A multicultural training in a multicultural city

One of EVS advantages is having the opportunity to attend several training that allow you to acquire new skills, meet new people and travel! In particular, for the EVS projects longer than 2 months, it is expected to attend two types of training: the on-arrival training and the mid-term training.

From 22 to 27 February I took part in the on-arrival training, organized by SALTO, which was held in Sarajevo. As soon as I arrived I knew immediately that I would have liked Sarajevo. I have always loved the cities where the modern and the old merge creating a unique landscape. Sarajevo is not just that, it is also the visible union of traditions, religions and cultures, making it really special. It doesn’t happen in all cities stroll through the historic center and to admire a mosque, a Catholic church and a synagogue at close range. Besides that, you feel in the air that something important happened in this city, historical events that have tried it, turned and made what it is today.

The training I attended was very intense but very interesting and educational. The main method used by our trainers was the one called „learning by doing“, that is learning by carrying out concrete actions. Let me give an example: instead of talking for two hours about the project management, the trainers have preferred to divide us into groups and tell us: „you have a day and a half to create and develop your project.“ Although at first the sense of loss has prevailed, after few minutes it was easy (and even fun) to have the freedom to choose what to do and how to do it. Of course the training was not limited only to this, in fact, it has allowed us to learn more about EVS, to understand what are our rights and the duties of the NGOs who are hosting us and a lotmore.

The on-arrival training was also an opportunity to meet and get to know other volunteers who are carrying out their EVS in Serbia, Bosnia, Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. Each of us came from different European countries (although there was a certain predominance of French and Italian), but living the same experience has made us a united group with which it was fantastic to share this week. It has been too much fun to get lost along the streets of Sarajevo, and spend our free time as an atypical group of tourists☺.

I must say that both professionally and personally this training has given me so much…I can’t wait to participate in the second! 🙂