This is how the first ESC Alumni event went

The first ESC Alumni meeting was held on 28 September. The ESC Alumni is a group of former (ESC) volunteers who, upon returning home, found that when they tell their friends about their volunteering experiences, no one really understands how formative those months and weeks were and what it is like to process those memories back home.

That's how the idea of ESC Alumni came about, a society that gives you a chance to meet, share and process experiences, but above all to build a good community.

In the light of this, the first meeting focused on getting to know each other and sharing experiences.

There were introductory games to find out who had volunteered where, and then later on there were opportunities to talk in more depth.

Find out what an international volunteer camp is like, click here!

Find out more about ESC, the European Solidarity Corps!

Personal impression

Now let me share my personal experience with you! (-Cicelle, the author)
This summer was the second time I was a short-term group volunteer, meaning that I participated in a two-week volunteer camp. The weeks I spent in Spain were very formative, I made a lot of new friends and I had the chance to experience again what it is like to be part of an international community or to work together with people I didn't know before for a common goal. At the same time, returning home after such an intense experience can leave you feeling a bit lost, especially if you have to start school or university right away. So I was curious and excited to see what it would be like to meet young people who had had similar experiences.

I went there not knowing anyone, and I was a bit afraid of the event. I shouldn't have. I hadn't been alone for 5 minutes among the groups of people talking and introducing themselves, and someone came up to me to talk. That's typical of the volunteers: open, friendly, loving company and interested in others, while having very exciting and entertaining stories. I really enjoyed asking anyone in the group they shared interesting experiences and stories that you rarely hear. But in addition to the positive memories, we were also able to talk about our difficulties, and the small group reflection provided an opportunity for this, with targeted questions to help this sharing.

We didn't go hungry during all the chatting, there was plenty of delicious food waiting for us on the tables at the Kőleves Restaurant.

So the afternoon went by without me even noticing. I met a lot of interesting people, heard exciting and inspiring stories and plans, while also learning a lot about the technical side of long-term volunteering, which was useful as I've been planning to try it myself for some time. I am glad to be part of such an inspiring community!