My name is Rana, I am 19 years old, and I came to Orta Nova, Italy, as a short-term volunteer. Here, I do office work, help the organization, and create content for social media. This experience is special because it is different from other volunteer projects. I had the chance to join three different youth exchange projects: “Mindfulness Back to Life,” “Diversity of Music,” and “Spray it Away.” In the third project, we did graffiti, and all the projects focused on important topics like discrimination. These projects helped me learn a lot and see things in new ways.
This month was very busy, but also very fun. I met many people from different countries and learned new things at every cultural night event. Each event was a chance to explore a new culture. I tried new foods, learned some words in different languages, and shared stories with new friends.
At the same time, I experienced many personal realizations. I had the chance to understand myself better and realized the areas where I want to grow. Meeting people from different cultures helped me improve my empathy skills. The challenges I faced in daily life changed the way I think about solving problems. This experience taught me to be more open-minded and brave.
I am excited to see what the next month will bring!