From the start

Útvonal <-Here can you check the place on the map.

I travelled to Denmark with my volunteer partner( Her name is Elena:) ) and her parents. Since I had to go there first, it was a long trip, but I’m glad I chose to do it, because it gave me a chance to see the place where she grew up and to experience the new place together with her for the first time.

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About my volunteer project: Øhavets Smakke- og Naturcenter

Here you will find a museum, and front of that, there is the campsite. There is also a boat workshop and a children’s workshop. There are many port facilities on the water, such as sailing and kayaking. But it also hosts many festivals and parties.

Webhely <- Here is the website, you can find more information about the facilities:)

On the autumn, first we got familiar with the Smakkecenter and we had some bigger school groups, so we cleaned and prepare the place for them. It was great that we could see the Smakkecenter when it was busy before the winter, because it was easier to imagine how it will look like in the spring or in the summer. We could work on the children workshop,because we had some time, and it was quite fun because we could create some new and we could used our imagenation how it would be better,nicer.   We had a chance to experience sailing with our boss in the first time, and  we also went to kayaking around Stryno with my volunteer partner,Elena. It was really refreshing, nice, and after the 2th time it was easier, and more fun.

On the winter, our main job was renovating. . We painted a lot ( rooms,one of the boat called: Selma).   We cleaned a lot, took care of the tents and take the boats back from the water. After that, we started to cleaning,sanding,painting them. We did not have many visiters, so it was quiet, expect when we had party in the Smakkecenter. In autumn and in the vinter when we had party (f.x.Light show party ) we helped in the preperation, and it was inetersting to see how these parties become alive.

While we painted,we could thinking and talking about a lot of things for example my, and my volunteer partners little project, called:

Little gift for the babies:

In the vinter I started to think about a small but important thing for me, the place where babies are cleaned. At that time we didn’t have so many guests, but one of my colleagues had a baby and they had to clean the baby in the office. But obviously not everybody can do that, so I thought we could install changing facilities. Luckily for me, we found a wall-mounted changing mat, so we installed it in one of the bathrooms. For the other one I just got a promise that it will be ready soon. I did it with Elena and I owe so much to her help. It was nice to see the one changing table come in handy as more and more guests came in during the busier times.

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In the spring, as the weather warmed up and everything became greener, we also prepared for the arrival of guests. We made the lawn look beautiful, pitched the tents, prepared the rooms, and put the boats on the water.

In the summer ,we had a lot of guests,and we were more on the water. We helped with the preparation if we had partys, programs(f.x.litrature festival,jezz party) We worked with the guest (f.x. welcoming them, we helped with the kayaks,SUPs,rentings, answering their questions).

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Sometimes,when it was hard, I looked around, and I always got energy from my workmates, visiters, or the people who live in the island. I think it was a really great opportunity to work there.We spent most of the time outside, it was a different experience. The people there are really hardworking,and I respect that. I would like to say thank you all of them. For them and for the volunteers who were there before us, and after us.

Mentés

What Strynø means to me

Stryno gave me a lot from the very beginning. There were so many activities that you couldn’t really get bored. I really liked having so many opportunities to get to know the people and customs of the island ( for example: Hockey, yoga,knitting club, movie,game night). I received a lot of kindness and patience from them and I wanted to return it somehow.  There are two things I could highlight when I felt I could give something back to them. For these two things, I received so much help and support that I never expected.

One of them the: fællesspisning

Stryno has a habit of having a big community dinner. After each occasion (usually once a month) a big wooden spoon is passed around, and whoever takes it, takes it upon themselves to organise and cook the next big feast. Everyone decides what they want to cook, then the menu is given out. On that basis, people decide whether or not to pay for it. Then you use the money you’ve raised and the money left over from the last one to go shopping. 

My  volunteer partner, Elena and I took it upon ourselves to make a German-Hungarian feast. It went really well and the guests had a great time. I received a lot of help in the process, which I am very grateful for.

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Mentés

The other one the language night: Ungarn= Hungarian language night

This is one of Stryno’s programmes. As there are so many people of different nationalities living in Stryno, another opportunity has been given to the people living there to make each other’s evenings more colourful, by organising a language evening. Japanese, Dutch, French and many other wonderful languages were on offer. It was summer when we attended one, and at the end my host family asked if I wanted to do one. I said yes, much to their delight.

I started attending language school in October, but it wasn’t until March that I could really say I was using Danish more intensively. And even then it wasn’t that good. But I still wanted to perform in Danish. I wanted to speak to them in the language in which they spoke to me with such encouragement and kindness. I thought it was a way of making them feel how grateful I was.

So I spoke in Hungarian, English and Danish about the wonders and difficulties of the Hungarian language. I was very nervous, but they said they understood what I was saying and they found it interesting. I overcame the fear that told me not to do it until I was sure everything would be perfect. And I’m so glad I did.

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I was able to get to know myself better, and many other people from different backgrounds and cultures. I’ve learned a lot from them, and I try to put it to good use.I am very happy to have been there, to have been on that little island. I had no idea at the beginning that life there would be so colourful and dynamic. The openness, encouragement, patience and kindness of the people completely suprised me. Volunteering has given me a lot that I can use in many different ways.

Without ESC support I could not come to Denmark,and I am really greatfull to them, for their hard work. Thank you!

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Active international volunteers in Denmark

All the best/Orsi