Cosa è l'OAT?

ON ARRIVAL TRAINING (OAT)

This week I had the opportunity to experience one of the most anticipated trainings for a European Solidarity Corps volunteer: the On Arrival Training in Frascati.

The OAT is a week where you take part in team-building activities, cultural exchanges, conflict management workshops, and a visit to Rome. These are five intense days designed to prepare and connect ESC volunteers from all over Italy.

It has been a week of meeting many new people, having lots of conversations, and discovering new and very interesting projects, as well as having the opportunity to explore possible new adventures for the future once the volunteering experience comes to an end. I am very happy to have had this opportunity because I have learned a lot.

Friends I met during the OAT — we took this photo on our trip to Rome!

With my colleague from Cingoli (VivoloCorto team).

Comments

My experiences with migrants in Caritas

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Hi! My name is Louise, I'm 26 years old, and I'm from France. Ever since I was a child, I wanted to go abroad to see what life is like elsewhere. Two years ago, in 2022, I graduated with a Master’s degree in Law, specialising in European Law. That’s how I first heard about the European Solidarity Corps (but only from an academic perspective, as we were studying several European programs). During my studies, I volunteered every summer with a French organisation that supports migrants in different aspects of their lives. The first Summer, I helped organise activities for children living in a refugee center. And the following years, I joined the legal advice service, where I assisted migrants with their administrative process to obtain or renew their residence permits. It was a truly rewarding experience that helped me grow personally. After graduation, I felt lost. I knew from my volunteering experience that I wanted a job that had a positive impact on society, but I wasn't ...

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Ciao, Hola and Hi! I’m Río Rojas Mayorga and it's been 3 months since I'm an ESC volunteer here in Caritas Jesina. Let me update you briefly about my experience! The arrival and first week in Caritas was a mix of emotions between the excitement to start and the confusion of all the new people and information we were bombarded with. At first we didn't have a schedule and it was a little bit messy but, I'm glad I shared so much time with my project partner; it was nice having someone in the same situation. First month Once the schedule was set, we had to adjust not only to the work but also to the people we shared the time with. As all the services are done with local people, at first it was difficult the communication as I had no words in Italian, but I was gladly surprised to find out my will of talking and sharing was lovely appreciated and corresponded, I found out the language barrier was a challenge but i wasn’t fighting it alone. My birthday arrived eventually an...

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