It’s been seven years since Ukrainian youth started taking advantage of international youth exchanges. Even though Russia has begun a full-scale invasion of our country, Ukrainians still take part in such projects. This time we talked to the FRI member Maria Ivanchuk from Odesa, who participated in the Erasmus+ project in Poland this summer. In this interview, we will tell you how Erasmus+ projects have been held this year in the new reality.

How long have you been volunteering, and what exactly influenced your decision to apply for the project?

I volunteered long ago, before the war, but it was completely different. I used to volunteer in the “Green Theater” in Odesa in the summer, then in Kyiv on the podcast forum. In 2021 I joined the FRI organization in Odesa and arranged some projects myself, such as Speaking Club and others. Since the war started, I have gone to some places to weave nets in Lviv, worked with kids, and also tried helping refugees in Przemysl.  

How did you find out about Erasmus+ projects? Why did you choose this one?

I’ve been following different telegram channels that publish various opportunities for students. I found this exchange in the channel “Catch the moment” (Lovy moment). Why did I choose this program? Just because I’m fond of social work. When I found out that it was going to be held in Poland, I decided to apply for it.

What were your responsibilities during the project, and did you like such an experience?

I definitely enjoyed the project, especially the organizers. We communicated with them during the project and had a great time together. Also, there was a great community. Mostly, during the project, we learned about social work. The name of the project was “Street work” and referred to a vulnerable segment of the population. As in, you come to the run-down neighborhood and help refugees, people with addictions, etc. All the skills and knowledge came in handy. Besides, there was a lot of practice. We had an opportunity to visit the rehab facility. Everyone there was so welcoming and amiable. We even went on a camp trip together, which was a fascinating experience for me. By the way, we went on an excursion to Hitler’s shelter there.  

How do you think it would be beneficial for our modern youth to partake in such projects? Why?

Sure thing, yeah! First and foremost, it’s an international exchange, and you go to another country. It’s very accessible. Hence you can see the world, get to know new cultures, and practice your English. Besides, you meet hordes of new people with different backgrounds and discover loads of new things. I used to ask my teammates: “What do you call it in your language? What about this? Do you have such a custom?”

Did you have any problems during the project?

I ate meat. It was the only thing that upset me that much. I’m a vegetarian, and I told organizers about that beforehand, but unfortunately, it happened. Also, the schedule was quite jam-packed with activities, and sometimes there wasn’t enough time for some rest. We could have just one break during lunch, and that’s it. Nevertheless, in general, everything was quite good. It was so lovely to see how Poland supports Ukraine and Ukrainians.   

Was it difficult for you to communicate with other participants and locals? Were you afraid of the language barrier?

All the participants were great and expressed their support for Ukraine. It was not that difficult to converse with other guys because I had known Polish long before that, and one of my goals on that project was to practice it. I even practiced it a bit in advance.

Which pros and cons did you highlight for yourself? Do you regret your decision to take part in the project?

Obviously, I don’t! I enjoyed everything. The main pros were organizers, with whom we could communicate during the project and our free time, useful program, loads of cool places we got a chance to attend (except for the hotel activities), perfect location, and community. The only drawback was that incident with meat. 

Do you have any pieces of advice for our future Erasmus+ project participants?

You’d better plan everything in advance and pay attention to the program, whether it is something useful and interesting for you or not.

If you doubt whether it is worth applying to exchanges or not, always choose the former variant! Sometimes it is better to do something than regret of not trying! So, give it a try!