VEUS: The journey to Peru starts from within

About a year ago I started my journey towards becoming an ESC Humanitarian Aid volunteering project. Despite having passed long time since then, I am now preparing to go to a project in Peru. But let's rewind back to the beginning to tell you how it all started.

I wished to have a break from work and change some things in my life. I've been feeling stuck and needy of another type of perspective and experiences in the hope to align more with my path. I knew about this programme for a while and given my desire to go to South America once more, I felt this was that one chance I was looking for. So I logged in (I already had the account, yet if you're new, make sure you open your account on youth.europa.eu/solidarity_en) and started digging in for the info regarding to the humanitarian projects.

I did a course online where I found out more of the theory of humanitarian actions and general project management. Once I passed the test regarding what have I learned, I applied for the next step, which was the physical training, where to go deeper in the aspects thought online. I did mine in February and then I started looking for opportunities.

In summer I found the one and now here I am, recently having returned from Como, Italy, where we had a pre-departure training with ALBOAN, from Spain, the coordinator (who manages the project) and ASPEm from Italy, the supporting organisation (who is sending me). The name of the project is "Volunteering from European Union as an expression of Solidarity", or simply put VEUS.

My volunteering role consists in supporting and implementing actions connected to communication, promotion, and organisation of local activities within the textile sector supporting the circular economy, in various communities of Lima, Peru, and nearby areas.

What was the pre-departure training about you may be wondering. I'd say it was the beginning of the journey towards Peru, but first visiting myself from the inside out. We started with some getting to know each other games, as we were 16 volunteers attending (different positions in projects in Peru, Guatemala and Bolivia), and as well finding out more about the organisations involved in our process.

The training topics touched the loneliness, vulnerability, parts of us that we are aware or unaware of, motivation and motives behind our wish to become a volunteer, placing ourselves in the shoes of others to understand the cultural and local cultures better, about culture in general and integration within it as an "outsider" in the beginning, gender and interculturalism, and, perhaps the most dear session to me due to my role, communication.

We had an intense week and the training is yet to follow, as we are soon to continue the formation and pre-departure preparation online, both with the European organisations, and with the ones hosting us all in Latin America.

I took with me a lot of deep introspections, that I am still reflecting upon, and I am yet more fascinated and eager to start my adventure. I am ready.

Hasta pronto,

Andreea