Let’s start with the basics: what exactly is the ESC program?
That’s the question I repeatedly asked myself while reading about it or watching other people’s experiences with it through social media. First, ESC stands for European Solidarity Corps, and it offers volunteering projects mostly around Europe, but you could also find initiatives in North Africa and South America as well, for people between the ages of 18-30.
The duration of these projects depends on each organization, but they are generally divided into two groups: short-term and long-term.
Individual volunteering is usually from 2 weeks/months to 12 months (long-term); team volunteering starts from a minimum of 2 weeks to a maximum of 2 months (short-term), and there are usually between 10 and 40 participants per project.
If it is your first time applying to ESC, I would strongly recommend starting with team volunteering; you will not be alone during your projects, and daily life changes won’t be that drastic and too much on your mental health.
Individual volunteering also involves two organisations: a host one that hosts you and covers the activities and guidance; and the supporting organization, which is the one you are part of (usually it is from your own country) and it helps you with preparing and training before your project starts, it also works as a mediator between you, the participant, and the host organisation.
After you have created and activated an account on the European Youth Portal, find the side information page and go to the “Volunteering” section. Get familiar with the page; there is a “Start applying to the Corps” button; click it, and you’ll be sent to a registration page. If you are a young person, go to the appropriate area. You will be assigned a Participant Reference Number (PRN), and after all these technicalities, you can finally start exploring different projects!
I did a team volunteering project in Slovenia, the focus was on environmental work, so harvesting all kinds of fruits and vegetables, but also helping the local communities with restoration or building new houses.
We were 15 participants, from 13 different countries, from ages 18 to 27, and we were living in a shared house up in the mountains; the challenges were various from person to person. My personal struggle as an introvert was to be surrounded by people all the time; thankfully, the afternoons were usually free, so I used them to recharge my social battery, going on runs or just exploring the surroundings.
Staying in contact with your family and old friends might be helpful, but you have to find your personal space to both flourish and adapt to your new reality.
I used this opportunity to find myself; sometimes, the daily life challenges are too much, and you need a change or a pause to regroup your thoughts and prepare yourself for what’s to come.
I am a very privileged individual, I have a lot of opportunities, and not using them as a tool to strengthen myself to become a better human being would be a waste; I always think that someday, the experiences that I have accumulated and from which I have learned, could be used to give a voice and a space to those who don’t have my privilege or space in society.
If you are interested in volunteering with ESC, here’s the website!
Have fun, and good luck with your future volunteering career!
