ESC story from Estonia- Mariam Nebieridze

Tere! I am Mariam, 22 years old from Georgia, an ESC volunteer in Tallinn, Estonia, and I would like to share my story. Before I started my volunteer project, I got a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and recently applied to a Master’s program in Gender Studies. During my studies in Georgia, I was involved in various non-formal educational activities and volunteering programs, and I decided that it was high time to challenge myself, and use my skills usefully. That’s why I decided to become an ESC volunteer, and in May, I received the exciting news that I had been selected as a volunteer in Estonia for 11 months.

Now, I am a volunteer at Kesklinna Noortekeskus, this is the youth center that offers lots of opportunities to youngsters and promotes non-formal educational activities. It’s already been more than 3 months since I arrived in Estonia, and I can confidently say that every working day is exciting for me. My coworkers, youngsters, and environment, on the whole, are amazing, and I’m sure that this is the place where I can get not only a life-long experience but also learn various aspects of youth work and evolve my skills.

Most of my volunteer work includes getting involved in the center’s daily activities as well as contributing my own ideas. For instance, I’m organizing cultural evenings. So far I've held Georgian and Greek cultural events, and it was a great pleasure to introduce my country, its history, culture, and cuisine. Furthermore, every week we implement various events thanks to the Youth English Club, funded by the local youngsters; on their own initiative, I had the opportunity to hold a workshop about ESC and volunteering in general. Additionally, we carry out some outdoor activities, even during the period of working remotely, turned out to very interesting for me.

Additionally, I’d like to emphasize another immense benefit of volunteering that is expanding my social circle. Heretofore, I’ve met a number of like-minded volunteers, youth workers, or youngsters that not only broadened my network but also increased my social and relationship skills. Thus, I believe that by the end of my volunteer work, I’ll be full of new ideas and will continue doing youth work in my country.

Finally, I’d like to mention that ESC projects are great opportunities for young people to broaden literary horizons and contribute to becoming a better version of themselves. The opportunity to make at least a small contribution where needed, meet people from different parts of the world, adapt to a new place, discover and live in a winter wonderland - Estonia is what I’ve always wanted to have, and I’m grateful to everyone who has given me this chance.