Two-month volunteering in Beja, focused on NGO management and pedagogy

During our second month of volunteering, we concluded our work at Patronato school with a final show featuring traditional dances from our home countries. We performed a mix of French, Polish, Portuguese, Hungarian, and Spanish songs for both the children and the seniors.

Following this project, we began preparations for the "EU You Go" event in Ferreira. Our tasks included organizing the dining arrangements and setting up sleeping accommodations for each participant. This process took about a week due to limited transportation, requiring multiple trips between Beja and Ferreira to gather all necessary supplies.

In Ferreira, we set up beds in a school and organized the kitchen. Over the 10 days of the event, we followed various work schedules, assisting with breakfast, coffee breaks, lunch, and dinner, each of us taking on two shifts per day. 

During our free time, we participated in workshops with the attendees. I chose an arts workshop, where we expressed ourselves creatively and discussed mental health, the theme of the year. For the final presentation in Ferreira, each workshop group—music, dance, theater, and arts—prepared a show for the community, which was held in the town's main park. 

After the presentation, we packed and cleaned the sleeping and kitchen areas to transport everything back to Beja.

In the last week of August, we worked at an English Summer Camp from 9 AM to 5 PM, engaging in activities such as cooking, games, conversation, and various skill-building exercises. We learned a lot from the two teachers who specialized in teaching English to Portuguese children aged 7 to 11.

This summer camp was a wonderful experience. Although we only spent a week with the children, we got to know them and learned a lot from them.

In the final days of the project, we completed some paperwork, ensured everyone received travel reimbursements, and enjoyed a farewell dinner with the whole group.

Hosting organisation:

The main objectives of Associacao Check-IN are to promote lifelong learning opportunities, encourage young people to be active citizens and participate in local community life, encourage social integration and inclusion and education for sustainable development. In addition, the organisation pays special attention to young people who have difficulty accessing information due to their geographical location, social and economic status or personal situation. For this reason, Check-In has been involved in urban areas and in setting up local projects in sensitive neighbourhoods.