For my first-ever volunteering program with the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), I chose to go to Kryoneri a small village of around 700 inhabitants in the Peloponnese region of Greece. The two-month program was filled with incredible people, meaningful projects, and a lot of sunshine.
I arrived at the beginning of May, right as the Act Green group started, which was a short-term project with about 17 young people from Spain, Italy, Czechia, Slovakia, and Georgia. Their mission was to clean and restore hiking paths around the village, and I was part of this as a supporting long-term volunteer. After a few days of introductions and settling in, we got familiar with the tools and the hiking routes we would be working on. Every day, we spent time outdoors, under the sun and in nature. I truly enjoyed this part even though I wasn’t used to physical work like that, it was a great opportunity to step out of my comfort zone.
The Act Green group stayed for three weeks, during which we also managed to visit Athens and Patras on the weekends. As amazing as that time was, it was bittersweet when the group left.
In the following weeks, there weren’t many short-term groups, so I was given the task of creating a video about the Act Green project for YouTube. It was a chance for me to express myself creatively and learn more about video production, which was a completely new experience for me.
In June, I took a one-week vacation to the islands of Paros and Antiparos with my friends Anaïs and Renée two German long-term volunteers whom I lived and worked with during my time in Kryoneri. That trip was a highlight of my stay and a wonderful way to relax and enjoy the sun.
As June came to an end, so did my time in Kryoneri. In my final weeks, I participated in another short-term project focused on anti-racism and inclusion. I found this project particularly engaging especially a meeting we had with the director of the Greek Refugee Council, which offered valuable insights into the political and social situation in Greece.
During my last couple of days, another short-term group arrived with wonderful people from Spain, Greece, and Germany. Unfortunately, I was unable to participate and get to know them better, as my time in Greece had come to an end.
Another highlight, which I have not yet mentioned, was hitchhiking from the village to the beach of Kiato whenever we got the chance. I’m very happy to say that I was even able to ride in the back of a pickup truck on my last day.
In general, I have to say that the people in the village, my long-term volunteering friends from Germany, Georgia, and Greece, as well as the short-term volunteers and participants I met, made this an unforgettable experience.
