During my student years I was actively involved in volunteer work, I volunteered at the Universiade (2013) and the Winter Olympics (2014). For a long time I dreamed of participating in an international volunteer camp. This spring I finally made up my mind and started researching how to get on a volunteer project. So I chose three projects in France, where they sent my application for participation. It was considered for two weeks (a very good time). As a result, having received all necessary documents, I applied for a Schengen visa and waited for the start of the project.
The project was scheduled for July 17 to 31. After getting tickets there for July 14, I set aside a few free days to go to Belgium and Paris, since my volunteer camp was in the suburbs of Lille.
After arriving in France 2 days before the project, the first thing I did was go to Brussels and walk around the city of Lille itself. On the morning of July 17, we had an appointment to meet all the volunteers and the camp leader in the square of the Lille train station to go to the volunteer camp together.
There were 8 of us volunteers, 2 girls from the Czech Republic, girls from Poland, Spain, Thailand, Mexico) and the camp leader (a guy from France).
About the work
The project was based in Emmaus France. This charity helps people in difficult life situations by providing accommodation, food, helping financially. It has its own store, canteen, living quarters, warehouses and a small plot with greenhouses and seedbeds on a small site. The organization spends all of its proceeds on maintenance and donations. For example, a person left on the street can apply to Emmaus France, where he will be interviewed and, based on his abilities, will find a suitable job within the “community”, provide housing and food. Such people are called “companions”, because they work for the benefit of the organization and help themselves as well. Also in this organization there are hired workers, they are mainly the director, accountants, in a word, the administrative staff.
In the summer period they invite volunteers to help and hold a volunteer camp for 2 weeks – where there are 3-4 visits with a break of 3-4 days in between. We were very respectful to both companions and employees, although almost all did not speak English well. In spite of that they always reached out to us.
Housing! The project description stated that the volunteers would live in rooms of 3 people, but in fact we were settled in separate rooms with showers.
About the schedule.
The day started at about 7 am, we washed, dressed and went to breakfast. At 8:00 we would get to work. Usually it was work at the second hand store. Although the store also sold new items (for example, furniture stores and electronics stores donate new items, but from “old collections” that were not in demand). The store worked on Wednesday and Saturday, and the rest of the days we were busy changing the display: setting up tables and new chairs, putting things on trays, etc.
A couple of days we worked in the vegetable garden. We dug potatoes and we weeded the bed. It was physically difficult for the girls, moving sofas and chairs and shoveling took a lot of energy. But in spite of the difficulties everyone was friendly and smiling, realizing how much help it brings to the organization. On Saturdays and Sundays we rested, usually walking in Lille, shopping. On one of our weekends we went to De Panne, a coastal town on the North Sea in Belgium, where we had a great day, and on the way back we visited the small town of Kassel.
A separate paragraph should be noted about our food. We were fed as if to death. The dining room was open from 7 to 20 and we could eat there anytime. For breakfast we usually had cereal with milk, fruit, eggs, and yogurt. Lunch was a buffet of different side dishes, cheeses, meats, shrimp, etc. Dinner consisted of the same dishes.
About the impressions.
That’s how we lived and helped the charity for about two weeks. During this project we had picnics where we talked about ourselves and our country. Thanks to this project we have all made new friends in different parts of the world, who at any time are ready to accept each other as honored guests. We continue to communicate even after the project, and we plan to meet again wherever our help is needed!