Written by: Manuel Pineiro Gonzales
The Dujam Hotel was the place chosen by the Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes to organize the Mid–Term Training in Split, involving twelve European volunteers from different Croatian organizations, including myself from LDA Sisak, since 4th to 7th of March 2013. During this meeting, the trainers Danijela Jurić and Domagoj Kovačević and the volunteers share different experiences and talked about important topics are developing in the European Voluntary Service.
On Monday, the volunteers from different countries of Europe as Spain, Italy, Slovakia, Portugal, France, Germany, Finland or Macedonia arrived in the morning in Split. After they share a lunch, they started the activities of the workshops. First, the trainers summarized the activities which would develop those days. Then, the volunteers made presentations about their life in the European Voluntary Service. All of them showed distinct places of Croatia: Buje, Vukovar, Kuterevo, Sisak and Osijek. They could understand how large the objectives and tasks in the EVS are: from take care of bears in the mountains of Kuterevo to analyze wine in a lab in Buje, Istria.
On Tuesday morning, the volunteers explained through different exercises the challenges that have been faced in their first months in Croatia and the achievements they have made in this period. The challenges and achievements developed at work, at home, in the local community or personal level. In the afternoon, they could enjoy of a free time. They could walk around and visit the center of Split: the ruins of Diocletian’s palace, the Cathedral of Saint Duje or the popular promenade of Riva.
On Wednesday, firstly, the volunteers had the opportunity to explain their own personal projects. Then, the trainers explained them about project management: know how to plan, implement and evaluate a good project for an organization. In the afternoon, the trainers taught them how to do the Youthpass, the certificate that the volunteers get from the European Union in the end of their EVS and which recognize the learning.
Thursday was the last day. In the morning, the volunteers were dedicated to imagine their lives after the EVS. Finally, they made the evaluation and report of the training.
In short, the training proved once again that it is a good place to share, learn and improve for volunteers. A basic tool to guide the tasks and objectives of voluntary service.
