The Mid Term meeting allows volunteers to reflect on their experience so far, share their challenges and achievements, and plan their next steps. From 2023. April 25-29 the meeting took place in a small city, Târgu Jiu known for its stunning parks and green spaces. Me, Mariam Evanesyan and the other Armenian ESC volunteer Alik Mazmanyan also joined the meeting.
The meeting started with an ice-breaking activity that allowed the volunteers to get to know each other better. They came from different parts of Europe, with different backgrounds and experiences, but they all shared a common goal: to make a positive impact on the local community. We, the volunteers, shared our experiences, challenges, and achievements, which helped us to reflect on our progress and identify areas for improvement.
The meeting also included teamwork, and discussions, which gave us the opportunity to get to know each other deeply and speak about all the challenges we are facing. It was a good chance for each of us to know that we are not alone in all barriers we meet.
The city itself was a source of inspiration for me, because I like parks. The fact that we also had outside activities made me calm and happy. About the city everything was good except for it was so far from our city, and we spent a whole day getting there, and a whole day coming back.
In the evenings I was walking with my friends, we visited one of the beautiful churches in the city center, we went to some of the cozy cafes to drink hot chocolate and black tea. I think that it is important to spend time with friends outside of training because it is improving and strengthening our friendship.
The meeting ended with a reflection session, where the volunteers, we. shared our feedback and suggestions for improvement. We expressed our gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the ESC program and contribute to the local community. We also highlighted the importance of such meetings in enhancing our personal and professional development and building a sense of community among us.
The Mid Term meeting gave me new friends, from different countries. It also gave us the chance to practice with the native speakers of the languages we have learnt before.
This was also one of the farest places I have traveled to, which gave me a chance to explore the Romanian nature, culture from the northern part of the country to the southern part. During the On Arrival training I felt sad, because it was offline and I had no chance to have time out of training to spend with other volunteers. The Mid Term meeting was also refreshing for myself, I came back with new ideas and for everything I am grateful to my Mid Term friends, who gave me lots of advice for my volunteering life and for my future.
