Od 29. lipnja do 12. srpnja proveli smo volonterski tim "Skill Exchange" u sklopu programa Europskih snaga solidarnosti.

Na dvotjednom programu sudjelovali su međunarodni volonteri iz Italije, Španjolske, Francuske, Češke i Poljske. Tijekom boravka sudjelovali su u raznim aktivnostima – međusobno su vodili radionice na kojima su dijelili svoje vještine, sudjelovali na radionicama o volontiranju, organizirali i proveli interkulturalnu večer, pisali članke za Mla-dost.dobro časopis, snimali videe i podcast, provodili intervjue, posjećivali organizacije u Zaboku, sudjelovali u volonterskim akcijama te izrađivali različite medijske sadržaje.

Kako im je bilo, što su sve naučili i što nose sa sobom iz ovog iskustva, pročitajte u njihovim pričama.

Lorenzo (27), Italy

Hey! I'm Lorenzo, 27 years old, and this summer I ended up in Zabok, Croatia, for two weeks.

I took part in the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), a volunteering programme funded by European union that, surprisingly, is still not very well known in Italy. While almost everyone has heard about the traditional Erasmus exchange, very few people know that you can also join volunteering projects all around Europe (and even beyond) with most expenses covered, as long as you can communicate in a basic level of English. This year my destination was Croatia, and looking back, I honestly couldn't have asked for a better experience. I was to be hosted by an amazing organisation that made everything run smoothly, but what truly made these two weeks unforgettable was the people, especially the group of six volunteers I shared them with. Spending every hour of the day together (even sharing a single bathroom with six people), could easily sound challenging. Instead, we connected almost immediately, and within a couple of days it felt like we had known each other for much longer.

Our volunteering work gave us the chance to contribute directly to the local community. We collected rubbish around the town, helped restore a playground for children, and planted trees. It was rewarding to know that, through small practical actions, we were leaving a positive mark on the place that had welcomed us. Seeing everyone work with genuine enthusiasm and a shared purpose made every activity feel meaningful.

Of course, volunteering was only one part of the experience. Outside the scheduled activities, we spent countless hours talking, cooking together, playing games, exploring the surrounding area, organising little trips, and simply enjoying each other's company. Those everyday moments often became my favourite memories because they allowed us to learn from one another, exchange stories about our different cultures, and build friendships in the most natural way.

This experience changed something about me.  Meeting people with completely different backgrounds encouraged me to see things from new perspectives, become more confident talking in English, and appreciate how much personal growth can come from leaving your comfort zone. Sometimes all it takes is saying yes to something unknown to discover sides of yourself you didn't know existed. What I'm bringing home is the real Croatia. Not the postcard version with crystal-clear beaches, but the Croatia made of small villages, green landscapes, local communities, and simple everyday moments. More than anything, I'm taking home the people I met along the way. I genuinely hope that these friendships won't end here and that, somewhere in the future, we'll all find ourselves together again.

If you're thinking about joining a European volunteering project, my advice is simple: go for it. It might feel a little scary at first, but that's exactly where the best experiences begin.

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Zoe (25), France

Bok!

I learned so much over these two weeks across such diverse subjects: from photography to design thinking, including the recognition of cognitive biases. I picked up the basics of Shiatsu massage, learned how to live in a community with just one bathroom for six people, and mastered managing a group budget. Organizing my own workshop was particularly rewarding; it allowed me to refine my skills before considering teaching them to others, and my confidence has truly grown. And can you believe I did all that in Croatia? Surrounded by nature and smokers in bars? This was a cultural shock I have to say, but from Croatia, I will only remember how welcoming Croatians are, you taught me what it truly means to welcome someone and feeling so cared for has inspired me to reach your level of hospitality back home in France.

One thing that deeply marked me and that I am taking home is the desire to become more involved in my own local community. I discovered that a small town like Zabok can have an incredibly rich cultural and associative life. Now, I can't wait to return to my country and throw myself into new activities to help my community.

I will remember this experience for the rest of my life. I will remember the welcome Zagor gave us when our volunteer team arrived, the paint stains on our T-shirts while renovating the playground, and our cleanup of the streets of Zabok. But above all, I will remember you, the friends I made. Friends? I would rather say family. Just two weeks ago, you didn't exist in my life, and today, you carry a piece of my heart back to your country. You have inspired me to travel to places I never would have considered. As an introvert, I have never felt so comfortable in a group, and who would have thought we all came from such different backgrounds and cultures?

Hvala Zagor, but most of all, hvala Zaboki friends.

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Vojta (21), Czechia

Hi, I'm from Czechia and I want to tell you about my volunteering experience that I gained during an ESC project "Skill exchange" in Zabok, Croatia. Previously I volunteered long-term in Slovenia, during that project I fell in love with the Balkan. So of course, I wanted to return and see some more!

This year is the first time for me that I have ever been to Croatia (quite unusual for being Czech), and an opportunity to spend two weeks here while volunteering sounded amazing :) The newly discovered country certainly drew a lot of my attention…

Upon arrival I got to meet my co-volunteers, they met a couple of hours before my arrival. They are truly a bunch of lovely people, we got to explore Croatia and I'm very thankful for meeting them!! They all shared a bunch of stuff from their culture :). Our workplace was a youth centre called Mreža udruga Zagor, they are located in Re-generator - a complex of renewed industrial buildings. Together we got to experience how volunteering in Croatia looks like: we cleaned Zabok, created boxes for kids and painted a playground - all of these activities helped the local community and helped me to reflect on my experience. In the first week we also hosted workshops for each other, it was a fun way to learn about others and to explain my hobby (photography).

I expanded my multilingual competence thanks to meeting people from Italy, Spain, France, El Salvador and of course Croatia. Especially for me it is nice to see & compare that Croatian and Slovenian are not the same language! They are pretty close, but now I understand why younger people cannot speak both. Czech and Slovak are much more uniquely closer than I thought. Thanks to having an intercultural evening, I got to taste (and see the process of cooking) of exotic dishes - cooking is one of my most important hobbies.

Young people go for it!

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Francesca (25), Italy

Taking part in this volunteering project in Zabok, Croatia, has been much more than just a trip, it has been a life-changing experience that I will always carry with me.

Throughout the project, I had the opportunity to participate in many different activities, each of which taught me something valuable. One of my favourite experiences was the skills exchange workshops. It was amazing to learn something new from every volunteer, with topics ranging from “Shiatsu massage" to “Design Thinking” and many other unique skills and passions. Even more rewarding was learning how to create and lead a workshop myself, from choosing a topic and planning the activities to making it engaging and interesting for everyone. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me much more confidence in my own abilities. Another unforgettable moment was the intercultural event. I represented my country by making pizza, even though it was my first time! It was such a fun experience to share a piece of Italian culture with everyone. At the same time, I loved discovering more about the other countries, their traditions, their typical food, and the stories behind them. It reminded me how much we can learn from each other simply by sharing our cultures.

The volunteering activities in the local community were just as meaningful. We cleaned litter around the town, renovated a children's playground, and planted trees. These may seem like simple actions, but they have a real impact on the community. Personally, they made me feel part of something bigger because I knew I was contributing, even in a small way, to making a positive difference. Seeing so many people genuinely enjoy working together for a good cause made the experience even more inspiring. However, what made this experience truly unforgettable were the people. Living with complete strangers who gradually become like a family is something very special. I learned so much from every single person, not only during the organised activities but also through our everyday conversations, shared meals, laughter, and unforgettable moments together. We organised trips, evening activities, games, and so many other experiences that brought us even closer.

This project also helped me discover more about myself. Through interacting with people from different cultures, I became more open-minded, more confident, and more aware of who I am. I believe that these connections and shared experiences are what make volunteering so powerful.

I will never forget my time in Zabok or the incredible people I had the privilege of meeting. I truly hope our paths will cross again someday. If I could give one piece of advice to anyone considering a volunteering experience like this, it would be this: don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. It is only by embracing the unknown that we truly discover ourselves, grow as individuals, and create memories that will stay with us for a lifetime.

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Hugo (19), Spain

When arriving I was a bit scared of the experience. But it was amazing.

I was going to spend 2 weeks with complete strangers. As I was one of the last to arrive in Zabok, it was even more intimidating as the other volunteers had spent some time together and already got to know each other. But I could not have been better welcomed, they hid in the toilet to scare me, and when we finally calmed down and sat at the kitchen table, I was fed food the volunteers had made for me. It felt like coming home from a long trip, tired, exhausted and your family welcomes you back and makes sure you are well fed. With that I knew I was going to have a great time with these "strangers" that already felt like family.

Every day was different, honestly it felt like a summer camp for young adults, we were having fun while helping the community. One of my favorite moments was when we painted a children’s playground. We just donated a bit of our time and you could definitely tell the difference; it made it look brand new. We learned about the local organizations in Zabok, my favorite was one for the children, DND Zabok, they do so many activities, make several songs, have a choir, and do cooking competitions. I was impressed. Also learned many things from the other volunteers, culture about their countries, just on the day to day, and from the skill exchange we did. From other volunteer’s workshops I learned to dance salsa Cubana, Chinese traditional medicine, recognizing biases, design thinking in action, and photography. Wow, so many different things I would have never expected to learn in Croatia, but I’m glad I did.

In the end, what I am taking home with me is that I learned so much about volunteering, how small things can really make a difference to the community, and our beautiful differences that made us closer.

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Valeria (25), Poland

I spent the last two weeks in Zabok as part of an ESC Skill EXchange project, and I honestly don't know how to fit everything I lived into just a few paragraphs. But I'll try. No two days looked the same, and each one left me with something different.

Repainting a playground in Zagorska Sela showed me that you don't need a big, complicated project to make a real difference, sometimes it's just showing up with a brush and a bit of effort. Cleaning up the city reminded me how much we take our surroundings for granted until we're the ones on our knees picking up the trash. Leading my own workshop, "Design Thinking in Action: Learn by Doing, Not by Listening," made me realize that people learn so much more by doing than by being talked to, and that letting go of the "expert" role and just facilitating can be more powerful than lecturing. Cooking dishes from our own countries and sharing them with the group reminded me that food says things words can't. Watching someone's face light up trying something new for the first time told me more about connection than any conversation could. Visiting different organizations around Zabok opened my eyes to how many ways there are to volunteer and give back, and talking with the mayor of Zabok showed me that local leadership is a lot more accessible and human. Interviewing and getting to know local people, and comparing how volunteering looks in other countries, made it clear that the need to help and be helped is universal, even when the way it's done looks completely different from place to place.

Coming from El Salvador and currently living in Poland, this whole experience was something I don't often get the chance to live. I wanted to know a new country, a new culture, and grow personally, and Zabok gave me exactly that. I picked up words in Croatian, French, Italian, and Czech just from being around people from so many different backgrounds. I learned to read a room before jumping in, to connect with people who think and live differently than I do, and to find joy in small, simple moments, like painting a playground with people who, two weeks ago, were complete strangers.

What I'm taking with me is pure happiness. This experience gave me the motivation to keep volunteering, wherever it takes me next. And I already know I'd come back to Croatia one day, even if it's just to relive this feeling all over again.

*Hvala svima na sudjelovanju, uloženom trudu i vremenu. Drago nam je što ste bili dio ove priče! Nadamo se da ćete iz ovog iskustva ponijeti lijepe uspomene, nova prijateljstva i vrijedna znanja. / Thank you all for your participation, dedication, and the time you put into it. We're grateful that you were part of this journey! We hope you leave this experience with wonderful memories, new friendships, and valuable knowledge.