To Be EVS-volunteerWritten by Mikael Persson

Att vara EVS-voluntär

In the beginning when I arrived it was all so new and exciting, and it was not unusual that I felt homesick. That’s why I didnt unpack my travelcase the first week, well, that and because I was so damn afraid of that the cockroaches was gonna live in my clothes. But I got used to it and when a bug creeps around I just use the bugspray and keep brushing my teeth.

Skrivet av Mikael Persson

me

Volunteers, Steve & Steph

It was really nice volunteers when I arrived and thought me all I needed to know, or else I just had to ask. I was in Greece and there they have a siesta during the day, mainly I think because of the heat that occurs during

summer.

A so called “On-Arrival” is a 5 day semenar, I had mine in Athens. 8 hours of bus, thank you so much, but a free trip to the capital of Greece and live on a nice

hotel is not wrong. There I met a lot of other volunteers and got to know what it means to be a volunteer. It was on my “On-Arrival” I really understood, and after that I became more positive. I got a in general better way of

handling stuff.

My mentor, Anna

After more than half my time in Greece I went on a “midterm” in Athens, a dieted version of “On-Arrival” to

check up on things with us volunteers. There I discovered how damn good situation I got. If your

doing EVS in Greece, Serres is the best.

The motivation why, is because we have stuff to do, but not too much. A great variation because we work

with basicly everything in media. Our mentor and boss listens carefully to our opinions.

We work with doing advertisement and informing people about local and international problems. Environmental issues are often on the agenda,

but also humanrights, aids, etc.

This sometimes means fieldtrips, exhibitions, give away flyers, demonstrations, and more.

A nice oppportunity to get free food from the boss or mentor

Example of Workassignments

In the Radiostation you handle the mentors radioshow for an hour. After it’s a mix of tasks. Do or take in from email, radiospots, program this into the computer in the radiobooth. It’s easier than it

sounds if you only get some rutine on the tasks. Everything is strange in the beginning for everybody.

You also go arrends and pay bills on numerous of places, of course not for your own money.

In the Office we write articles, do posters, updates websites. It

happens that I have to edit some videofootage.

Living/Food

Sure you got to take care of alot yourself, but it is a big liberty and

experience living like this, four volunteers in an apartment. It is a big apartment with 4 rooms and kitchen.

And our Office is just outside the door and to the left we have the ability to use internet closeby.

All volunteers get a sum of foodmoney and can buy whatever

they like for it as long as it is food. All foodreceipts must be handed in, this can be a bit irritating, but it is just a

rutine, it’s easy after a while.

Your Own radioshow

Kasha, Me, Andrius och Raquel

You get your own radioshow once a week, two hours long. You go

through a brief meeting with the chief of the radiostation about you’re going to play in general, and after that it’s

for you to start making playlists. It’s a local radiostation but they also

broadcast webradio, so there is no problem for friends to listen.

Travel in Greece

If you travel the right way it is pretty cheap, but the greek travelsystem is

chaos with regular delays and full seats. But it’s really the goal that

makes the trip worth, Atens by night is an amazing sight, and all the culture in

that city is very interesting.

Thessaloniki is the next biggest city in Greece, but the most beautiful according to me. Nice sites and

Greece when at it’s best. Different food, nightlife and surroundings.

Swim in the ocean and lie on long beaches is very nice. Look out for the

hot sun, it might give you a burn.

My friends from Sweden came to visit. Steph, Me and Steve

My volunteerexperience went along nicely and was spiced with

culture and great events.

Andrius and Zbyzsek

What Im most happy about after my EVSexperience is how everybody that has known me before and after, has said how

much I matured as a person. I feel that I have grown more patient and calm. It was such a

big difference between my life in Sweden and Greece. To live with individuals from other

countries and to handle myself independently was a good experience.