Our ESC Volunteering in Slovenia – Emina, Belmin, Aleksa
Our great experience volunteering in Slovenia
Hello, my name is Emina Hasanbašić and together with Belmin Piskavica and Aleksa Ivanović we have had the opportunity to travel to Slovenia to participate in a project organised by “Omladinska organizacija Svitac” (BiH) and “Zavod Manipura” (Slo).
The duration of the project was two months, and we stayed in Slovenia for this time. The experience of volunteering has taught us a lot, and we have acquired a better way of life because of our time there.
We stayed in a volunteer house in Begunje na Gorjenskom.
Volunteers who stayed in the neighbouring village also helped us a lot in the construction of the house, as it was a project that was not completely finished. We had various activities every day, and after we finished working we had a lot of free time. We lived in the house together with 5 other volunteers who came from France and Georgia. We learned about the different cultures in these countries and a few foreign words. In our free time, we explored the surroundings and nearby cities. We often went to Ljubljana, because that city left a special impression on us.
In Ljubljana, we visited the red cross “Caritas” and helped them pack envelopes and leaflets.
This project involved us going to a horse farm, cleaning their space, and preparing ourselves and other volunteers for “Društvo i Raznolikost”. This was an environmental project which many of us participated in during our time in Slovenia. In cooperation with beekeepers from Bled, we planted 105 trees, helped to move 50,000 books into the new library in Bled, and took part in walks with blind people. We also visited the PUMO organisation in Radovljica, met and socialised with young people.
Our time in Slovenia has changed our minds about volunteering. If you have the opportunity to do so, we would suggest participating in a similar project. When you volunteer you begin to understand what suits you, what you would want to do in life and what you would not like to do. We thank Barbara Otoničar and Henk Persy from the organisation “Zavod Manipura” for their excellent hospitality and for always being there for us when we needed something. Above all a big thank you to Miloš Popić from the organisation “Svitac” (Firefly in Bosnia) who helped us apply for this project and gave us the opportunity to learn and see what volunteering is truly about. Thanks!
Emina Hasanbašić, Belmin Piskavica and Aleksa Ivanović
February-April 2022
