Main - Reports - Big Heart for a Small Island, Greece

Big Heart for a Small Island, Greece

Hello to everybody from Skiathos!

Actually l finished to write my first volunteering report! And I'm waiting forward for share with as much as possible about my unforgettable experience here. Let's go!

In my report, I would like to describe my EVS as much as possible in a clear and detailed way, what have been not only work (although volunteering) but a great opportunity for traveling, studying European national culture, English and Greek languages, professional self-improvement and perfect vacation.

 

 

Skiathos is an incredible beautiful Greek paradise island amidst the Aegean Sea, that cannot stop to amaze me during 4 month already.

For first this wonderful place is totally different between summer and winter. I would say it's two different world.

Summer it's never-end parties, luxury beaches, super high prices, heat weather and a huge number of people (≈100.000). This is what tourists see. Work until 16 hours per day. This is what local people see.

 

 

Low season - it's empty calm city, cold and still beautiful nature (beaches, sea, montains, forests), super relax atmosphere and nice local people (≈6.000). All infrastructure includes few caffies (coffee sclothes shops with very low quality products three souvenir-shop, one beauty salon. Also two schools: high and elementary.

 

 

Government structures (banks, post etc.), some shops and pharmacy work until 14:30.

 

 

So what directly about project?

Organization

My host organization was a pleasant woman with her daughter, who until recently had a children's playground and now works at school, she has an active social position, is engaged in social activities in and outside Skiathos, with the development of such projects as eTwinning, EVS, workaway, couchsurfing and other. Electra kindly helps us with all the necessary and partial adaptation.

But the mentor was of a purely formal nature Polish guy.

House and team

I changed three homes during 4 months of my staying at the project. Upon arrival at the project we were settled in a general volunteer's and couchserfer's home near the center of the city for the all volunteers (not only EVS) and a funeral. The conditions were somewhat unusual there is sloppy nice and insufficient space for ten people but it is interesting and fun. Together but also in order.

With the rest few weeks later our EVS team of three people moved to a lovely cozy home in front of the airport.

 

 

Then since October I live in my own apartment in the city center and 5 minutes by walk to the sea.

Our team included me, Armenian girl and Spanish guy. They were interesting but uninitiative and quickly left the project on their own. That is why since September I stayed alone and until the end of project, the responsibility for my work fell on me. I expect a new team after a new year’s holidays. 

 

 

 

Responsibilities

Unlike many typical projects, I haven’t a clear schedule of work that is cool I can fully manage my own time and work for the result.

Also type of work and professional tasks are also constantly changing depending on the season.

July-August: beach animation for children

August-September: Website development and support by using WordPress tools, EVS presentation in the high school, creating a posters also in September I took a vacations for my own trip.

Autumn: site support, taking photos of island for the project "4 seasons on Skiathos" (nature, social life, rally, architecture, etc.), Photoshop and video processing, Chroma key, searching for eTwinning partners.

Local life, activity and difficulty staying

Easy to guess the most difficult side of staying abroad is the language barrier. Well, and frankly speaking at time on arrival, my Greek language level was solid a zero. Also the parabolic age chart in island during unsummer time left me without peers. That’s happened cause here’s no Universities and all young guys go away for the study and searching for work. Anyway curiosity and communicability break all barriers, is not it?

 

 

Food prices and transportation

Prices on the islands of Greece are extremely high throughout the year. But unlike other volunteer guys who like to refresh themselves in a tavern or restaurant twice per day, 35 euros a week are enough even for daily sweet delicacies.

But even cosmic prices will not tear you away from terrestrial fruit trees: pomegranates, lemons, oranges, tangerines, grebes, figs and lychees, which eagerly await you at every corner even in December.

Drinking water can be mined from dozens of drinking sources of the city.

With regard to transport, every hour (every 30 minutes in the summer) bus goes along the shoreline.

 

 

My holidays and trips

As previously noted in September I took a 19-days of holidays and carried out just a ferocious hitchhiker from Volos (Greece) to Naples across Greece all of Macedonia all of Serbia Zagreb Ljubljana and almost all of Italy. That's was freaky cool and amaizing :)

 

 

Enjoy your time and take care! Let's see you in new year!

 

Kateryna Oliinyk, 18 years old, Zhitomyr