English
Български 
From Argentina to Pazardjik - This is my EVS
EVS project in Pazardjik, Bulgaria.
by Karina Cáceres
First let’s know something about me. My name is Karina Cáceres, I am 25 years old, I was born in Assumption-Paraguay. Paraguay is a small country landlocked in central South America, bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. When I was 18 years old I went to live in Argentina for my studies in International Relations at the Pontifical Catholic University of Buenos Aires. There is a great Paraguayan community. Buenos Aires is big city, very cosmopolitan and cultural with theaters, bookstores, libraries, bars and cafes. Students of different continents like very much and go there because you have opportunities to work and study and have fun, it’s “The Paris of South America”.
My sending organization is SES Foundation from Argentina; have a program call “Subir al Sur” where we promote intercultural education through creating peaceful encounters between people from different cultures and backgrounds. This internship between the community and the international volunteers will help to support and realize local projects.
In this time I got the opportunity to be a volunteer in Pazardjhik, Bulgaria. The EVS project I received free accommodation, in apartment with other girls, food, insurance and pocket money.
Day by day our main activities are going to the Daily Center to help and support people with different disabilities. In the Daily Center we help like nutrition, art workshops, draw, paint, manufacture pottery, play some games with cards or sports with them, the aim of promoting creativity and happiness. Some day when the wheatear is good we went outside to do the activities to harness de sunny day.
Furthermore in the project we work with two persons with disabilities and their mothers from Turkey, they came in Pazardjhik for thirty days.
During those two month I met a lot of friend of different continent, Mathieu from Nigeria, Sulav from Nepal, Roberta, Francesco and David from Italy, and Turkish, my roommate Seda, and Begum, Batu, Onur, Atmet and Muhammad. I like so much to learn and more about their countries, one week we did “Intercultural Night” about each country, Nepal, Nigeria, Italy, Turkey, Argentina and Paraguay. We shared our costumes, food and drinks. For Argentina and Paraguayan day I cooked “empanadas, vorí vorí, chipa guasu, sangria for drink and for dessert chocotorta”. We had a really good moment, submitting our own country and culture by organizing food, exhibitions.
Also we visited some highschool to explain de European Volunteer Service, to talk about our project and why we chose to come in Bulgaria and be a volunteer. We have holidays too for discover and explore a lot of new landscapes, customs and people. For example I had the opportunity to go to Turkey and visited Istanbul.
I think the EVS project it is important chance to young people to develop skills and abilities. Share new experience and learn from the others. I think the hardest parts of the project are goodbyes, because you make many friends and find a new family.
I suggest and recommend international volunteering to anyone who want participate, help, service and promote human quality life, socialization, and fun!