EVS Tale of the Two Cities booklet

voice of volunteer:dariusz sirko
If someone had told me few months ago that I would participate in the EVS project in Madeira
Islands, I wouldn’t believe it. At last, this is what happened for real!
I came to Funchal, a capital city of Portugal’s Madeira archipelago, for the very first time on the
3rd of June 2017. I have been picked up from the Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport, by José
Antonio, the President of Teatro Metaphora organization.
Since I read all the objectives of the program I exactly knew what to expect from the project. But as
things usually work a bit different from what is written on paper, to my surprise, the whole experience
turned out to be a way better then as it’s been described in the folder.
I had a chance to take part in multiple initiatives that took place during my EVS circle. The project
that I value most were Hospital for the little ones, Animate for ACTION and conducting Polish
language and Culture classes. These initiatives were very close to my ideal image of how we, as
an organization, can add up to bettering lives and expending horizons of local community. I believe
conducted happenings had a great impact on locals, especially on local youth.
Next to organizational responsibilities and duties I had a great opportunity in my spare time
to learn about, not only Madeira but also, whole Portugal. Spending sharply five months in this
increasable place gave me a fabulous chance to visit places that I could only dream of sightseeing.
I eagerly embraced Portuguese way of life and with a blazing sparkle in my eyes I observed
previously unknown to me beautiful habits and traditional events of Portuguese people. I became
a devoted fado listener, and Portuguese cuisine for sure changed my dietary routine. Portuguese
traditional dishes are simple but at the same time very flavourful. I had to love them, there was no
other option for me!
When it comes to a question whether I obtained
new and upgraded already possessed competences
I for sure must admit that I, indeed, did. The project
allowed me to expend my wings in PR and content
management related skills. I learned how to
organize my time and divide it between scheduled
tasks. Next to this thanks to attending piano classes
I excelled my song writing skills, something that
I aimed at as becoming a part of artistic organization.
Because Teatro Metaphora, although in recent years
more focused on ecological awareness, at heart its
truly a theatrical and performing arts organization.
To anyone who hesitates whether to take part in
EVS Erasmus Plus project... GO FOR IT!
It’ll be a great experience that you’ll treasure for
a very long time.