Volunteering in Stratoni – Hanna Otsman – 2 month short-term volunteering in Greece
Name of the project: Volunteering in Stratoni
Date: 13.09.2023 – 13.11.2023
City/Country: Stratoni, Greece
Hosting organization: United Societies of Balkans
I’m Hanna and I just spent 2 months in Stratoni, Greece!
My story with Stratoni began actually in July 2023 when I took part of the team’s volunteering project in Stratoni but soon after I realized that this little village and its community has soo much to offer and I’m not ready to leave just yet. Thankfully there was an opportunity to stay for another 2 months and I took it! And this was absolutely the right decision. During those two months, I was able to really integrate into this community.
A big part about my volunteering was about working with young people and introducing the local community. Which I totally like and I did it with all my heart. The most memorable events were the karaoke and dance evenings, as well as the intercultural evenings of youth exchanges, where all young people could introduce their culture, and also I learned a lot of new things. At the beginning of November, we started making preparations for the upcoming Christmas and we collected ideas to build a Christmas park in the village.
I could arrange my free time myself and there were many ways to spend it. Quite a few times I went to Thessaloniki, which is the second largest city in Greece, and it was a good change from the peaceful village life. At the beginning of November, me and other volunteers took a hike to a nearby viewpoint, but in the meantime we managed to get lost and our hike turned out to be longer and more extreme than expected. Not to mention the endlessly beautiful sunsets that I was able to enjoy every day.
Through this experience, I learned a lot about myself and the people around me. It was exactly what I needed at that moment and it taught me a lot. Through this volunteering I also found out that I love to share my experience with others and to inspire them to explore the world.
This Project was financed by European Commission’s European Solidarity Corps Programme.