Whenever anyone asks me about my ESC experience, I say: “it was a thrilling ride and one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!” – says Artsiom from Belarus, who spent his 6 months of volunteering in frames of the European Solidarity Corps in Poland and discovered his passions.
Diving into a Multicultural Wonderland
Living in a new country and getting to know people and cultures from all over the world opened my eyes to how incredible and vast our world truly is. Before this, I had little experience with people from other countries, so learning new and fascinating facts was amazing. I fell in love with being in a multicultural environment!
Here in Kraków, I significantly improved my English as I communicated every day. By the second month of the project, I even started teaching English to the most wonderful Polish ladies of their golden age.
“My first interview in English with my receiving organization was nerve-wracking, but now I confidently teach English. It’s incredible how far I’ve come!” I also learned Polish well enough to explain and communicate effectively. Who knows, maybe my Belarusian roots helped me with it.
Finding My Calling: The Joy of Teaching
I discovered a passion for teaching. I loved preparing lessons and seeing the interest and effort in the eyes of my students. I will always remember the heartfelt words from my English students:
“You were my best teacher.”
“I had one son, and now I have two.”
And the unforgettable phrase from a participant in my photography class:
“I don’t remember ever being into anything, but now I realize I want to do photography.”
These moments made me realize that everything I did had a purpose. I also honed my photographic skills. Capturing moments and creating content became a highlight of my journey. It was both challenging and fulfilling. Supporting the Internationaler Bund Polska Foundation‘s social media team by helping with photos, videos, and texts was one of my favourite tasks and places to work.
Heartfelt Reflections and Gratitude
I can’t find enough words to express my gratitude for this volunteering expedition. The incredible people I met, the overwhelming support I received, and the endless love to live surrounded me. This project showed me what life can truly be like.
I want more youth from my country to experience it! I hope more Belarusians will have a chance to join such long-term European Solidarity Corps projects and realize that it can be really life-changing. I fully support my sending organization which is cooperating now on the advocation campaign to generate more international youth cooperation opportunities for young civil society representatives from Belarus.
It’s incredibly hard to write this and even harder to say goodbye. I wish this experience could last forever. I miss everyone already.
And remember: Don’t dream it, be it!
