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> ANNA from Poland (2010-2011) >  
Youth in the Library in Tortosa
I'm Anna, an EVS volunteer from Poland. I work in the Library Marcel·lí Domingo. Why did I come to Tortosa? Well, in everybody's life, there is a critical moment when he or she wonders what should be the next step and how can you give more value to your life. EVS is a good opportunity to enrich your life and learn about other cultures, other languages, other people.
I have changed my life completely. Almost everything is differente: climate, culture, language. It's a big challenge and there are times when my life is really hard for me in Tortosa. But I'm doing important things and I help others, it is worth! I believe that the exchange between cultures contributes to create a better world. Education of children and young people participate in the construction of societies without prejudice, societies that promotes peace and integration. I love being part of this idea. Through my work with children (I do workshops and shows of tailes) I can help and educate future volunteers.

> CLAIRE from France (2010-2011) >  
Youth through the Art in Tortosa
  Bienvenido, benvingut, bienvenue, welcome in my world for a moment of reading.

I am from France and I did a volunteering with Obre't'ebre in Tortosa during 6 months. The general theme of this european volunteer service was “inclusion through art and culture”. The project was in three different organizations.

• Grain Art is an organization which helps people who had drug addiction issues or physical and pshycological discapacities. I participated to the production of the wood and paper products, workshops in a school and I invented educative games for the personal and social development inspired with art technics.

• Atzavara-Arrels is a non-gouvernemental organization which works on welcoming immigrants and helps them with inclusion in the local community. I was working on projects with children (5-12 years old) and young (12-18 years old), helping them with homework and organizing workshops of painting, pottery and expression.

• Abu Baker is an association teaching arab to children and young people. I organised plastic art workshops in order to find new ways to learn and also new activities.

• I organized painting workshops for the young people of the project “Arte total” directed by Davide, another european volunteer. The aim was to create with them a project around different types of art. At the end, they presented a play including theater, music and painting.

These activities were taking the majority of my time, which I shared with catalan classes. During my free time, I could visit Ebre's lands, discover the culture and history of Catalunya and Spain, develop a taste for painting and come back a little to a forever love: theater. The life in community with other volunteers allowed me to discover other cultures but most of all, it is a second family.

Finally, who can say that “no pasa nada en España”? (“No pasa nada” is an expression, often used, which means “it doesn't matter” but if you translate it litteraly, it can mean “nothing happens”).

In order to finish, here is a poem dedicated to all the great persons I had the chance to meet during this experience. (Catalonia is here refered as a land without any political meanings)

I've got Catalonia under my skin, it sticks me like a bright and merry shaddow.
I've got Catalonia in the heart, wraping my perceptions, senses and feelings.
I've got Catalonia in the head, it fills me with knowledge.
 
When the place of inspiration bind with the heart of intentions, everything is possible.
When the love of atmosphere combine with the love of environment, springs up the trust in the movement.
When the love of action get tangled up with the passion of senses, pop up the abundence of ideas.
When the love of encounters unite with the love of the persons, burst emotions.

Boiling creation,
thin skin feelings,
torrent of exchange in prose,
sharing experience,
hesitant and distant change.

I've got Catalonia under my skin, it sticks me like a transparent and violent shaddow.
I've got Catalonia in shared, in the heart and in the spirit, I feel it, I convey it.
I've got Catalonia in my blood, full of sincerity, overnight stays and beauty.

Ebre's lands, you invade me in this context.
I don't know where to say I come back and I return.
Tortosa, I've anchored you in me forever, no matter where I will be.

> PEP in Greece (2009-2010) >
Development of tourism and animation of Youth in Prespa
Traduced extracts of emails that Pep sent to obre't'ebre

Monday 28^th of September 2009
Hello the Tortosins!!!! Sorry for the delay, but I don't connect to Internet often and I'm still adapting myself [....]. Imagine villages very isolated, multiply by 100 and you still won't know how far is Prespa from everything!!! It's amazing!!!
Well, after 10 days, I already can explain a few things about these villages that lives like 100 years ago (or more)... cows, chickens, dogs, cats... all free in the streets!! One day I even saw a horse running alone in the streets. Worried, I told it to a friend that laugh a lot, telling me that it was normal, that his master was staying in the bar and sent his horse back alone to the stable... You see ?

I live in a (very) old farm, very nice, with a plot with a garden and sofas "chill out", a warehouse for the wood (i'm already tired of it and winter haven't started yet) and a balcony with a view to the lake. It's impressing!! But very old! Imagine that to have a shower, I have to cut wood, make fire (I always last more than an hour) and wait for the water to heat ... I live with an Albanian, a Polish and a Czech girls and a French guy. [...]. in another house are living the other five volunteers. Every night we eat together and make a few games, as we don't have TV, and we laugh a lot. So that's it! The house very cool, and the people as well.
I work in an office at 4 km of the house, in another village. First I was ashamed as I didn't speak a word of Greek, but now, every time I go and come back from the office is hitch hiking, and they used to stop (especially if you are with a girl...). In the office, I prepare games for children. This weekend I prepared a gymkhana and next week I'll begin to do sportive extra scholar activities. We work quite a few hours...hahaha
By the way, after the gymkhana, the coordinator gave me a small telling off, laughing, as she told me that I will be the first volunteer that works with the children without learning a world of Greek, but at the contrary, the children all learned a few words in Spanish, as they were all shouting in the bus by the way back “crazy crazy craziest!!” It was so funny... and moreover, I always speak them in Spanish, as they don't understand me in English, and it's a lot easier for me like this... hahaha
But really it's all going well with the staff, they like me...hahaha
In English perfect (I was so worried) but in Greek, it's incredible how hard it is! I'll do what I can... The 5^th I'll go to the Seminar [Arrival training] in Athens, 5 days, 57 persons... [...]
Well, I'll explain you all my little stories. I let you now as I have to go back home, cut wood, heat the water ...
Kisses, Pep
PD: Thanks from all my heart for helping me to make reality this small dream... I'm in the sky!!


Tuesday 10^th of November 2009
Kalimera!!! Ti kanis Malakas???
As you can see, I'm making my first steps in Greek, even if I won't traduce it... hahaha. These Greeks are crazy! It's so hard to study "elenika": they change letters from capital letters to minuscules (M is i ), the sounds (here a R is P, a I is N...), they group two letters and that make change their sound..bufff!!! I declare writing as impossible (for the I, they have 6 different forms), but for speaking, I can get by on, especially in he bar, with a few beers...
About English, it's half on control... even if the pronunciation is very Spanish Spanish...
Two weeks ago I went to Athens [...] in a seminar with all the volunteers of Greece!! Imagine 65 persons, from 15 different countries... [...] The conversations, the workshops, the films, … were great, but the best was the cohabitation, imagine the different mentalities and points of view... and the craziest, as always, the Spanish!! ..we made a goof every night... There, every volunteers had an envelope on his room door and people could leave anonymous messages (like the invisible friend). [...]
Here in Prespa, cold is threatening!!! The other day, I woke up because I was so cold, We had 3ºC in the room!!! [...]
On the other hand, in the bar, I've been consecrated preferred son. Now I don't pay nothing any more... food, beers, cocktails... for free!! The employer come to take at home and bring me back at the end, unbelievable!! I just have to drink and to enjoy!!! [...]
This weekend I went to Thessaloniki, with other volunteers... Saturday night there was a student party at the university... all for free!! The political parties pay everything so that they are voted for later!! Olé!!!
By the way, the way back from Thessaloniki was hitch hiking... the guy that took me back paied me the diner and brought me home... I really had a very good day, and I think that him as well. Because here they never stop for nobody (including me)?? I go everywhere hitch hiking, they enjoy the company, and me as well!!!
Well friends, I'll stop here because I still haven't started to work.
filakis pu filos!!!!! (don't look for these words because they are phonetics, I told you it's impossible to write!)
Pep

> UMRAN from Turkey (2009-2010) >
Projecte obre't'ebre Intercultural (Istambul-Turquia >Tortosa-Catalunya)

 

This is the story of a volunteer. It's a beautiful story. It is a story of an adventure she will never forget. One day a girl was looking for something new in her life. She wanted a new and happy adventure. She founds a miracle when she discovered the European Voluntary Service, of the Youth in Action program. She met the youth association obre't'ebre that would become her second family. In obre't'ebre she made many things for children and young people. She worked on a project called aula camp i taula (classroom, field and table). She made workshops in schools to teach children from the Ebro countries what is organic farming.
	She also helped a group of young people in Tortosa in their Migration Theatre Project. She participated in a bollywood short film recording and made a great dance! She also taught Turkish dance courses, dance and rhythm workshops. She had a very good time. Se also worked in the social organization Atzavara-Arrels. She made workshops and games for the users and the children in risk of social exclusion. She helped the monitors. She also had a great and happy time she will never forget in her life.
The girl was called Umran and she was Turkish. She lived in Tortosa and worked in Atzavara-arrels and obre't'ebre as a volunteer for 9 months. She had fun and learned a lot during the EVS. When the volunteering project ended, she was very sad because she didn't want to leave Tortosa. She didn't want to leave her friends, but she knew she was leaving with many unforgettable memories. She also knows she did something good for all the children, the youth and for the rural development. In this case she ended her volunteering project in peace and happiness. Umran Erol Blog in Turkish of Umran Blog in English of Umran! The video clip with my photos Video of my project

> LAURA in Slovenia (2008-2009)  >

After finishing my studies, I wanted to go out, to travel through Europe, learn new languages, all in all, to have a new experience. I discovered EVS and I thought it would be a very good opportunity. I got in touch with obre't'ebre and they immediately explained me all I had to know to do an EVS. They helped me and supported me in the beginning, but also during my stay.

After a long search, I found in Slovenia a project that sounds suitable to me. I worked in a centre that hosts children as a monitor. It's a fantastic adventure to be able to pass time with children from am other country, make efforts to communicate, to understand a new way to do things, to work, ... I lived with three other volunteers, with whom we shared experiences, parties, travels, and many more things. I improved my English and I learned a bit of Sloven. I learned to be more independent, more responsible, more tolerant and patient. I would recommend EVS to everybody, it's an extraordinary experience.

> RUQAYA from Wales (2008 ) >
Project obre't'ebre Intercultural with Atzavara-Arrels and Youth Red Cross

Intercultural Games of twinned cities I'm Ruqaya, from Wales and I was a volunteer in Tortosa, Catalonia-Spain. To be honest, almost nothing has turned out to be as I expected! This isn't a bad thing; it just makes the whole experience a bit more of an adventure. My experience so far has been really interesting culturally, socially and personally.

Firstly, Tortosa is wonderfully multicultural; I found myself making friends with people from all over the world. I can't pretend that I didn't sense tension between the different communities here, but I found hope in the organisations that I worked for. All the work that they do is community-orientated and highlights, whether intentionally or not, solidarity. The EVS is a great opportunity to be true to the essence of volunteering. Here, you can give something to the community without having to spend money to do it, and expecting nothing more in return. The fact is, however, you will get a lot in return, and it is important to appreciate this.

Welcome party with obre't'ebre, Atzavara-Arrels and Red Cross Youth Tortosa I personally had the chance to help affect a community, to organise events, to influence people with my opinion and to learn not only one, but two foreign languages. All in all, this is an experience to be cherished!

> MERCE in Costa Rica (2007)  >

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> LISA from Austria (2007): >  
Project obre't'ebre Intercultural with Youth Red Cross in Tortosa
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> PAULA from Finland (2006)   > 

The first couple of weeks I just mainly listened and observed to get to know the host organization and how things work in here. In the mornings I worked in the office of obre’t’ebre, helping Susana for organizing events and informing youngsters for different possibilities to go abroad. At the afternoons I worked in San Francesc Center, which is a place for children who come there after school. I organized different workshops, for example English lessons about multiculturality and solidarity and also environmental art workshop.

But working is only one part of this experience. Big part of the project is to learn the language and also the integration in the society and the culture. But Spain, Catalonia, Tortosa is really different than Finland. And there are these little, everyday habits which are different. For example when we meet someone in Finland we shake hands and here you give kisses. In Finland we keep our personal distance quite long.

When I came here I was a bit overwhelmed to see so many people in this small area. I felt like I didn’t have any air to breath or space for my own. But I get used to this also. It’s amazing how fast you adjust yourself to different things, different timetables and different way of living. I guess that is what you call integration... Something about people? I have been confronting such generosity and open minded. In general people have been really helpful and warm-hearted.

> MARTA in Italy (2006)  >

My EVS took place at Pordenone, en Italy. During 9 months, I was in a center for persons with deep or very deep handicap. At the beginning, I had a strange sensation, because there were more European volunteers, thus a part from learning Italian, I had to make a big effort to communicate with the others in English. It’s not easy to learn and to work in a profession that’s not yours and that you never learned. In my case, it was totally different to what I’ve done before, even if I have volunteered in many things before. The first month, I wanted to go back home, but slowly, I had the chance to integrate completely in the center, with the workers, with the boys… At the end, it was very different, because I didn’t want to go away. I think it’s a very positive experience that changes your life and your way of looking at things. You know a very different culture and learn from what brings you the other volunteers. I always recommend such experience, and I have the opportunity, because I participate to the talks about volunteering and other activities that organizes obre’t’ebre.

> NIKI from Bèlgica (2005-2006): >  
Project obre't'ebre Intercultural with Centre Obert San Francesc
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> ORIOL in France (2005–2006)  > 

Why realizing a European Voluntary Service (EVS)? Then… to break routine and to change of air, to discover a new culture and to increase your horizons, to learn or improve a language, to have a new professional experience, to know better what is called Europe, to break topics, to fight against generalizations that simplify reality, to mature and to grow inside… you still want more reasons? When I finished my university studies, I began to consider the possibility of living a long time abroad. I was attracted by the possibility to know a different culture, to raise a personal challenge, to share and learn from other European youngsters… When from obre’t’ebre they proposed me to do a EVS, I did not think about it twice!

My project in Le Puy-en-Velay? To stimulate the exchanges and the international mobility, to organize talks in schools to present the European Youth Policies, to collaborate in the emissions that the local radios dedicate to the European information, to start up the news bulletin of the Youth Information Point, to edit a video reportage about my experience and the experiences of youngsters of Le Puy-en-Velay who participated in a EVS … It seems interesting, no?
> CECILE from France (2004-2005)  > 

When I finished my studies of computing, I only had a wish: realize a volunteer project during a year in another country. I discovered the EVS on Internet and I decided myself for the country: Spain. After a few months of projects research and papers for the program, I could begin my 6 months project in the Natural Reserve of Riet Vell. It’s a project of SEO/BirdLife (Spanish Society of Ornithology) of biologic rice culture, environment protection, scientific researches and environmental education.

More than meeting very interesting people, coming form all over the world and learn Spanish and a bit of Catalan, I learned a lot about plants, birds, aquatic fauna, biologic agriculture, wood furniture construction… and a lot more interesting things! This experience represent for me a big change in my life, as it opened a lots of doors to new careers that I begun here. I worked for an autochthon plants greenhouse and now I work with obre’t’ebre, in order to give the same opportunity to many other youngsters!

> LLUIS in Italy (2002-2003)   > 

What are doing a girl from London, a girl from Alsace (France) and a guy from El Pinell de Brai in the Italian Alps? Develop an artistic project and live a fantastic personal experience. The volunteer’s projects abroad open your mind to other horizons, and break your umbilical cord to your family. You change mentality and discover other ways to think and understand the world. I always keep my story in a photo album that I don’t get bored looking at. I’ve bettered my skills in cooking; now I cook nearly only pasta!

> SUSANA in Wales (2002)   >
I’ve realized my EVS in a social project with kids and youngsters, called Valley Kids, in a small village in the South of Wales, near Cardiff. I lived in a small house that was a former train station… Every day I took the train until Trefforest where was the centre. It has been an unforgettable experience that I would live again! When I finished my project, the European Commission gave me the opportunity to participate in a following project: the Future Capital. Given the few information in rural areas about the opportunities for youngsters, I thought convenient to create a youth association in this direction. The main objective of this project has been to promote the EVS and help motivated youngsters to realize one. Nowadays, this project is called obre’t’ebre, and it has grown a lot!

> DAVID in Wales (2001-2002) >
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> BELINDA in Italy (2001) >
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> MARIBEL in Germany (2000)  >
I’ve been given the opportunity to realize my EVS in Germany, concretely in Stuttgart. My project was in an organization that was working in international youth activities, in different fields. The main activity was in a youth residence, where I collaborated in the activity running. I’ve been able to improve my German, make new friends and live an unforgettable experience. If it were possible, I would stop the time and stay in this marvellous year of my life. From the organization, they sent me to Russia, France and many other countries. Finally, I would recommend to everybody not to lose such opportunity.