Volunteering in Vienna with children

I volunteered at Kindergruppe Giraffenland between September 2023 and June 2024. The chores that I did included supervising the kids, participate in

programs, as well as in trips. I also helped in the kitchen, and with the

cleaning.

One of the many things that I learned was how patient I can be and also how nice it is to not just learn about other cultures but finally meet them in person.

I was amazed how at such young age all of the kids have their own

interests and their strong little personalities. I experienced understanding and love from the children, and also from co-workers.

There was a pretty special moment when I recognized myself in one of the kids, who is exactly how I was as a child. It was nice to see myself after all these years from the outside.

In the period before the volunteering I had my doubts about how I’m

going to cope with all these new situations by myself, from the big trip, to doing my tasks in a foreign language, but everything worked out just fine.

The message that I would like to pass onto the next participants is: be

open-minded, don’t miss out on the fun activities, and pay attention to the children’s non-verbal communication as well.

These past few months living in Austria were really significant for me, as I came to understand myself more, therefore I’ve got answers to some of my questions. I love the country, just as much as I love Vienna. It’s colorful and exciting, but also calm enough and safe at the same time. What the best thing was about my Europian Solidarity Corps volunteering is probably how much I’ve learned about the children, myself, the city and the friends that I have now.