Vlad’s experience as an ESC volunteer at Tempo per l’infanzia in Italy

My ESC volunteering project at Tempo per il Barrio has been one of the most grounding experiences of the past year for me. I was a law student who had spent the last few years studying across different countries because of the war. I came into this project already used to adapting to new places, but working directly with children and teenagers was completely new.

My days were focused on organizing volleyball and football games, helping with homework, and supervising the children through the center’s daily after-school activities. During the summer camp period, we did even more sports and fun games: pool visits, sports, games. I came in with very little experience working with children, and I quickly found that the skills that mattered most here were different ones: patience, reading a room full of kids with very different moods and needs, and figuring out how to keep a group engaged without a script to follow.

What surprised me most was how much these children, coming from different backgrounds and speaking different first languages, were connecting so amazingly with each other. Of course, they were all speaking Italian fluently (something I cannot show off), but I was able to see how they communicate, being friends and forming teams. Sport in particular turned out to be the easiest common ground, especially volleyball and the sport competitions with other centers. I also used the project as a chance to keep building my own Italian, which is still developing, and the kids were often more patient teaching me words than I was expecting. I believe I was saying Italian words in a funny way, so it was a bit amusing for them.

I definitely opened many doors for myself, and I confirmed something I have always believed: being an educator in a center is not an easy job. As a volunteer (so, without even the same set of duties as the teachers), I struggled in some moments, and I only have huge respect for everyone involved in this field. I learned many soft skills and the ability to adapt to such an environment. On the nice side, I also traveled a lot in Italy, spent an amazing 6.5 months with my dear flatmates, and explored a unique Italian culture 🙂