I’ve done my volunteering experience for one whole year at VKE in Bolzano. 

‘Ma come mai Bolzano?’ – It’s the question I was asked more times while I was there. Locals couldn’t understand why someone from Spain would choose Bolzano as a destination. And it’s true that, initially, my choice wasn’t so much based on the city where the volunteering was taking place, but on the type of activities I would be doing. I chose Italy because I really like the country and the Italian language, and I chose VKE, because I love working with kids. 

Whilst there I had the opportunity to work in a Spielhaus/Casagioco, doing afterschool activities for small children: arts and crafts, gardening, painting, nature walks…; going around small towns with the Spielbus with big wooden games; and many other activities, such as being at the ice skating field or doing projects with schools and high schools. 

But, for me, doing my SVE experience was much more than just the volunteering hours. I had time to explore the city and its wonderful surroundings, doing many nature walks. I also got to know some wonderful people, with whom I enjoyed doing different activities and travelling to other Italian and Austrian cities, such as Venice, La Toscana, Milan or Innsbruck. 

All in all, I am very happy that I decided to take part of this volunteering experience, which I really enjoyed, and I would for sure recommend it to everyone!