’ Testimonial
Let me introduce myself: I’m Boris, I’m 22 years old, I come from Nice in France, and I enjoy reading and foreign languages. I don’t like spicy food and I love lemon cake. This year, I completed an ESC project with the Joint Team association at Ostello Monte Barro in Italy for one month. Before this, I was studying computer science, but I decided to leave this field to pursue a more human-oriented career. That’s why I chose to try new things this year, and this project was a great opportunity that matched my initial expectations of going to Italy and supporting environmental causes. You meet new people from different European countries and take part in activities together that promote social and sustainable values in a beautiful and isolated place. Some of my favourite activities were sewing, helping on the farm with some physical work, and creating and editing stop-motion videos. In my free time, I used to go hiking nearby and play board games like Codenames and Dixit. One of the biggest challenges for me was the vegan diet. I was often a bit hungry, so I had to buy extra food. However, this motivated me to be more responsible with my diet and to cook more in general. During the project, I learned about my relationships with others, about community life, and about myself. As an introvert, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to enjoy spending time with people, but thanks to the coordinators and the other volunteers, that fear disappeared. Communication was key to feeling comfortable with others. I had a great time in good company and created many beautiful memories. I would recommend this project to young people across Europe who are looking for new social experiences and to make friends from different cultures
Kamil’s Testimonial
My name is Kamil Jaglo, I’m 21 years old and I live in Kraków, Poland. I decided to apply for this project because I had a lot of free time and I wanted to experience something new and exciting. I was looking for an adventure that would allow me to meet interesting people and spend time in nature. The project took place in Galbiate, and we stayed at Ostello Monte Barro, a beautiful place surrounded by mountains and nature. Before arriving, my expectations were quite simple. I wanted to live in a nice place, meet inspiring people, and spend a lot of time hiking in the mountains. I can honestly say that all these expectations were fully met. During the project, I learned many new things. Among others, I had the chance to learn sewing and solar printing, which were completely new experiences for me. It was interesting to try something creative and different from my daily life. As for the activities, we spent time working on a farm and in a wetland area. While at the farm, we had the opportunity to milk goats and see how foods like cheese and yogurt are produced, which was very interesting. One of the highlights was also helping to save toads, which was both unusual and meaningful (although we didn’t really get the chance to meet them!). In addition, I helped with daily tasks such as cooking and cleaning after meals, which made me feel more involved in the group. Overall, I really enjoyed this project. The coordinators were amazing and very supportive, and the place we stayed was beautiful and peaceful. The atmosphere was friendly, and it was easy to feel comfortable there. I would definitely recommend this experience to other young people. It’s a great adventure and also an excellent opportunity to improve English skills while meeting people from different countries. It’s something that can stay with you for a long time.
Maya’s Testimonial
My name is Maya and I was part of the ESC Rise team at Ostello Monte Barro. I am currently pursuing a degree in Media, which means spending many hours alone in front of my computer, so I was really looking forward to doing some hands-on outdoor work. It is also very important for me to cultivate interests that my field of study does not allow me to explore. As a child, I was very involved in environmentalism and species conservation, so I applied for this project in an attempt to reconnect with that part of myself. I didn’t really know what to expect, but there was such a variety of activities prepared for us that we didn’t even have time to get bored: we learned skills ranging from building nets to protect toads during migration, to mending clothes or milking a goat, among many others. We also got to know local initiatives and engaged in a more sustainable lifestyle, gaining awareness about aspects such as seasonal and vegan diets. A full-time job would never allow me to try so many things at my own pace, so I am extremely grateful for the opportunity and for all the new interests I want to pursue after the project. But the most rewarding lessons are always the unexpected ones, and many of them emerged spontaneously thanks to the safe environment we built during the month. Our remote location was a challenge, but it mostly brought us closer together, turning weekends into great adventures but also into a space to take care of one another through actions like our communal dinners. It is always very difficult to explain how easy it is to connect with others in this kind of project, because it’s such a different approach to socialising compared to everyday life… it’s much more organic and vulnerable. Living together inevitably forces you to open your mind and question your assumptions about someone you initially think you have nothing in common with. In the end, I realised that despite what liberal and individualistic structures want me to believe, I cannot truly get to know myself alone: it is only through the people I meet in experiences like this that I am starting to understand my path. I cannot emphasise enough how much I loved this project and how well the facilitators and hostel staff took care of us. I would do it again without hesitation, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone who shares an interest in environmentalism and is physically and mentally ready to live in a remote place with everything that entails.
ESC Teams with the European Solidarity Corps
The special feature of ESC Teams is their short duration, ranging from 2 weeks to a maximum of 2 months. This makes them accessible even to young people who work or study and cannot dedicate an entire year to travelling.
Despite their short duration, group ESC projects offer meaningful and intense life experiences, during which participants can acquire numerous professional skills. Moreover, by sharing life and work within a group, similar to a community, participants have the opportunity to build strong bonds even in a relatively short period of time.