VOICES OF VOLUNTEERS FROM SLOVENIA
My name is Saska Koleznik and I am working as a volunteer in one of the humanitarian organisations in Slovenia. I am doing this job with pleasure and great satisfaction, because I know that with such work I can help someone who really needs my help. Besides that just thought about I will be able to help someone makes me happy and upgrades me spiritually. I'm really grateful to be able to do a humanitarian work and to work with people who feel the same way, and I love them.
Saska Koleznik, Slovenia
VOICES OF VOLUNTEERS FROM SLOVENIA
Already for some time I can gladly say that I am doing voluntary work in one of the humanitarian organisation in Slovenia. Voluntary work gives me great pleasure, as the number of socially disadvantaged people is growing. Humanitarian activities with various charitable actions brings me satisfaction and pride.
Rozi, Zupancic, Slovenia
VOICES OF VOLUNTEERS FROM SLOVENIA
Volunteering means a lot to me, because in this way I feel useful and I'm glad that for someone I can do something good and noble. It's always been a pleasure to me to do something good for others because it lights up my life. I am pleased to be able to act in accordance with my belief that it was necessary to help a neighbour, and that goodness is always refunded.
Denis Kavic, Slovenia
VOICES OF VOLUNTEERS FROM SLOVENIA
Since I remember I was exerting myself for others ... Then I started to help people around me who needed my help ... Selflessly and with pleasure … More than I gave ... more I receive and grow … I can still remember my father's words: With closed palm, you can not give away anything and either you can not receive anything … But if you have a palm open you can do both: receive and give away. And the same is with heart. With my voluntary work I can grow and get richer inside, because I know if I am offering my help to others, one day I will be rewarded … with a sincere smile if not otherwise …
Boris, Mastnak, Slovenia
VOICES OF VOLUNTEERS FROM UK
I have learned so much through volunteering at CSV: I have improved my ENGLISH. Also I have improved my own technical skills of filming and recording. Now I have learned how to manage and teach young people how to develop their own skills in using a camera and microphone; how to record voices and music. I have grown so much in confidence and I know my students have too. We are ready to interview people and broadcast our own programmes now, which should interest media employers."
Laura Mateos Borregon, Spain
VOICES OF VOLUNTEERS FROM MALTA
I have been involved in volunteering for the past two decades. My participation in voluntary organisations has helped to enrich my life in many ways but mostly from an emotional and psychological aspect. As a foster parent I learnt to be more responsible and mature within a family unit. My involvement with animal welfare made be become more conscious of the plight of living creatures. Ten years ago I joined the Transplant Support Group and, as a living kidney donor, I realised and started to appreciate the true meaning of life and the importance of organ donation. My recent involvement with the local Food Bank has reinforced the altruistic aspect of helping those in need. Overall, my past experiences in different areas of volunteering have helped me become who I am today. J.B.M
James B. Muscat
VOICES OF VOLUNTEERS FROM MALTA
For the last couple of months, I've been volunteering with people with disability and throughout this time, this provided me several opportunities to gain more experience in this field. I came to understand and appreciate better the needs and difficulties that people with disability encounter in their daily life. The delight that one feels when volunteering, instils a yet greater motivation in the heart of the volunteer to keep on making a difference in the life of other people. I can say that voluntary work is a life changing experience because it aided me to solidify further my values and beliefs about life. For all these reasons, I believe that voluntary work is not only beneficial to the ones who receive it, but also to the altruistic people who willingly provide a helping hand.
Samuel Curmi, Malta
VOICES OF VOLUNTEERS FROM MALTA
I give my time to volunteering as I can see certain qualities that I can contribute to society over and above my paid work. The satisfaction is that when I see that people benefit from the little I do despite the sacrifice that it entails I realise that it is worth the time given and the energy invested. All contributions given by voluntary workers combined together will leave a positive end result of those around you. G.A.B.
Gertrude A. Buttigieg, Malta
VOICES OF VOLUNTEERS FROM GERMANY
I am a graphic design professional and i came here for my wife that she is studying in Passau University. I was searching a place to work in Germany, because my leisure time was passing without output. I love to work for people in anyways.
This volunteering helps me to build my communication skill, especially in different culture, working environment and language skills. As a professional, it helps me to build my career and have a reference to showcase and it also exposes me as a social activist.
I am happy by work with Gemeinsam leben und lernen in Europa e.V.
Hassan Khayrul, Bangladesh
VOICES OF VOLUNTEERS FROM GERMANY
The most important thing of my volunteering work at “Gemeinsam leben & lernen in Europa” was, that it helped me to find my professional career path. I was able to gain lots of experience in project management on local, regional and international level. I got my first insight in public funding and writing proposals. But I also learned how to work and communicate in an office, how to organise national and international partnership meetings, how to work under time pressure and how to deal with various problems. All these experiences in practice and my studies at university helped me to find the job I am having now, and where I am very happy now.
Krisztina Lantos, originally from Hungary, living in Germany now
VOICES OF VOLUNTEERS FROM GERMANY
Last year I moved to a new city and looked for an opportunity to get in contact with people and the place. And I wanted to do something useful and concrete besides writing my master thesis, and of course I wanted to widen my own horizon. So this is why I became a volunteer. I also feel, that I can contribute something myself to change social structure: in my project for asylum-seekers I support others to volunteer and to understand living conditions of others.
A couple of months ago I finished my studies and now I am looking for a job. And in this period my volunteer work is very beneficiary on a personal level: it gives me a daily structure and tasks to fulfil. I learn a lot of new things, gain work and life experiences and see things from a different perspective. It helped me also with my professional orientation: now I know where my strengths are: conceptional work, organisation, implementation and QM of learning and training measures. I also gain a lot of practical experiences: what it is like to be responsible for a project, how to organise oneself efficiently and how to implement the project step for step.
Kathrin Zenger, Germany
VOICES OF VOLUNTEERS FROM GERMANY
I decided to do a year of National Volunteers‘ Service because after ending my school career I wasn’t entirely sure which step to take next. Thus, I wanted to get some orientation in terms of study and job perspectives.
Doing voluntary work helped me a lot: I didn’t only gain a lot of social and working skills but also experienced which strengths and weaknesses I have, learned how to deal with a full-time job and to handle stressful situations. But what’s most important, this intense year made me realize what I would like to study and do as a professional. I can recommend volunteering to anybody who has just finished school and still feels uncertain about his or her way. It will change one’s view of the world.
Andreas Schrank, Germany
VOICES OF VOLUNTEERS FROM ROMANIA
I am a volunteer for 3 years now. I enjoyed the idea of being a volunteer from the time that I was in the first year at college. I`ve meet a lot of volunteers from all around the world which was extraordinary. You meet different people every day and I can say that you can learn something from everyone and most important thing is that you have always friend besides you. You will always be helped if you ask, you`ll always find answer for your questions.
Alex Iloie, Romania
VOICES OF VOLUNTEERS FROM ROMANIA
Volunteering has been a starting point for my personal development that helped me both personally and professionally. Due volunteer hours performed during college I managed to create a solid foundation for my resume. This mattered a lot in front of the employer. Letter of recommendation received from ClujNapoca Volunteer Center armed with but a strengthening of those presented in my resume and more. The way I was shown in the letter of recommendation revealed features that yields a CV. Also came with a touch of self-confidence, trust that you definitely need when you attend an interview for a job, especially if it is the first.
Maria Cimpan, Romania
VOICES OF VOLUNTEERS FROM BULGARIA
Through my volunteering I became well acquainted with different social problems and had the chance to work for positive change. As a volunteer I worked in several child care institutions for some 6 years which gave me experience in working with children with disabilities. That helps me a lot in my current job as a psychologist.
I have participated in many volunteer activities which enabled me to develop my organisational skills – to coordinate and distribute tasks, to deal with conflict situations. When volunteering every person can find and develop his/her own strengths. Volunteers gain skills in working in group; they become more empathic, self confident and responsible.
Illia Marincheshky
VOICES OF VOLUNTEERS FROM BULGARIA
I have been a volunteer for more than 2 years and during this time I had the chance to get in touch with different spheres of society and to develop skills that are successfully applicable in many professional areas.
After graduating from university I started looking for a job. It took me quite a time so I decided to do volunteer work. I had the chance to communicate with different people, to meet with psychologists and other professionals who trained and supported me. During these 2 years I participated in various trainings. I developed my social skills which had a direct impact on improving my performance at job interviews.
Currently I work at the Human Resources Department of a large company and I believe that knowledge and skills that I got from volunteering could be successfully applied in company policy. Good practices that I learned as a volunteer are great base for improving every corporate responsibility policy and social activities.
Velina Argirova
