Our first ESC project by Volunteering Teams has just ended, and it was a real pleasure for us to support the National Festival Il giullare, theater against all barriers, which the Social Promotion and Solidarity ONLUS Association of Trani (BT) puts on. in the field since 2008.
We have selected for them, thanks to the European Solidarity Corps, 12 volunteers, Italians and foreigners who this year have chosen to dedicate a month of their life to the #festivalilgiullare XIV Edition, and today we are here to share with you some thoughts left by those who he lived these 35 days with us.
JoseDa: For me, describing a one month volunteering experience is kind of difficult, however, it is impossible not to highlighted how this volunteering project can influence your life. It can show you; your capacity to adapt to new situations, learn new values, work with people with disabilities and see how capable and great they are, enjoy the little moments at work and in your free time, and specially have the possibility to share this experience with strangers that now I can consider my friends. At the end, as I said at first, when Fabiola asked me, which word describe what we could expected from this project, my word was emotions, and I was right, because this word resume everything and makes us even greater human beings.
Clea: The experience of the jester was for me: everyday life and simplicity. Thanks to the guys I learned that simple things are the truest; that everyone can make mistakes, it is enough to know how to remedy; and that being different is anything but an obstacle.
I think that is why in a short time the Jobel has become such a part of my life. It has been a profoundly rich and intense month … they may seem clichés but they are not: dedicating part of my summer to this was a choice that changed me.
And then there is another element: the contribution of the Erasmus students. I think they had incredible courage to leave and have a service experience without even knowing the language. Seeing their enthusiasm was truly inspiring. You are never too young to try to make this world a better place.
Stefania: This photo represents what the “Il Giullare” festival was for me! This experience changes you, it gives you the possibility to understand that despite everything you can break down every barrier. It is a project aimed at promoting what is social inclusion, able to open our eyes by making those beautiful diversities shine that make all of us unique.
In this month I grew up, in this month I changed, in this month I met beautiful people of whom I will always have a wonderful memory.
Not only did I discover and witness the fight against every barrier, but I was the first to break down some of them, also thanks to the contribution of the Erasmus students who helped me to get involved, to put aside my linguistic insecurities, but not only did they also teach me that despite the linguistic difficulties, everything can be done if you want.
I grew up always hearing the phrase: “Leave the place better than how you found it”, here I don’t know if I left the Jobel Center better than it was initially, but I know that all the guests, all the operators, all the staff of the inn, my fellow adventurers, have made me a better person.
Alessandro: For the first time in my life I took part in a volunteer project. The idea had been in my head for a long time, but this year thanks to Fabiola and Savino I learned about
ESC project “Festival del Giullare”. It was an enlightening project and
instructive, because I learned things I didn’t know how to do before. Furthermore, this project also gave me something else that I didn’t think I could have in such a short time: friends. In fact, thanks to this project, I now have 11 new friends, including 4 foreigners (which I never could have imagined), who are like family to me.
Silvia: At the end of this experience I can say that I am satisfied with how it went. I met many people, young people with different cultures and languages who have enriched me. The activities were interesting and engaging which allowed me to always test myself!
Laila: In my opinion, the experience was amazing for many reasons. Principally, I would like to highlight the enrichment in empathy, values, personal growing and non formal education that this volunteering has provided us. Concretely, in the fields of culture, equality and friendship.
In the cultural area, in one hand, the Festival allowed us to assist and enjoy different cultural events as cooking demonstrations, theatre spectacles, concerts, book presentations… In the other hand, the organization of international volunteers, that has been done by Petit Pas Aps, permited us to share and connect closely with the Italian, German and Spanish cultures.
In the equality area, Il Giullare was focused on the visibility and awareness of people with disabilities through promoting and showing their cultural and art talent. One of the great slogans that defined the festival was “See the able not the label”
In my view, we also could experiment equality working in the different events with people of different backgrounds. I think this allowed me to gain empathy and connect closely with different collectives, societies and cultures.
In the friendship area, we lived experiences for one month with 12 volunteers, the workers and our tutors of Petit Pas Aps , the workers and interns of Centro Jobel and the team of La Locanda. We worked together, travelled together, enjoyed free time together and have fun and emotional times together. I consider that this helped us create some strong deep relations between us.
In conclusion, I believe this is a spectacular multicultural experience that enriches people in open our minds, know very nice people, values, empathy, non formal education … that helps us grow professionally and personally.
Paula: Petit Pas has changed my life. For days I tried to define in a single sentence what this volunteering had meant to me, without a doubt, and after much reflection I can define it with the sentence that begins this text.
I have grown as a person because I have been in contact with people who have opened my eyes. The sensitivity, in addition to all the smiles and laughter I have received from all the volunteers, has made me appreciate much more the small moments, the day-to-day life outside a screen. Seeing hard-working people, constant and supportive, faithful to their principles and willing to improve the lives of people with disabilities has enriched my heart.
During this month I have seen motivated young people, striving every day to do better, friendships that have been created in the most magical and natural way possible. We have created memories that will always remain in the streets of Trani.
It has given me discipline, dedication and perseverance. Now I am clear about what I want to do with my future, the things I want to change in my present and the things I leave closed from my past. Because through “small steps” the world is changed, and that is my mission in it.
Thank you for everything. I will always be grateful to you.
….and with this video, made for us by JoseDa, we thank all the 12 volunteers who participated in our project: Marco, Daniele, Francesco, Silvia, Valentin, Alessandro, Clea, Stefania, Laila, Paula, JoseDa and Marika making these 35 special days, and the Social Promotion and Solidarity ONLUS Association of Trani (BT), which opened the doors of the Festival to us!
Petit Pas Aps team
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