Skip to main content

Have you ever heard of the European Solidarity Corps?

When I decided to do voluntary service abroad, I had absolutely no idea how to go about it. I had questions upon questions. Where do I want to go? What do I want to do? How long do I want to stay? Can I afford it financially? 

So I took out my laptop and entered the jungle of different initiatives, organisations and offers. But I soon realised that I have a completely different problem: my age. I knew that by the time I could start the voluntary service, I would be at least 27 years old. And with that, I would have reached the age limit of many voluntary services abroad. Disappointing and incomprehensible for me. 

That's how I became aware of the European Solidarity Corps (ESC). And the more I looked into it, the more excited I became about the possibilities:

👍 The age limit here is 30 

👍 A huge range of project topics, such as inclusion, health, environment, culture, sports, etc. 

👍 The Projects last between 2 and 12 months 

👍 A wide choice of project countries, even if they are mainly limited to the EU

👍 👍 It´s EU funded. Food, accommodation, insurance, arrival/departure costs and even pocket money - all included.

So I finally registered on the ESC database, created a profile and started applying. The application process is a bit more complicated (e.g. you need both a sending organisation from your home country and a hosting organisation in the project country), but absolutely doable. My ESC volunteering adventure has started.

 

I think the European Solidarity Corps programm is a great EU initiative and a great privilege for all young Europeans who want to work for a social and diverse Europe. Here you can find more informations about it: https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity_en



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

May 2024 highlights

🌟 Reflecting on May 🌟 After a great start in April and returning from a long trip to Naples and Rome we decided to enjoy a more relaxed side of Jesi. Here are some of the things we did in May.  On Arrival training May started with a 5 days training in Rome. This training was organized by the Italian National Agency. During this training, we shared our volunteering experiences with others from all over Europe who are currently doing their volunteering experiences in Italy. We learned about our duties and rights as volunteers. As well as other opportunities after this experience.  Exploring Rome Exploring Rome is a captivating journey through history, culture, and cuisine. As Italy's capital and one of the most historically rich cities in the world. Our first point of the trip was Colosseum meaning one of the most iconic structures in the world, the Colosseum is an ancient amphitheater that once hosted gladiatorial games and public spectacles. The next stop was Roman Forum. Th...

April 2024 highlights

🌟 Reflecting on April 🌟 April was our first month here at Caritas Jesi it was an incredible month. Here are some of the highlights that made it truly memorable: Day trip to Loreto We started our journey in Loreto with servizio civile meeting where we integrated with other young people. Later we discovered the city starting with Basilica of the Holy House. It is basically the central attraction. It’s believed that is the house where the Virgin Mary lived and where the Annunciation took place. We also explored the charming streets, local shops, and traditional Italian cafes. The town offers a serene atmosphere with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside and the Adriatic Sea. We liked the vibes. Palestinian Dinner Caritas organized a fundraising dinner for Palestine. We were invited to help the staff preparations before the start of the dinner. All the food was traditional Palestinian food made by Italian-Palestinian women.  During the dinner, people expressed their solidari...

Volunteer Oct24, Río's first blog. Life before Jesi

Ciao, Hola and Hi! I’m Río Rojas Mayorga, one of the two volunteers here at Caritas Jesi in October 2024. I’m from Madrid, Spain, and in this first blog, I will share my life before volunteering and how I discovered the ESC. The next one should be about my life here. I would like to start by providing some context about how I got to know the ESC by talking about my life in Majadahonda, Madrid. After the quarantine, my family and I moved from Aluche (in south-central Madrid) to Majadahonda (on the western outskirts) due to financial struggles, which was a significant change for us. The first year felt lonely for my sister and me. During that time, I began studying in the afternoons at the youth centre near my home, where I searched about local volunteering opportunities and eventually discovered international volunteering. However, I was still under 18 and thought I had to prioritise my formal studies. Then, in November 2022, I met someone who transformed my life; it all began with a si...