Volunteering Process
Nedavno nam je u Rojc stigla nova volonterka! Neele Lisa Reckling u Savez udruga Rojca stigla je u sklopu projekta “Solidarity Movers of Rojc – Pokretači solidarnosti u Rojcu”, a njenu priču o procesu prijave, dolaska i svemu što jedna volonterka Europskih snaga solidarnosti može očekivati pročitajte u nastavku!
When I first heard about S.U.R and the european solidarity corps from a friend, I got really excited at the thought of going somewhere that’s completely different from Germany and my hometown Berlin. I saw it as a chance to escape the dullness of my everyday life caused by Corona and for new experiences along with getting to know people from all over Europe. So I decided to apply for a volunteering position. Unfortunately I only had a very limited timeframe but after consulting with the organization they made sure that I could have my contract altered. Now the next step was to find a sending organization that was able to get everything ready on time. That was one of the more stressful tasks because it took me one week to finally talk to someone who was willing to go through this process with me on such short notice but the idea of finally being able to fly to Croatia kept me motivated. It was very relieving to know that there were people to support my preparation process as well as my arrival and stay. As soon as the contract was ready to be signed I packed my bags and was ready to leave for Croatia any day. Because of Corona I flew the whole way instead of taking the bus. Since my decision to apply for the project was very spontaneous, the flights were very expensive, so I’d advise everyone who is thinking about applying to plan everything in advance. My first flight went from Berlin to Frankfurt and the second one from Frankfurt directly to Pula. Despite all of the new Corona regulations the flight and waiting period between both flights went really well, even my luggage was transported from one plane to the other without me having to move it myself. When I arrived in Pula my friend and Igor (my coordinator) picked me up at the airport and brought me to Rojc to meet some of the staff. We ordered Pizza and they gave me a really nice welcome- we let the day end and afterwards they showed me the apartment (which is really nice btw) that I share with a friend Alessia who is a volunteer at Rojc as well. The next few days were very easygoing and I got to know the building, the people and my tasks one by one so that I had time to settle in. In hindsight I’m really glad I chose this project and that they chose me to partake in something so helpful for many people. I hope I’ll be a great temporary addition for their team and it’ll be a special experience for me.
Neele Lisa Reckling