Written by: Klajdi Kaziu
Role: Volunteer, part of the European Solidarity Corps programme of the European Union
ENG:
It was an Easter holiday, when I departed Albania, to start a new volunteering experience as a youth worker here in Tartu. After a few years of intensive work in democratization and peacebuilding in my country, I decided to take a break, change the environment, and reflect on my future goals. As cliche as it might sound, shifting the surrounding context may help you turn the tables, and think from a different perspective. At least, that was my expectation.
Throughout the past few months, I have joined my colleagues at Tartu Youth Work Center, whereby I got to experience Estonia’s best practices in youth activism, networking and community building. Back home, in Albania, youth work remains an underdeveloped field, hence youth workers are still advocating to have their profession officially recognized. There is very little public institutional support for the sector, thus making it highly dependent on NGOs project, and volunteering resources. Such a context limits the visibility of youth work and its spillover benefits towards youngsters’ development, thus societal understanding and investment in the field remains low.
By contrast, here in Tartu, I managed to see first-hand how working with and for young people can deliver change. Either working with disabled youth, or people from cultural and linguistic minorities, through providing them with a safe space for communication, social interaction and capacity building, we can help them explore new skills, ideas, and life perspectives. In Estonia, youth work is all about enabling resources and space for the youngsters to experiment and learn, rather than imposing restrictive frameworks. Starting with cooking classes, nature workshops, painting, planting, board gaming and discussion groups, Estonians invest in developing a free, inclusive, yet diverse generation, whereby each individual skill is cherished.
By contrast to my earlier experiences, here I learned how gamification can help advance youth non-formal and informal education. Although challenging, and new for me, I managed to adapt to such working practices. On a personal level, these approaches helped me develop intercultural and multilingual working skills, as well as, facilitation techniques and strategic patience, which stand at the foundations of youth work. Coming from a mediterranean country, where patience constitutes a rarely found feature, I am quite happy to be on the right path towards enduring restraint.
Jokes aside, these past few months have helped me find a better work-life balance, allowing me to reflect on what I like and dislike about my country. Indeed, traveling and experiencing different cultures and lifestyles teaches you to appreciate your own background and traditions. A sunny, warm Mediterranean climate and cuisine are my biggest pride. On reverse, I have simultaneously gotten attached to the structured, yet relaxed lifestyle of Estonians, who somehow manage to find space for their work, sports, socializing as well as snow removal within a single day! I would argue their “Midnight Sun” during summer months is to be blamed.
To conclude, thinking of my past months, I am grateful to be taking my chances in this new and truly amazing country. Kudos to the EU and it’s Solidarity Corps programme that allows young people, like me, in search of myself, my goals, and my talents, to be mobile, exchange, develop, and finally contribute back to our communities!
ENG:
It was Easter when I left Albania to start a new volunteering experience in Tartu, stepping into the shoes of a youth worker. After several years of intensive work in democracy and peacebuilding in my home country, I decided to take a break, change my environment, and reflect on my future goals. As cliché as it may sound, changing your surroundings can help turn your life around and think from a different perspective. At least, that was my expectation.
Over the past couple of months, I have met and worked with my colleagues at the Tartu Youth Work Centre, and here I have been able to experience Estonia's best practices in youth active participation, networking, and community building. In my home country, Albania, youth work is still an underdeveloped field, which is why youth workers there have to advocate for their work to be officially recognized. In Albania, there is very little state support for youth work, making it highly dependent on projects from various organizations. This limits the visibility of youth work and its benefits for youth development, resulting in low public understanding and investment in this field.
In Tartu, I have had the opportunity to experience firsthand how working with and for young people can bring about change. By working with special and at-risk youth, or individuals from cultural and linguistic minorities, and by offering them a safe space for interaction and social engagement, we can help them develop new skills, ideas, and perspectives on life. In Estonia, youth work primarily means providing young people with resources and space for experimentation and learning, rather than creating a restrictive framework. This ranges from cooking classes, nature workshops, painting, planting, and board games to discussion groups. In this way, Estonians contribute to the development of a free, inclusive, and diverse generation where each young person's individual skills are valued.
Contrary to my previous experiences, I have learned here how playfulness can help promote non-formal and informal education for young people. Although it has been a challenge and a new experience for me, I managed to adapt to such working methods. On a personal level, these approaches have helped me develop intercultural and multilingual work skills, as well as the human patience that is fundamental to youth work. Coming from a Mediterranean country where patience is a rare quality, I am quite happy to be moving towards it.
Jokes aside, the skills learned in recent months have helped me find a better balance between work and private life. This has allowed me to reflect on what I like and dislike about my own country. Indeed, traveling and experiencing different cultures and lifestyles has taught me to appreciate my background and traditions. The sunny and warm Mediterranean climate and the country's cuisine are my greatest pride. On the other hand, I am fond of the structured yet relaxed lifestyle of Estonians. They somehow manage to find time in one day for work, sports, socializing, and even snow removal! I argue that their summer “Midnight Sun” is to blame for this.
In conclusion, reflecting on my past months, I am grateful that I took the opportunity in such a new and truly amazing country. Kudos to the EU and the European Solidarity Corps program, which enables young people like me, who are searching for themselves, their goals, and skills. Young people have the opportunity to move, experience, develop, and finally share what they have experienced and learned in their own communities!
