ITALY vs LARISA, FIRST HALF-TIME IS OVER

Italians love football. Moreover in Turin there are two big and very important teams: Torino and Juventus. This was the must know before arriving here, my friends said. And that Turin is a grey city. After five months I can agree with the first but not the second “fact”. The football is the general small talk theme. I am used to talk about weather instead or ever rather to avoid small talk situations.

I’ve arrived to Torino in April. On the EVS training we had to do a timeline of points that brought us to this moment, to our EVS.

While some EVS volunteers are motivated by helping the world and improving community… My main motivation to apply for this challenge was personal development. Important aspect was also to learn about a different world and to understand it better what activities of also Eufemia provide me.

Since arrival I believe the biggest improvement can be observed in my Italian. It is so much easier to learn a language while living in its environment. True that Italian gestures are also very helpful when trying to understand. All in all I’m enjoying Italy and whole experience very much. The work is always different, the colleagues are super nice and pizza!

WORK vs LARISA

As mentioned my work is very diverse. In rough I work in international field – Erasmus+ program and local onen – working with schools, economically endangered families.

Every Saturday we go to local market with families. To the market I am working on, round 8 families come. Together we collect the fruits and vegetables that weren’t sold and the sellers would throw away since the markets are closed on Sunday. The same thing we do with bread in one bakery. As I’ve read recently there is a initiation that would put in order that all supermarkets should do that. And it makes me happy to be part of something so helpful and also waste reducing.

At the beginning of my EVS I was helping to lookafter kids during lunch break in one of the primary schools. Due to not knowing Italian, I have mostly only observed. In June already I have managed to build some contact also with children. Two times a week there is an activity called, Doposcuola, that aim is to help kids with the homework. I’ve taught one child German. His German and my Italian were on the same level, so it was very funny. Some kids were very interested to teach me Italian, what made me feel very nice.

In June-July Eufemia organised summer activities for children 6-12 years old. Mon-Fri 8.00-17.30, where my role was also to help look after the kids.

In July there was a very nice international project with 30 participants from different countries about rebellion and 2nd world war. Pasquale (the Boss) and me managed and led all the activities. It was difficult, but I have learned a lot and met some great people. In the end of July I attended my EVS welcome training where 30 other volunteers were. I’ve visited Roma, improved my Italian, met cool people and learned that without cooperation it is hard to change anything. And that for cooperation it is important to hear. Kabum! My EVS got another meaning. Let’s see how it goes on. Work that are in every NGO, paper work, some designing, promotion activities are always to be fulfilled, so very rarely happens there is nothing to be done.

SECOND-HALF?
In September I will start with an Italian course and I’m very looking forward to new projects. The personal project is being created in my mind, but more about it in the next note.

Btw: I believe I am winning, like the other people choosing EVS.