At Voluntariat, we are increasingly enthusiastic about the stories that individuals experience during their long-term volunteer experiences abroad. As a supporting organization, we are grateful for the trust placed in us by both volunteers and host organizations abroad. Below, you can read how our volunteer Ajda, whose 12-month ESE program project is currently coming to an end, describes her experience.
Last August, I decided to do long-term volunteering in Poland, which began in October 2024. Everything that follows in the next few lines, and more, happened during my one-year ESE project in Trzcianka, a small town near Poznan.
I volunteered at a school, where I assisted teachers in various subjects at the elementary level and taught English classes in the upper grades. I independently conducted workshops in the morning and afternoon childcare programs, which I consider my “mini project,” in which I managed to conduct 50 workshops of my own choosing. I also participated in local activities in Trzcianka and carried out and participated in activities intended for volunteers in the office of the host organization in Poznan.
I attended two training courses, the first one of my own choosing, on photography and the use of artificial intelligence in video production (Lights, camera, volunteer training), and the second one intended for work camp coordinators (Workcamp Coordinators training). Participating in the work camp was part of my ESE project, and the training and preparation helped me with the subsequent coordination and implementation of the camp itself. Before the camp, I made a preparatory visit, where I got to know the host organization of the camp, saw their premises, and finalized the schedule for the camp itself. After the camp, there was a group evaluation with all the volunteers who led any of this year’s camps that were available.
In August 2025, I participated in the 31st Pol’and’Rock festival with a group of volunteers, under our own direction and with the support of SCI Poland, where we conducted daily workshops for visitors to the largest non-commercial event in Europe.
And since I had quite a bit of experience teaching English and leading groups, I decided on my own to pursue six months of training outside of the project, which was ultimately inspired by the experience itself. I became a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) teacher, which allows me to transfer the knowledge I gained through the project to other countries abroad.
Of course, that’s not all that happened during my project. They say that paper can convey anything, but the countless experiences, acquaintances, and memories that a year of volunteering abroad gives you cannot be put into words on paper. It is an unforgettable experience that opens your heart and doors to the world.
Source: Ajda Troha
