On-Arrival EVS Training – Day 5

    For the last day, Kasia, Siiri and Kristina, our trainers left us with another person who explained us project management. I think this last workshop will be the most essential part to help us with the majority of the 8 key competencies of the Youthpass. Project Management is not only related to the working world but to any kind of activities that need to be planned. Anna, our trainer, showed us the different steps with an orientation towards the characteristics of our projects which could involve working with difficult population. We bounced back on the different steps she was talking about using our own experience. We managed to see some videos made by current or former volunteers. What I would remember from all this is the will we have to go through our projects is the keystone to our success. Even if we don’t know exactly how to achieve our project (two Ukrainian volunteers decided to renovate a room for their youth center even though they never did anything close to that, including in their spare time), our enthusiasm will give or help us find the means to complete our projects. 

    After that, the least pleasant moment of the week: going back to Parnu and leave those people, those friends. We were very close to each others. We all had lots of fun and promised to see each other again in a near future, why not organising some short trips around Estonia or even to Saint Petersburg. Our suitcases were done in a surprisingly short amount of time, in about 20 minutes. I pushed everybody a little since I was the first one with Katerina to leave and wanted to eat before taking my bus. And I found nothing to eat, except some weird hot dogs at the bus station newsagent. Of course, Heli reminded me our deal and I won’t be able to pass on this lunch I owe her. We were told students wouldn’t go as early as 2pm back home but unfortunately for me, it wasn’t true for our bus. It was packed and we had the last remaining seats in the back, of course not next to the window where it is easier to sleep after a short night.