Gitta's long term volunteering in Germany

Hi my name is Gitta and I participated in a long term project in Germany. I’m 25 years old and I followed my dreams to Germany which included living in Berlin. I didn’t exactly live in Berlin but Potsdam is very close and beautiful city with a cute vibe. So everything was additional to my happiness but life is full of challenges and surprises so at the end of my project I was happy to return to Hungary.

My project was about working in a Kita and help with their everyday tasks and taking care of the children. During my one year I worked with every age group from 2 to 6. I’m glad that I could have a look in every group but I enjoyed the most the 2 years olds group and luckily I could spend around 6-7 months with them. It took a little time until the children approved me but after a few month passed we became a close-knit group. Working with children is very exhausting but it gives also joy.

My everyday life in Germany

In Potsdam we had a fully equipped apartment with a very good location. I had 4 roommates which was too intense sometimes but most of the time it was very good because something always happened around me and we became really good friends. I’m very gald that I met with a lot of amazing people and I can say that I made deep connections and hopefully life long friendships. This year made me more tough and now I can handle difficult situations better and also my conflict management skills have improved. 

I always felt secure because my coordinator was very reliable and she cared about my well-being. 

Outcomes

One of the purposes of this year for me was finding myself and set up some goals for the future and I’m satisfied with the outcomes. Since I’m in Budapest again I spend more time with my family than before my volunteering year. This year taught me and made me realize that I miss them when they are not around even though I was never a family-oriented person. 

For sure it wasn’t my last experience living abroad and also not the last volunteering project. I will find a way to engage in volunteering work, and now I have a new dream destination to strive for, where I want to live. I’m super thankful for my sending and host organization, everyone was kind and helpful and I highly recommend the volunteering experience to everyone who is ready to have an amazing year or just a few months abroad.