Meet this year's European volunteers, part four!

We are back with the final instalment in our European Solidarity Corps series. This week we want to introduce you to our fourth volunteer, Flora!

“Hi! My name is Flora, and I am one of the European volunteers in Citywise. I arrived in Ireland from France a little after Christmas. I am 24 years old, and I got involved in the European Solidarity Corps (or ESC for short) after completing my master's degree in International Cooperation and Exchanges. I had already volunteered in France for one year with the local radio stations, and I wanted to try a similar experience but in a different country this time. So, I decided to try Ireland and see if I could volunteer there. This is one of my biggest adventures yet, as I have always lived in my county of Brittany, and, I had never been on a plane before I came to Ireland. It is all very new to me! I also had to leave my friends and family, who I really miss!

Here at Citywise, I take part in several of the groups they run, which includes the likes of Homework Club and some of the STEM activities, like Robotics and CS Girls. These groups have helped me to gain a lot of new skills which I never thought I would have but which I am grateful for. I also love to share these new skills and discoveries with the kids who I work with. Along with me teaching them new skills, they are also teaching me new skills. It is like we are both learning from each other while having fun, and it is a great opportunity to have and to be part of.

We also have a great opportunity here to learn English and we have lessons each week with Vincent. He is a very good teacher to us, and he uses great stories from history to teach us ways to speak that we would not have known before. It is great to learn from someone like this as we are also able to just have normal conversations with him about life and without realising it, we are practicing our English.

I am very much looking forward to all the different camps that will be run in Citywise and getting to see some of the places the children mention a lot, like Massey’s Forest. I think it will be great fun to see that side of Ireland and to experience the outdoors while also learning some fun and great things from the children. The only thing that will worry me, is that if the weather is very bad, but hey, that is what Ireland is like most of the time so I will have to be ready to experience it all.

Everyone in Citywise and everyone I have met so far have been really kind. You can feel that there is a strong sense of community and togetherness between all the people that step foot in here. The young leaders that come in are so dedicated and devote a lot of their time to Citywise. This really reflects that sense of community as they feel it is important to give back to what has given them so much growing up. Everyone really takes care of each other here and since arriving, every day has been a lesson in this and taught me the importance of community and the work that Citywise does.”

Our four European Solidarity Corps volunteers have so much more to discover, and we cannot wait to continue supporting them on their journey in Ireland. You will always see them around the centre, so feel free to chat to them as they are always looking to work on their English skills.

If you or anyone you know might be interested in taking part in a European Solidarity Corps project with Citywise, feel free to contact us at info@citywise.ie for more information.