I am already halfway in my 3-month European Voluntary Service here in Braga, in the north of Portugal with my host organization, SYnergia. What made this first half exciting is the opportunity to celebrate and be part of the 20 years of EVS.
I was selected as one of the participants for the 20 Years EVS Camp spearheaded by Casa da Juventude de Amarante. It was a four-day camp held in the town of Amarante from July 28 to 31 and gathered 50 EVS volunteers from all over Portugal. The HÁ FEST (Youth Amarante Festival) also coincided with the camp so we got loads of fun from the event; and merchandise too.
Our first day was all about knowing each other and sharing a little bit of ourselves. Well, I always get the same reaction whenever I say I am from the Philippines – “wow, too far.” But despite the huge distance between Portugal and the Philippines, I never felt any gap from my colleagues during the whole camp.
On our first night, we had a sunset party at Vila Mea, and the getting-to-know-each-other part continued. The next day, despite the night’s hangover, we all had to wake up early for the 20 Years EVS Walk, a 10 kilometer walk from Vila Mea to Amarante under the scorching heat of the sun. Yet, we all survived.
On that day, a circus juggling workshop was also held but most of us just decided to take the afternoon rest. That night, we were treated with dishes from Armenia, Georgia, Slovenia, Macedonia, and of course Portugal prepared by the participants of TOUCH project also coordinated by CJ Amarante. It was an experience for me since it was my first time to try most of those dishes, with names I could not even remember.
After our heavy dinner, most of us had some drinks before finding our way to our camping site. We camped at Vila Mea on our first night and stayed at Amarante Camping Site until our last day. The Amarante camp site was near the river so it was really cold during nighttime, especially for someone like me who live in the tropics. But just like always, we don’t mind for we got loads of fun.
Another memorable activity on that camp is our golf experience at Amarante Golf Course on our third day. It was my first time to actually try the sport. It looks so easy, but hitting the tiny ball is actually a struggle. But after few tries, I was able to hit the 50 meter target, sometimes beyond.
We also participated in CJ Amarante’s Before I Die project. On a wall, we wrote the things that we wanted to do before our last breath. Well, before I die, I wanted to travel the world, live with purpose and go back to my home country.
On that day also, Miguel Pinto, the head of CJ Amarante shared their works and how the organization started and survived through time. I personally admire how they managed CJ Amarante and its resources, which gave me inspiration on how to start a personal project back home which has been stalled for so long.
After the CJ Amarante project presentation, we also had a chance to share our insights and questions during a seminar about volunteering and youth participation with representatives from the National Agency for the Erasmus+ programme in Portugal as well as with one of Amarante’s council members.
Following the serious discussion, we decided to have a good scream. Well, at least on a bungee jump activity. Being suspended on the air for a few minutes was scary, but the view of Amarante’s center is still worth the experience.
There was a concert that evening too so most of us stayed for some drinks, again. But each bottle was coupled with stories about our experiences and our plans for the future.
The last day though is my favorite, probably of everyone, for we experienced Portugal’s natural beauty. We went to Alvão Natural Park, a protected area. The journey along the mountain itself is amazing. Then we trekked our way going to Fisgas do Ermelo, a lagoon in a mountain. Yeah, how cool is that right?!
After a cooling dip at the lagoon, we had another long trek but were rewarded with a loaded lunch. While having our siesta time, some of us were interviewed for a video about our EVS experience. I also decided to share my thoughts so I hope I would see my face on the final video, haha!
That day, we also witnessed the Volta a Portugal, a long distance road bicycle race for professionals. And since I love cycling, I totally enjoyed seeing a couple of bikers a few meters away from us, except the part where one of the bikers hit a rock and fell off his in front of us.
After that long day, we all again gathered and shared our thoughts during the whole camp. For me, it was the most amazing part of my EVS so far for it is where I have met more friends. Since there were only Turkish volunteers and one other Filipino at SYnergia, I really felt more cultural interaction during the camp.
The camp also opened more doors for me, literally, since everyone is now open to host anyone. I now felt more at home in Portugal for I know that I have friends in other parts of this country. I actually already had a sleepover in Porto with some friends from the camp.
The camp also enabled me to realize more the value of EVS for each one of us. We all have different backgrounds in life – students, young professionals, travelers, dreamers. Yet, we all share the same goal for taking this EVS journey — to discover ourselves and our own capacities; to become better versions of ourselves; to make our stay in Portugal worthwhile and meaningful. *
~Karen, Filipino volunteer in Portugal