(first picture which I took two years ago)
Hi, my name is Aleksandra. I’m from Poland and I’m 27 years old. I will be volunteering in Portugal for the next 9(!) months.
Why did I choose this country for that long term volunteering?
Two years ago I was able to come to Portugal for a short vacation. For one week I was able to see many places such as Lisbon, Sintra, Colares or Faro.
From the very beginning I fell in love with the weather, later with architecture, nature, traditional meals and… with people.
Simple questions about how to find the way or just waiting for the train turned into a deep conversation about fado, saudade, Cesária Évora or climate changing.
After this short time but full of experiences I decided to come back to Portugal in the future.
I left here part of my heart but also some personal things and as you may know when you leave something in another place in the world it is obvious you will come back there someday.
But why did I choose to volunteer here? Since almost the year I was looking for the opportunity to volunteer for a short or long term in my country but also in other countries…
and then I saw European Solidarity Corps offer. This time Portugal was a natural decision to make. I sent my CV and the letter explaining why I want to volunteer at RATO ADCC
and after a week I was able to book a flight to Lisbon. Due to the current situation in the world I wasn’t able to come to Portugal when I was supposed to.
For some time Portugal was on a list of countries where people from Poland were not able to fly directly and my flight was twice moved for another date.
After a month of delay I am finally here, again. This time I will stay longer, ready to help, open to new experiences and also opportunities to develop and improve my skills.
