Denník dobrovoľníka - Bratislavské dobrovoľnícke centrum

I was a volunteer in a circus and my role was to assist in and later teach circus lessons for kids, perform and do some general administrative tasks, without having any previous experience in circus arts. That sounds almost impossible but as it turns out, with the right attitude and work, your ESC volunteering can be successful even in a field that is (almost) completely new to you. These are the things that helped me:

BEING CURIOUS

Having no experience in a field just means you have a whole new world to discover. If you are curious enough and put in the work, you can learn how to do new things as well as discover new things about yourself.

ASKING QUESTIONS

Don’t be embarrassed to admit you don’t know or understand something, even if it seems elementary and everybody around you is familiar with it. Especially because sometimes, the people who have been doing one job or working in one field for a long time think something is obvious because it is an everyday thing for them, and forget that in reality it might not be so straightforward.

BEING WILLING TO LEARN

It seems quite obvious that to be able to do something new, you have to learn it and so, be willing to learn it. But the impulse for learning something might not always come from the outside. You have to seek out ways to learn what interests you: use the opportunity of being around people that know something you don’t.

SAYING NO

Don’t be afraid to speak up. Not having any experience in one specific subject doesn’t mean you don’t know anything. Listen to your instincts and use your knowledge, if something doesn’t feel right or you think something is not being done well, or even if you just do not want to do a certain part of the job (for good reasons), say so.

And most importantly…

CHOOSING A VOLUNTEERING YOU ARE INTERESTED IN

All of the above will be much easier if you are already interested in the topic that your volunteering is dealing with. For example, while I enjoy working with kids and performing, the reason I chose my volunteering was because I wanted to learn circus arts and know more about circus in general. It might be that some volunteering opportunities require a certain amount of related experience or knowledge but the most important are your willingness to learn and passion.

Text: Živa Jamnik
Fotka: Cirkuskus

Živa je dobrovoľníčkou programu Európskej komisie Európsky zbor solidarity na dobrovoľníckom projekte v organizácii Cirkuskus. Projekt bol podporený Európskou komisiou z programu Európsky zbor solidarity.

Volunteer leadership is about more than just organizing and assigning tasks. A good leader helps volunteers feel motivated, supported, and connected to the purpose of what they are doing. This is especially important in international and ESC volunteering, where people from diBerent cultures and
backgrounds come together.

Communication is one of the most important leadership skills. Volunteers need clear guidance, encouragement, and a space where they feel comfortable sharing ideas or concerns. Simple things like listening and checking in regularly can make volunteers feel valued and included.
Delegation also plays a big role in building a strong team. Every volunteer has different strengths and interests, and good leaders know how to use those strengths in the best way possible. When people are trusted with meaningful responsibilities, they usually become more confident and engaged in their
work.

Conflict resolution is another important quality. Misunderstandings can happen, especially in diverse international teams. Strong leaders stay calm, listen to everyone involved, and try to solve problems fairly and respectfully.

Creating collaboration within the team is just as important. Volunteers work better when they feel connected to one another. Team discussions, shared activities, and open communication help build trust and stronger relationships.

For coordinators of ESC or international volunteers, creating a welcoming environment is essential. Many volunteers are far from home, adapting to a new culture and routine. Small acts of support, kindness, and understanding can make the experience much more positive and meaningful.

At the end of the day, good volunteer leadership is about empathy, communication, and teamwork. When volunteers feel appreciated and supported, they are more motivated to contribute and create a positive
impact in the community.

Resources:
https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesnonprofitcouncil/2023/03/23/15-strategies-for-building-a-team-of-dedicated-volunteers/

https://nla1.org/cultivate-volunteer-leaders/https://volunteerhub.com/blog/how-to-lead-volunteers

Text: Margaret Miriam Santoddi
Fotka: DC Hlavička

Margaret je dobrovoľníčkou programu Európskej komisie Európsky zbor solidarity na dobrovoľníckom projekte v organizácii DC Hlavička. Projekt bol podporený Európskou komisiou z programu Európsky zbor solidarity.

The preparation at the beginning, to be in the best disposition for the stay, is a very important step but the preparation to leave is as crucial and can be quite a challenge. Some preparations are required and steps must not be forgotten. As a volunteer in Slovakia during a year, I will rely on my own experience to tell, for me, what are those steps and how to leave in complete serenity.

First of all, I would say you need to think about what comes next. By that I mean that once the project is over, life goes on, and it is important to think about what you are going to do next, so that you don’t feel lost or overwhelmed once you are back in your home country. If you are planning to continue your studies, don’t forget about applications, interviews or, in some cases, exams; if you simply want to start a new job, it is a good idea to find out about the sector, or even apply for a position straight away…. The idea is to not neglect the future, while enjoying the present.

Secondly, quite inevitable, thinking in advance the way back. It can be booking plane, bus or train tickets, coming back by car or by even bike. All the means of transport are acceptable. The importance is to settle which one to use, the route to take and start preparing according to those choices. For the plane, to avoid unaffordable prices the best is to buy the ticket as soon as possible.

For all the different means of transport there is a major challenge: packing. At the end of a stay there is a good chance there will be more things to pack in suitcases than there were on arrival. It might be due to expenses in the host country. In my experience in Slovakia, I had to buy winter cloths because in my home country the temperatures in this season are softer.

The preparation of the suitcase(s) is something to start ideally few days or even a week before departure. This is also related to the ticket booking. For a plane, a train or a bus, there are additional paid option for extra suitcases, so figuring out approximately the number of luggage but also the weight and dimensions in some cases are information to consider in advance.

The last point I would like to make is to take time to have good moment and activities with people met during the experience. After a time in a completely different country, creating good connections, making new friends from all over Europe, everyone will probably leave and return to their country. The closeness and support we have shown each other during this time are invaluable. When a project comes to an end, there is a lot of administrative work and meetings… all necessary to bring this experience to a close. There may be other tasks to deal with in addition to the various things to do before you leave, some of which were mentioned earlier. Try not to get overwhelmed by all these tasks and forget to spend time with your friends and make sure you say your goodbyes properly.

Finaly, I would say that the safest thing to do is to make a list about all these points you must not forget. I release the brain and at any time if there are doubts, only a little check is needed. To conclude on these various steps you shouldn’t miss, I’d add that, of course, there’s a subjective element to it. Everyone may have different needs. The ones I’ve mentioned struck me as obvious based on my own experience and that of the people around me.

Text: Matheo Penard
Fotka: Dobrodružstvo

Matheo je dobrovoľníkom programu Európskej komisie Európsky zbor solidarity na dobrovoľníckom projekte v organizácii DOBROdružstvo. Projekt bol podporený Európskou komisiou z programu Európsky zbor solidarity.

- The order of these steps are in no particular order -

Step 1. Find new favourite places where you enjoy spending time, such as coffee shops, bars, restaurants, parks. A fun and potentially useful thing to do is trying to become a regular in a nearby coffee shop or bar. ( It doesn't have to be close to where you live, but that definitely helps). When you keep returning to the same place, you start noticing the people around you, the patterns of how the place functions. Eventually, they start noticing you too.

One of the best feelings is when someone working there acknowledges you or even remembers your usual order. You don't even have to talk much, but you begin to feel accepted and connected to the place. You don't need to be very extroverted either. Once other regulars start recognizing you, it's often easier to start a conversation.

Step 2. To feel comfortable and safe, learn about the area around your new home. Find the closest shops, including that tiny convenience store you can run to in your pajamas for milk or visit in the evening to grab some snacks. Discover nearby cafes where you can get a croissant in the morning, a park where you can relax on a sunny day, and routes for walks around your neighborhood. Whenever I get to know my block and the surrounding area, I always feel more confident and settled. Useful note - find hospitals. You never know. 🙂

Step 3. Find like minded people. The ESC programme provides a great starting point for meeting people. You are given a mentor, you meet other volunteers, and you become part of an organisation where you work. This means you're never truly starting from zero in a new country. It's often easier to connect with other volunteers because you already share a similar experience. You can also ask local colleagues about their favourite places, recommendations, and hidden gems, helping you avoid touristy and overpriced areas.

Step 4: Language. Learn some basic phrases in the local language. People often say that a simple "thank you" goes a long way, and it's true. It also helps you feel more confident in everyday situations. One of the advantages of the ESC programme is the opportunity to take language courses. These classes can help you learn grammar and practise pronunciation with a trained professional instead of relying entirely on Google Translate's robot voice—although that's a perfectly good place to start. I may not speak fluently, but understanding even part of a conversation makes a huge difference. I don't understand every
word, but with context, I can usually get by.

Step 5: Search for events. Find events that match the interests you had back home. This could include exhibitions, theatre performances, concerts, workshops, sports activities, or community gatherings. Attending events is a great way to discover new spaces, learn more about local culture, and meet new people who share your interests.

Text: Luiza Helēna Frančenko
Fotka: Cirkuskus

Luiza je dobrovoľníčkou programu Európskej komisie Európsky zbor solidarity na dobrovoľníckom projekte v organizácii Cirkuskus. Projekt bol podporený Európskou komisiou z programu Európsky zbor solidarity.

One of the reasons why I chose to do my ESC volunteering in Bratislava, Slovakia apart from the specific project was to experience living in a different Slavic country. Especially one that I have only had the opportunity of visiting shortly as a child and that, given how often it gets confused with Slovenia, I should probably know more about than I do.

Slovenia and Slovakia are objectively quite similar, both are Slavic countries which only became independent in the 90’s, both share borders with Austria and Hungary, the only difference between their flags are the coats of arms and the languages are close enough that with a little bit of effort from both sides we can hold a basic conversation. It is easy to understand why some people cannot tell the two countries apart.

But as a Slovenian living in Slovakia you quickly learn there are some differences and similarities that make all the difference. Being able to understand and subsequently learn Slovak fast and without bigger complications is certainly a perk but making sure that you don’t call a kid ‘otrok’ which in Slovenian means ‘child’ but in Slovak means ‘slave’ does make the first weeks a bit more tricky, particularly when you work with children a couple of times a week in your volunteering.

There are also many similarities between the capital cities: blocks of flats in Bratislava that would certainly not look out of place in Ljubljana, a mix of old and new architecture, a pedestrian zone in the centre, a nice hill right in the city… But the river is too wide, the bridges over it too long, the pedestrian zone too small and the public transport too efficient with its “električka”.

All in all, in many ways, both good and bad, it feels like being at home but with all the furniture just a couple centimetres to the left.

Text: Živa Jamnik
Fotka: Cirkuskus

Volunteering is a great way to travel, experience different cultures and cities, and meet a wide range of new people. Yet it also means leaving behind friends, family, and even our beloved pets. So the question remains: is the grass really greener somewhere else? It’s a question that lingers in the mind of every eager traveler setting out to explore the world.

For many people, the first few weeks, or even the first month, are crucial for adjusting to a new environment. It’s a time to become familiar with your surroundings: discovering the nearest shop you can rely on at any hour, finding a café that serves the perfect croissant and cappuccino, or becoming a regular at a nearby pub. Perhaps most importantly, it’s about building new connections, meeting people you can talk to, share experiences with, and rely on emotionally.

In some ways, adapting to a new place has become easier thanks to our mobile devices. We are constantly connected to friends and family back home, able to share updates instantly or see what others are doing through social media. However, this constant connection can also amplify the fear of missing out. Especially in the early stages, when you haven’t fully settled in and your social circle is still small. Watching friends enjoy life back home without you can feel isolating.

For me, the first few months were full of excitement, new friendships, new places, new experiences. In fact, one of my biggest challenges in Bratislava was simply finding a good café. Otherwise, everything felt great.

The real difficulties came later, once the initial excitement faded. That’s when I began to notice what I was missing: small comforts like my favorite brand of crisps, traditional sweets, and even the familiarity of home. I also found myself becoming more invested in politics and everyday life back home.
The adaptation process is personal and varies from one individual to another. Some people may spend just two weeks abroad and feel ready to return home, while others adjust more gradually. It’s not only about missing people, it’s also about cultural acceptance, ways of thinking, and a sense of belonging to a place. Often, we don’t realize what we truly value until it’s no longer part of our daily lives. I

n the end, experiences like this offer a valuable perspective. They allow us to step back and recognize that the grass we stand on might not be so bad after all.

Text: Luiza Helēna Frančenko
Fotka: Bratislavské dobrovoľnícke centrum

This week, Bratislava Volunteering Center hosted The Week of volunteering, and being able to witness it was a deeply rewarding experience. From day one, it was clear to me that this wasn't just a series of scheduled events, but a genuine movement driven straight from the heart.

What stood out to me the most about this initiative was seeing so many people come together with a single purpose: to help. In a world that often moves so fast, pausing to work together toward improving our environment and supporting others—without looking for any material gain in return—is truly wonderful.

If I had to describe this week in just one word, it would be unity. I saw all the volunteers fully connected and involved in the activities. Seeing everyone give their absolute best for others was incredible.
The most beautiful part was the atmosphere. It didn't feel like an obligation or hard work, but rather like a great sense of togetherness. You could see them enjoying themselves, and there was a positive energy in the air that was catching to anyone passing by.

This Volunteer Week has shown me that Bratislava is a city with a strong, caring, and supportive community. I'm taking with me the memory of a united society, happy to help and ready to leave the world a little better than they found it. Without a doubt, a wonderful initiative that I hope is replicated in every corner of the planet.

Text: Paula Fernández Martín
Fotka: BDC

Paula je dobrovoľníčkou programu Európskej komisie Európsky zbor solidarity na dobrovoľníckom projekte v organizácii Bratislavské dobrovoľnícke centrum (BDC). Projekt bol podporený Európskou komisiou z programu Európsky zbor solidarity.

ESC is a European union program, launched in December 2016. It aims for persons under thirty, to give them the opportunity to take part in a volunteering activity abroad. This is a chance to have a positive impact, develop new skills, meet people from all over the world and, of course, build unforgettable memories. Every person that wants to be part of it has, at first, expectations met or not afterwards. In this text, I am going to talk about my own experience, as an ESC volunteer in Slovakia, research, and testimonials from other volunteers, to provide some answers on how to prepare for this experience and manage the gap between expectations and reality.

In my case, when I applied for my mission, I instantly had a lot of preset ideas coming to my mind, about the country. Mainly about the people and mindset, but also, politics, life in the city… As a quite recent country, created in 1993 after the separation of Czechoslovakia, into two countries, Slovakia remains not an easy place to find information about. Still, I have been able to know what the political situation was, the general weather conditions throughout the year… It is good to be aware of such basic information about the place you are going to live, to be prepared mentally, and, for example, in the case of the weather, to have good clothes according to it. Also, being far from your home, many times means being far from people you know. It was my first experience abroad, so I knew from friend’s experiences, I would meet people within my project but that was only information with no certainty. Also, the role of the supporting organization is to give advice and help the volunteer to get ready for the project and help to bring clues to answer those types of questions.

Briefly, the expectations are important as well as research to find first answers, accurate or not, and then getting ready to go.

After the expectations, and the preparation, the project begins, and life in a completely new place starts. The first reflex I had, and I assume a lot of other persons as well, is to compare the projection I made by my previous research and ideas, to the reality I am facing. Then, sometimes, expectations are met, and in this case, if you have been well prepared nothing to change or adapt to. Of course, there are also variables mis-predicted. It can be due to cultural differences, lack of information on the internet or in books… Adaptation is therefore important. Not about changing all your habits but small awareness about it. Again, I am going to illustrate my point, according to my own experience. I arrived in Slovakia, with good preparation about the weather, the residence I was about to live in. Nevertheless, I faced details that changed my daily habits. For instance, I found out that cash is more used to pay than in my country, and, in certain stores, only cash is allowed. Also, Bratislava is a city built to facilitate car traffic, with a small number of pedestrians crossing compared to French cities, usually more or less designed for pedestrians. So, the way of walking in the city has been a change for me. Such little details that are different from where I lived and are unpredictable.

To summarize, after choosing wisely the project and applying, the preparation is not a step to neglect. In this process, the support organization is responsible to give advice and use his previous volunteer experiences to help the volunteer to start the project in the best dispositions. The work of research and projection is very important as well. Then, the volunteer might be aware of the possibility to face cultural differences and gap between his/her expectations and the reality of the situation and adapt to them, to have the best experience.

Text: Matheo Penard
Fotka: Dobrodružstvo

When I was packing my bags to come here, I spent hours thinking about the project, what clothes to bring, or whether I’d understand the language. But now that I’m fully immersed in my volunteering, I’ve realized that the most important thing wasn't in my suitcase: it was the people I was going to meet.

If one thing is clear to me after these months, it's that my experience would have been completely different if I had stayed stuck in my comfort zone. It’s a bit scary at first, but putting myself out there to make friends from day one is what has made all the difference.

The craziest part of living this is how you end up surrounded by people from a thousand different countries who are on the same wavelength as you. They are experiencing the same "firsts", they’re also in a city that’s new to them, and in most cases, they’re living on their own for the first time, as may be your case and as has been mine. Moving from living with your parents to being independent can seem tough, but if you surround yourself with people in the same boat, everything becomes so much easier.

You go from knowing no one to having plans almost every day of the week. My biggest fear was feeling lonely in a strange city, but the reality is that I haven’t had a single second to get bored or even to feel homesick.

Between dinners trying food from other countries, going out for a drink after work, and the spontaneous trips we take every time we have a break, my adaptation has flown by. Literally, I feel at home because they are my home now.

My advice if you’re thinking about volunteering: don’t just stick to the work side of things. Go out, join all the WhatsApp groups, say yes to that coffee even if you’re tired, and travel as much as you can with the people you meet.

For me, not feeling alone for a single moment is what has made this city feel fun rather than overwhelming. In the end, places are just places, but it’s the friends you make that make the experience incredible.

Text: Paula Fernández Martín
Fotka: BDC

The topic of the role of solidarity in society seems to be a complicated issue. First of all, because of the myriad of possible ways to understand the key concepts like society and solidarity, as well as because of the numerous approaches we can adopt when studying them - e.g. economic, political, sociological… not to mention personal opinions and beliefs. This became very clear to me when I first began talking about my ESC volunteering with the people around me.

Hence before talking about solidarity, it is good to unify our understanding of the key concepts including “society”. To this end, we turn to the Cambridge Dictionary and the Merriam-Webster dictionary which define solidarity as “agreement between and support for the members of a group” and “unity (as of a group or class) that produces or is based on community of interests, objectives, and standards”. Meanwhile, according to the various definitions the Merriam-Webster dictionary offers on the concept, society could roughly be boiled down to a group of people with common interests or traits, such as beliefs or nationality, which interact and form relationships with one another.

These definitions lead us to understand that solidarity and society are interconnected and rely heavily on the factors that unite people into social groups or societies in the first place. As these factors differ, the makeup of the social groups (age, gender, nationality…) and consequently the role of society in these groups vary. Therefore each social group should be studied individually. At the same time, it is important to note that there is no limit to these social groups, neither in number nor size, which makes identifying and analyzing the presence of solidarity even more difficult. During my volunteering, for example, I am a part of various social groups: the receiving country’s (Slovakia), my home country’s (Slovenia), the smaller group that makes up my receiving organisation and the broader group of ESC volunteers in Slovakia and across the world, just to name a few.

However, for solidarity to be present in a specific social group in the first place, a certain level of uniformity within that group seems to be imperative, or in other words, “to the extent that one identifies with the other one is helping out of solidarity” (Van Parijs). This also implies an inherent element of discrimination, namely between what are considered to be members and non-members of a certain group (Kymlicka). When volunteering in an ESC project in a foreign country this could have a negative impact on your ability to connect with the receiving society, especially if you come from a society that is culturally very different. Even so, there might be other shared traits that help cross that barrier. In my case, volunteering in a very diverse receiving organisation (a circus) and sharing a common interest in circus arts with the people around me has helped me to avoid any problems when forming connections.

All of this means that when we analyze the role of solidarity in society, we need to thoroughly examine what unifies the social group in question and therefore who it possibly discriminates against. At the same time, it is necessary to keep in mind other bigger or smaller social groups which might overlap with the observed one and could possibly skew our perception. In practice, this kind of considerations could help an ESC volunteer choose which project would be the best suited for them or identify deeper reasons behind problems they might face during the volunteering itself. Thus, making sure that their ESC volunteering experience is an excellent one and creates the most positive impact.

Sources:

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/solidarity
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solidarity
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/society
Kymlicka, W. Solidarity in diverse societies: beyond neoliberal multiculturalism and welfare chauvinism. CMS 3, 17 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-015-0017-4
Van Parijs, Philippe, 'Solidarity and the Just Society', in Andrea Sangiovanni, and Juri Viehoff (eds), The Virtue of Solidarity (New York, 2024; online edn, Oxford Academic, 23 May 2024), https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197612743.003.0003, accessed 2 Jan. 2026.

Text a fotka: Živa Jamnik