STORY OF ONE VOLUNTEER – VERONICA NASPI

Hello everybody! I am Veronica, from Ancona a city in central Italy.

After high school I decided to start the university of Philosophy and since October I can say that I am a doctor of philosophy (in Italy it is said so). While I was studying, I always worked and this allowed me not only to pay my studies but also to be able to travel. I have many hobbies such as cycling, reading, walking, watching movies and TV series, etc. etc., but I have two passions: theatre and boxing. I have been doing theatre for 10 years and together with my theatre group, we create shows, events, festivals and, a very special thing, Live Escape Room.

As you have already understood, I like to travel. My first travel experience in Europe was thanks to a European project called “Except” an educational program that aimed to work with non-privileged realities, through all kinds of artistic, social and theatrical activities. Through this project, I was able to travel to Hungary and France, performing on stage and on the street, a comedy of art show called “The Adventures of Gisella and Rodolfo” with other young people under the supervision of our director. It was a beautiful experience that made me understand how important it is to travel, to know new realities that seem so distant from you and your reality.

Thanks to this first experience, after graduation, I decided to travel and my first stop started with Udruga IKS, through an EVS project. Life in Petrinja is really too quiet for someone like me, but I am happy to find some peace. The best thing is that we volunteers are stars, practically everyone knows us! Obviously, a joke. However, it’s funny you know. My favorite place in Petrinja is the river, I love it and I imagine that in summer it is even more beautiful. I tried to learn a bit of Croatian but I am a disaster, so much so that when I am embarrassed, I always say “Dobar dan” even if I should say “thank you or see you soon”. I think Petrinja is small but has a big heart. There are many activities in the association, but those that interest us volunteers in particular are participating in activities organized by the association and creating creative workshops that can highlight and explain what civil and European citizenship is, what European values are, the history of it, and encourage kids to move and volunteer.

Why did I choose to do an EVS?

My first motivation that pushed me to do this was to learn English better, to challenge myself and my fear of not being able to express myself except with my mother tongue. This was my first motivation but also my first fear and perhaps it still is. Besides that, I decided to leave to meet new people, to be able to live with other people, to find myself alone and all this is scary too, and I still admit it is. The most important motivation, however, was that of the project itself, I wanted to work within an association to be able to carry out my workshops, to be able to get to know the association and be part of their projects and workshops.

My experience is about to end, and I can say that I am happy to have tried, to have left, to be here, because although I still do not know English well, I had the opportunity to speak it, and I did it. Because although I miss my home, I miss my friends, here I met new people who told me about their world and their life. Because despite not being able to fully achieve my goals, I left and I was able to know my limits and test myself. I hope for you that one day you try, it will make you proud of you. I wish you the best!

Pripremio: Borisz Negeli

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