EVS Volunteer Profile 2010
Manel Sole Prades is our most recent EVS volunteer.
He joins us from Barcelona in Spain, and will be volunteering with BRYR and the Aisling Project until October 2010.
Here is his take on his volunteer experience to date;
"I'm in BRYR since October 2010 as an EVS volunteer (European Volunteer Service), a European Union initiative of the Youth in Action program that gives the chance to young people between 18 and 30 years old to work as a volunteer in an organization from a Europe country.
For me being involved in BRYR means lots of things... If I had to describe just with one word I would say learning. But as it is a too general word, I'll try to say the main things that I'm learning.
First of all, as a person involved with the social work since some years ago, it's interesting for me to see and know the way to attend the social needs and the standards of the youth work in Ireland, Dublin, and in concrete, Ballymun. I'm learning how important is the respect for the needs of the young people, a non judgemental attitude, create a safe and healthy space and atmosphere for the young people that facilitate them to feel free to express themselves. In this sense,through the work that I do and the trainings that I do I learn how to build a healthy relationship with a young person.
About Ballymun as a community, I'm start thinking that Ballymun is one of the most interesting areas in terms of social network in the community. I'm learning and seeing every single day how an area, a neighbourhood, a group of people who live in the same physical area and share some features becomes a real social community.
In The Reco in concrete, I'm learning more about the teamwork. BRYR is a community of workers (youth workers, facilities team, staff, managers, etc.) and as a volunteer I have to deal and work with all of them. Otherwise, I'm involved with lots of groups of young people, leads by different youth workers who focus their activities in different ways (arts, animation, sports, music, etc.). That diversity of work, groups and people provides me a real vision and practice of what the teamwork is.
For my particular condition as a person from another country, I try to emphasize the inter cultural dimension of Europe and the world. I mean, in some way, I'm trying to expand the message that although the differences between countries, cultures, persons, we've as well lots of things in common, aspects to share and especially, lots of things to learn. I also try to explain and
Last but not least, I'm enjoying when often, being involved with the young people, I can take with me some of their fresh, joyful and young energy and when, from my position as a worker/volunteer/adult I can play, laugh and join with them."
Below you can find a link to Manel's EVS Blog, which details his experiences as a volunteer in Ballymun, and as a visitor to Ireland.
See Volunteering section for more info on Volunteering and EVS sub-section for info on EVS.