Ciao and Guten Tag!

My name is Simona, I´m 27 years old and I´m from Germany. After I finished my studies, I decided to do a voluntary service with the European Solidarity Corps (ESC). This is an EU programme for young people to promote a social and diverse Europe. For me, it's a great opportunity to broaden my horizons abroad and contribute to a good cause.

I think that´s important in order to become sensitive to problems and grievances in our society and way of life. For me, charity is not only a religious commandment, but rather a part of being human. Because don't we all hope for a more considerate community and social participation? However, my desire to volunteer abroad is not only motivated by my faith. I want to better understand this world and my own role in it. And I want to get to know myself and my personal limits better. In my past, I've learned that this works best when you step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself.

That's how I ended up at Caritas in Jesi, Italy. Here they support people affected by poverty. Both counseling and emotional, as well as very practical with services such as canteen, food and clothing emporium, solidarity clinic and dormitories. I chose this project because their work is so important for society. Poverty will increase in the future and more people will need help. At Caritas, I want to experience what this help can look like in practice.

My ESC adventure with Caritas in Jesi started in March and will last until the end of September. So far, I have not regretted it. From the very beginning, I felt welcome at Caritas and in Jesi. The people here are great and Jesi is a small but lovely town in the beautiful Marche. Nonetheless, being here is no walk in the park. Language barriers and the feeling of loneliness often get to me, sometimes overwhelmingly intense. But that´s part of such an adventure and I have to learn to deal with it. I'm curious, what experiences, challenges and surprises still awaits me 😁

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