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EVS: Long term volunteering project in Lechovo, Rural development & memory

Hello my name is Durkje, but here in Lechovo everybody calls me Doula. In the village people use mostly nicknames and therefore there are a lot of people called Soula, Voula, Toula, Roula, and I am called DouIa. I have been working as a European Solidarity Corps volunteer in Lechovo for 8 months now, and will continue doing so for 4 more months. So far it has been an amazing experience. I’m really happy to have gotten to know this village and its wonderful people so much better. During the last few months I have done a lot of different work activities as a volunteer for the cultural Association of Lechovo ‘Profitis Ilias’. At first I worked in the local library, organizing a donation of about 700 English books and helping make a new part of the library for these books. Spread across the months I was here I also helped with multiple cultural events, such as Carnaval, multiple Panigiria, traditional celebrations and a concert of Eleni Vitali. I also participated and helped in some recordings of television shows and documentaries that took place in Lechovo. When needed I also helped a few times at the Koinotita and did other activities for the village, such as a clean up of the village with the local kids. In June and July the youth from the village participated in a youth exchange with people from Berlin. The exchange was a cooperation of the former concentration camp Ravensbrück and Lechovo. I also participated in the exchange and helped with the parts of the organization. The last month I have been busy with documenting the objects we have in the museum. Meaning that I describe and digitalize the many and various objects we have. After eight months I can proudly say I found my place in Lechovo and somehow managed to fit into this amazing community!