Leading three workcamps!
The biggest highlight of my volunteering journey was last summer — the season of workcamps I led. I think I might even be one of the record holders, as I led three workcamps in one summer! Before coming here, I had never even heard about such projects, since we don’t have workcamps in Georgia. Now, I truly believe it would be amazing to introduce this concept there as well.
Let’s start from the beginning. My first workcamp was in the southeastern part of the Czech Republic, in a small town called Holešov. I have to admit — I was terrified. Imagine being in a foreign country, not knowing the language, and surrounded by people from all over the world. We were 15 volunteers from different continents — South America, Eastern Asia, and all across Europe. I wasn’t sure how I would manage the responsibilities, cooperate with my co-leader, lead the team, and, of course, not burn myself out.
The process wasn’t easy, but looking back, those weeks helped me grow enormously. Each workcamp taught me something completely different and shaped me as a person.
Open-minded people from all over the world
The first one was connected to a Jewish cultural festival that has been taking place in Holešov every year since 2001. At first, I was skeptical — mostly for personal reasons and because I viewed things from a narrow perspective. But throughout the workcamp, I started to see things differently. I met people from all over the world, with diverse backgrounds and fascinating stories. For the first time, I realized that an open-minded person can teach you more about their country and culture than any history book ever could.
As a child of people who were born and raised in the USSR, I learned that, in the end, we are all just human beings — Georgian, Japanese, Mexican, or Czech — with similar dreams and values. I also discovered that jokes don’t always translate, and that there are people who are truly in love with what they do. Their passion was inspiring.
The second workcamp took place in Prague, focused on assisting elderly people. We were eight girls spending two weeks in a retirement home, helping with gardening and, most importantly, preparing daily activities for our “old friends.” This experience showed me life from a completely different angle.
Learning as much as possible
After that workcamp, I keep reminding myself to live in the moment — to enjoy every single day, learn as much as possible, take care of my health, and cherish warm, sincere relationships with my family and friends. Every resident we met shared the same advice: enjoy life, travel, don’t worry too much about small things, and stay positive.
I especially remember one elderly man, around 80 years old, who had traveled the world building bridges. His favorite place was Hawaii, and he had an incredible taste in music. Every day, he came to our sessions with a new song — and now, most of them are on my playlist. We also met a woman who started painting in her 70s; the walls of the whole house were decorated with her artwork. These people taught me that it’s never too late to learn something new and that having hobbies keeps your spirit young.
One of the most beautiful parts of the Czech Republic
My last workcamp was in Česká Kamenice — one of the most beautiful parts of the Czech Republic. There, I realized how deeply Europeans respect their history and how much effort they put into ensuring that the darkest parts of it never repeat.
I will never get tired of saying how grateful I am for this opportunity and for how much I’ve changed. These months in Czechia — and especially the summer full of workcamps — have shaped me in ways I could never have imagined.
Láká tě také vyjet do zahraničí na 2 až 12 měsíců? Evropský sbor solidarity (European Solidarity Corps, ESC) je program Evropské komise, který umožňuje mladým lidem ve věku 18-30 let získat zkušenosti v zemích Evropy i mimo ni.
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