My name is Emanuele, I am 23 years old and originally from Ferrara, Italy. At university I studied creative writing and my goal is to work with words in the future.
However, for the past six months I have been a European volunteer at Øhavets Smakke- og Naturcenter. What is this about? A nature centre on a small Danish island called Strynø. There were sailing boats and kayaks, a garden for camping and guest rooms, a maritime museum and workshop for craftsmen, a shelter to warm up with a fire and… lots of sheep!
During the year there are 220 inhabitants on the island, but during the summer season a few more 😛
It was beautiful. I met special people, interesting stories and secret places.
1.
I participated in the daily work together with Martina, my fellow volunteer, and the other Smakke helpers. The work included sailing, maintaining the dinghies, painting, cutting grass, cleaning, guiding tourists, maintaining the campsite and various equipment.
The context of the experience was the European Solidarity Corps. This programme offers young people between the ages of 18 and 30 an informal learning environment to engage in a community or help overcome societal challenges.
The tasks and responsibilities undertaken within the project help you to develop and strengthen your skills. This process is supported by the host organisation and a series of seminars organised throughout the host country.
Personally, I feel that I have enriched my manual skills, broadened my horizons and challenged myself all round.
Specifically, using Youthpass grammar, I could say that my learning outcomes were: multilingual, learning to learn, citizenship, entrepreneurship, digital and literacy competences. In the following paragraphs I will try to explain better what I mean.
2.
Every day I communicated with the guests not in Italian, but in English. At the same time, I was surrounded by people who spoke to each other in their mother tongue. For this reason, I studied Danish for two months at a school near my island (in Svendborg, a very nice town), together with classmates from all over the world.
On the other hand, from a management point of view, I became familiar with the digital tools we used at the campsite to receive bookings and payments. So, I used AirBnb, Google Calendar and Zettle on a daily basis.
The project leaders gave Martina and me a lot of independence. So, together with her, we learnt how to manage energy and organise work information efficiently. In practice, it meant prioritising to focus energy on a few but essential things. Finally, to focus on the present but, at the same time, to constantly have the whole picture of the situation.
As a European volunteer, during my 6-month experience, I was involved not only in the daily tasks of my project, but also in seminars, trips and trainings organised by different associations. I therefore had the opportunity to participate in the social and cultural life of Strynø but also occasionally in the cosmopolitan life of Copenhagen, Odense and Aarhus.
Together with Martina, at the end of our stay, we organised an Italian dinner (lasagne+tiramisu) for 80 people on our small island, as an act of farewell, of thanks and of sharing part of our culture with the Danes, after 6 months in which we had learnt a lot from theirs.
Of course, my colleague and I had to plan and organise everything, from ordering food from the local købmand to the actual cooking. But at the same time, it was an opportunity to team up with other families on the island who wanted to help and strengthen our friendship with them.
Finally, I got involved and developed my humanistic knowledge through field experience. Firstly, by becoming part of my host family. It was an opportunity for me and for them to improve the ability to understand and express thoughts, feelings and facts. In particular, it was nice to establish a relationship day after day, eventually finding my place, being available and feeling as comfortable with them as with my own family.
Then, having really appreciated the welcome the whole community had given me, I decided to write a public speech to thank them and summarise what had happened in six months.
I am proud of this, because it was a very touching moment, on the last day, to read it in front of thirty people who had come to say goodbye to Martina and me.
Conclusion
Here we are. To conclude this article, I would like to say that another very nice part of my stay on the island was experiencing a completely different lifestyle than the city routine I was used to.
The air was pure, around me (often) there was only silence and the landscape was made up of the Nordic sea and green fields. Now that I am back in my hometown, I often miss Strynø and Denmark… for this very reason, I know I will return in the future 😊
Emanuele Gessi (gessi.emanuele@gmail.com)
ESC Solidarity Projects 