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Hi, my name is Mesi Dobos, 24 years old girl, from Budapest, Hungary. I did my one year long volunteering project in Valencia. In the following I would like to share with you why I chose this, what I did there and what I learnt but mostly why I highly recommend for all to do something similar.
During my university years I had the chance to spend a semester in Barcelona with the Erasmus program. It was an amazing, life changing time for me and undoubtedly I fell in love with the culture of Spain. After this semester I went home to finish my studies and started to look for other options to return. I knew I wanted to experience something different, I wanted to do something meaningful, where I can help and besides that I would be able to learn and develop in different areas of my life. It is hard to believe how time flies so fast. I remember very clearly when I got the email that my receiving organization, APTC accepted my application. I started to have happy tears in my eyes at that moment and I couldn’t believe the reality until I set foot in the beautiful Valencia.
In my organization, APTC I worked five days per week. We worked with kids who have disabilities, we were assisting during the horse therapy sessions, helping the therapist to be able to focus on the kids. It is hard to list what this job taught me, I learnt to be more patient, I can see more clearly how all of them have their unique strengths and I appreciate more diversity in our society.
One of the best parts of this journey was that I was able to share it with two other volunteers, whom I not only worked with but also we lived together. We started our path as strangers and now I think of them as my sisters. During this year I got the opportunity to travel around in Spain. As I traveled and soaked in its rich history and diverse landscapes, I found myself not only discovering new places but also rediscovering parts of myself. It was a journey of self-discovery and self-care, as I learned to prioritize my well-being and embrace the beauty of living in the present moment. I am unable to describe how grateful I am for this year, for all the people who were part of, all the joyful and hard moments which developed me in many ways.
To anyone considering volunteering abroad, I offer this recommendation: seize the opportunity with both hands. Embrace the unknown, immerse yourself fully in the experience, and allow yourself to be transformed in ways you never thought possible. I went to Valencia not knowing the city, neither the language, neither the people and I returned back as person who has two homes now in this world in Budapest and in Valencia, I learnt the language, I made lifelong friendships and I returned back as a person enriched by the countless experiences and memories that will forever shape me.
Hosting organisation:
Hosting organisation:
APTC is a non-profit organisation funded in 2007. In APTC activities are developed with boys and girls with functional diversity with the aim of increasing their autonomy staff and improve their skills. All our intervention is done from an inclusive point of view fighting for and to achieve the full inclusion of our users. We carry out therapies accompanied by horses working on aspects of physiotherapy, speech therapy, ocupational therapy or neuropsychology, For these sessions with kids we have a monitor equestrian, a therapy and the support figure, who is usually a volunteer.
Horse-assisted therapies for children with disabilities volunteering project
Date: February 2023 - February 2024
Volunteer: Emese Dobos
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