I cannot stress enough the benefits of volunteering opportunities. I will always recommend and encourage other young individuals to take advantage of volunteering programs and initiatives, whether it be short or long term. Such opportunities allow for anyone to explore their skills and interests.
One can learn to adapt to other cultures. One can learn to face unexpected challenges. One can always learn the ups and downs of working with vastly different individuals from vastly different backgrounds. I did not hesitate to take my opportunity as it came. In short, I would describe my experience as a challenging and demanding yet fruitful and rewarding period of personal development.
About my project, I volunteered for 9 months in the capital of Greece, Athens. A vibrant community with endless attractions and sightseeing opportunities. I was primarily involved in fundraising and managing coding classes. I would say I improved my problem-solving skills the most, having applied and developed them through tackling cultural and logistical challenges.
Of course, any individual is forced to assume nothing and expect anything when moving to a new country on a long-term basis. At least this is the mindset I have developed before my experience in Greece and further strengthened after leaving Greece. The most positive asset of my experience were the few fellow volunteers and interns at my receiving organization. For the short time I was in Greece, I had many memorable moments and built wonderful friendships with them. They were the highlights of my time in Greece. It was unfortunate that the pandemic occurred amid my experience, but I took it positively: working remotely for the most part was rather peaceful and productive.
