Zovem se Konstantinos Psycharis. Dolazim iz Soluna u Grčkoj i završio sam studij sociologije. Sociologija je bila važna prekretnica u mom životu jer mi je pomogla razumjeti što se događa u našem društvu. Oduvijek sam bio znatiželjan zašto se određeni događaji zbivaju, zašto se ljudi i društvo uopće ponašaju na određeni način te što ih motivira na određene postupke.

U potrazi za volonterskim prilikama, slučajno sam otkrio program Europskih snaga solidarnosti. Malo sam istražio mogućnosti i poslao nekoliko prijava. Nakon intervjua s Dkolektivom znao sam da sam pronašao pravo mjesto s pravim ljudima. To je bilo upravo ono što sam tražio – mjesto koje promiče socijalnu integraciju, a pritom pruža priliku da učim od iskusnih ljudi i dobijem mogućnost stvaranja vlastitih metoda za postizanje tog cilja. Kad sam stigao u Hrvatsku i upoznao tim Društvenog ateljea, bio sam siguran da će ovo iskustvo biti ispunjeno osobnim rastom.

Biti dio Društvenog ateljea bilo je neprocjenjivo iskustvo. Vidio sam kako tim organizira aktivnosti na vrlo profesionalan i promišljen način, uvijek uzimajući u obzir utjecaj koji bi programi mogli imati na zajednicu. Naučio sam ne samo kako to rade, već i kakva istraživanja provode prije svakog programa i kako mjere njihov utjecaj. Uz njihovu pomoć, stekao sam nove vještine, poput dizajniranja u Canvi, montaže videa, kreiranja radionica za mlade i starije te suradnje s drugima koji dijele cilj – doprinos zajednici na zabavan, zanimljiv i edukativan način.

Jedno od najznačajnijih iskustava bilo je informiranje ljudi o programu Europskih snaga solidarnosti. Ova inicijativa, nazvana „živa knjižnica“, bila je savršena prilika da se povežem s mladima i objasnim im jedinstvene, zabavne i edukativne benefite Europskih snaga solidarnosti. Bilo mi je drago vidjeti koliko su mladi zainteresirani naučiti više te žele iskoristiti ovu priliku za putovanjima, upoznavanjem novih ljudi te žele doživjeti različite kulture i pomoći lokalnim zajednicama.

Još jedno vrijedno iskustvo za mene bila je radionica koju sam organizirao za starije osobe u Osijeku, gdje sam ih upoznao s grčkom kulturom i načinom života. Oduševilo me koliko je ljudi prisustvovalo i koliko su bili znatiželjni saznati više o različitim kulturama. Najposebniji trenutak bio je kada smo, unatoč jezičnim barijerama, uspjeli komunicirati na doista jedinstven način. Ovo iskustvo pokazalo mi je da se ljudi u Europi mogu lako povezati i razmjenjivati ideje i vrijednosti bez obzira na nacionalnost ili dob. Također sam uživao raditi s međunarodnim timom volontera; dvanaest ljudi iz različitih zemalja okupilo se kako bi promovirali svoje kulture i razumjeli što Hrvatsku čini tako lijepom i jedinstvenom. Bilo je to zaista posebno iskustvo!

Dok se pripremam za povratak u Grčku, znam da će mi nedostajati DKolektiv i Osijek. Osjećam se zrelijim i vještijim i iskreno sam zahvalan što sam napravio ovaj korak. Tijekom boravka ovdje, upoznao sam mnoge zanimljive ljude i stekao bliske prijatelje koje ću zauvijek pamtiti. Zahvalan sam divnim ljudima iz Društvenog ateljea koji su me ne samo mnogo toga naučili, već su bili uz mene kad god sam trebao podršku. Nedostajat će mi prijatelji koje sam ovdje stekao i nadam se da ćemo se ponovno sresti u budućnosti. Također, sigurno će mi nedostajati i sam Osijek – prekrasno, zeleno mjesto za život! Na kraju, planiram primijeniti sve što sam ovdje naučio u budućim prilikama, bilo na poslu ili u drugim volonterskim organizacijama. Uzbuđen sam zbog onoga što slijedi, ali znam da ću uvijek nositi sa sobom vrijedne lekcije i iskustva iz Hrvatske.

 

ENGLISH VERSION

 

Hello, my name is Konstantinos Psycharis. I am from Thessaloniki, Greece, and I hold a degree in Sociology. Studying sociology was a significant milestone in my life, as it helped me make sense of the dynamics in our society. I've always been curious about why certain events occur, why people and society as a whole behave the way they do, and what drives these actions.

In my search for volunteer opportunities, I stumbled upon European Solidarity Corps programs. I did some research and sent out applications. After my interview with DKolektiv, I knew I had found the right place with the perfect people. It was exactly what I had been looking for—a place that promotes social integration while also providing the chance to learn from highly experienced people and even create my own methods to support this mission. When I arrived in Croatia and met the team at Social Atelier, I felt certain that this experience would be full of personal growth.

Being part of Social Atelier has been an invaluable milestone. I saw how the team organized activities in a professional and well-thought-out manner, always considering the community impact of each program. I learned not only how they accomplish this but also what research goes into each program beforehand and how they measure its success. With their guidance, I acquired new skills, such as designing with Canva, editing videos, creating workshops for both young and elderly participants, and collaborating with others who share the goal of giving back to the community in fun, engaging, and educational ways.

One of the most impactful experiences was working with another volunteer, Sandra, to inform people about ESC programs. This initiative, called the “living library,” was a perfect opportunity to connect with young people and explain the unique, fun, and educational benefits of European Solidarity Corps. I was thrilled to see how many young people wanted to learn more and were eager to use this opportunity to travel, meet new people, experience different cultures, and contribute to local communities.

Another valuable experience was the workshop I created for elderly people in Osijek, where I introduced them to Greek culture. I was delighted to see how many people attended and how happy they were to learn about different cultures. The most remarkable moment was that, despite our language differences, we managed to communicate in a truly unique way. This experience showed me that people in Europe can easily connect and exchange ideas and values, regardless of nationality or age. I also enjoyed working with an international volunteer team here; twelve people from different countries came together to share their cultures and understand what makes Croatia so beautiful and unique. It was such a special experience!

As I prepare to return to Greece, I know I will miss DKolektiv and Osijek. I feel more mature and skilled, and I'm genuinely grateful that I took this step. During my time here, I met many fascinating people and made close friends whom I will always remember. I am thankful for the wonderful people at Social Atelier who not only taught me so much but were also there for me whenever I needed support. I will miss the friends I made here and hope to see them again in the future. I’ll definitely miss Osijek itself—a beautiful, green place to live! Finally, I plan to apply everything I've learned here to future opportunities, whether in work or other volunteer organizations. I'm excited about what’s next, but I know I will always carry the valuable lessons and experiences from my time in Croatia.