Lighthouse of the world – Elizaneth Saks – 4 months volunteering in Greece

Name of the project: Lighthouse of the world

Date:  05/04/2023 – 25/07/2023

City/Country: Thessaloniki, Greece

Hosting organization: United Societies of Balkans

 

 

 

 

Main activities developed: 

Exploring Roma culture, youth work, and creativity 

 

It was my second time volunteering for Faros tou Kosmou lighthouse of the world in Thessaloniki, Greece. 

As a reader you may think that is there something new to see or learn, but I can guarantee my story with this community couldn’t even be finished. The Roma community has so many different layers to experience. 

As a volunteer my tasks were creating activities for different age groups of children, I mainly tried to focus on educational activities but with the language barrier, it was quite a challenge. Along with my volunteering, I also learned the Greek language, and surprisingly my biggest teachers were children. 

This opportunity taught me a lot about myself, for example, how many ways there are to deal with conflicts or misunderstandings between children, how to feel pure joy and happiness every day, and how to keep it that way. On a personal level, my ways of seeing things in this society changed a lot, it totally opened my horizons and made me so thankful for the opportunities that life has given me.

USB collaboration with Faros Lighthouse gives an eye-opening opportunity for so many young people to experience cultural heritage, real difficulties in daily life, and a real chance to be part of the community. 

This Project was financed by European Commission’s European Solidarity Corps Programme.