Marlene The Fitness Addict

We seek to cooperate with local media so we inform some TV program/radio we are conducting this project, the scope and send them a short video and photos. 

My first summer in Malta : time to rest<3

When my parents came to Malta<3

Has been super nice to have my favourite flatmate Noemi back in Malta and hear from her heart that she is feeling good<3 

Enjoying the Maltese Festivals: Easter and Carnival 2019

12 Months later....

15.10.2019

Different is not wrong, is just different.

The European Solidarity Corps experience brought up challenges in terms of professional and personal growth. This opportunity to work in a no profit foundation foster my skills and competences with a marked in social and interactive skills, creating in me new frontier in thinking about the world and different cultures.

I have been involved in an high-quality activities, interacting to varying degrees with the local community and volunteers, carrying out multiple tasks, running my own solidarity project. At first was difficult to find different approaches to what i consider universal, such as food, work and communication. The hosts and the host country are different from i was accustomed to at home. The difference starts from the language and accommodation, to the dress and behaviour. Despite that, i focused all my efforts to be tolerance and patience and genuinely become a part of new culture working and respecting both work and external environment every day. I was be able to strengh my self and my weakness, learning how to live with different people, maintaining my own space without invading the privacy of other people, improving and enhancing my independence through overcoming difficulties which gave me pain, becoming a responsible woman.

I superzised my stay and lived every bit with enthusiasm and perseverance without giving up even when it was becoming hard. Since the wonderful experience i had, sourranded by friendly people who are making me so loved all the times, but also as long as i found the job which is suited to my profile, i have decided to stay here in Malta, starting a new exciting life on my own.

I learnt how to appreciate simple things and to value what i have around, learning to give importance to the right people and be able to schedule priorities, giving myself the time to reflect and stop from the daily routine. Day by day, i set up a lot of goals that i reached with success and also new ones that i have to work on. I improved my linguistic skills, using business English, and i acquired a good professional outstanding, improving my speed skill, making experience in social media, design, events and social works. 

Passing through a lot of different moments during the whole duration of the project, i learnt how to be less restrictive with my self, organizing better my time, building a constructive dialogue with my supervisor and with the people, respecting the rules by learning my doing. 

The FUTURE is Malta and i feel that i found my own house here. 

CCIF has been offering Elementary and Intermediate Cultural Orientation and English for daily living courses in a project ‘’Cultural Competences of Third Country Nationals’’ partly financed by the European Union under the Aslyum, Migration and Integration Fund. The courses were aimed at teaching and helping migrants both maltese culture and English to improve communication skills with a focus on cultural differences and attitudes necessary for successful adaptation in Malta. Through this particular project we try to reduce the level of people being vulnerable offering them courses where we were trying to make them able to communicate in different languages and know better the culture and the different issues related to lifestyle, they know their rights, so they can be more aware of the dangerous around them and stay safe. What is more they can also be able get employment and be useful in the community where they live so in this way

A glimpse of the topic of the courses 

Cultural Orientation: adapting foreign traditions to conform and respect local Maltese culture/no-discrimination, gender equality/local educational opportunities/maltese culture/living in Malta/democracy, history and politics in Malta/ useful services/

English Course: Grammar and Vocabulary 

On 3th of August 2019, we had a closing Conference where the beneficiaries were given certificates.

Andrew lovers from CODE Red a project spearheaded by local youths, with music acting as a creative vehicle through which they seek to raise awareness about the perils of human traffickin. I’m in love with this song!

After attending the second cycle of European Solidarity Corps Training, i’ve decided to shoot a video sharing my feelings about what i have learnt during these months and what this mid-term training left to me. 

Part I

https://www.facebook.com/ccifmt/videos/2388470818108074/

1-) Can you detail what is EVS?

Evs is no-formal learning experience within financial and language support included for undertaking a volunteering experience for one year abroad under Erasmus +. The participant (from 18 til 30 years old) has both sending and receiving organization which have right and responsibilities to follow in order to make this experience beneficial for the volunteer. Is also provided a mentor, a person who should support the volunteer during eventual crisis management. This mobility experience equips the volunteers with communication skills and intercultural learning in order to make them adopt cultural and personal challenges. This pathway would also be able to insert the participant in a new challenging and learning environment where they can test themselves enable them to integrate in a new culture and habits. It’s important keep this stretch zone as a space where they can learn by doing and empower the attitude skills  as being resilient, determinate and have endurance, necessary to don’t give up when is coming hard.

Based on his answers, i can comment or add a question.

2-) Over to you Marlene, Why did you decide to apply for an EVS?

I’ve been knowing European Solidarity Corps for long time and i ever thought was a good opportunity offered to young people in order to spend some time abroad adapting to cultural and personal challenges. When i was at the University i though could be an interesting opportunity for me to catch out in order to change my perspection of life living an intercultural experience with people coming from different background. This life learning experience would have been a chance for me in growing up, being independent, knowing my limits and overcome the difficulties with intelligence. When i went through the European Solidarity Corps i selected 30 projects closed to my area where i wanted to focus and CCIF annual plans  close to me cause their mission and values they are carrying on. 

Part II

1-) Let’s now talk about your actual work, what do you on your every day experience as an EVS volunteer? 

I daily life engaged in working in elimination of trafficking in person supporting CCIF tasks and helping out with several initiatives. I’ve worked in FINN awareness project among youth co funded by MCCF working with kids through educational workshops and performing time in order to create an anti human trafficking video. Moreover i helped out at some events (Human trafficking day, Finn and Tcau Conference, Code Red and ITTCTN Conference) and writing peojects. Plus, i’m in charge of social media management( post, articles on social media) running live streaming (setting up and being the participant), managing web-tv and radio channel. This volunteering experience in CCIF leads me learning more about human trafficking, empowering my personal and professional skills trying to be committed for a good cause.

Indeed, accordingly the European Solidarity Corps projects, i have attended the second cycle of mid-term evaluation on different moments that i have lived so far within the volunteering project. The training was useful to access the experience, to gathering up valuations and reflections on what i have achieved so far but also a moment to share stories and questions with other participants and to plan our future, setting next goals and having moments to fill out the Youth pass Certificate, a good quality document which gives evidence of learning outcome competences. My favourite moment was the ones in Balzan Garden; magic, quiet and handsome place where we had a great time of reflection analyzing different aspects of our pathway using non-formal methods. Then was really challenging the totem activity when we had to create the totem of our story in a creative way. This activities allows me to stimulate my sense of initiative and creativeness and also my ability to speak on public about myself. This second training was more familiar for me cause i already knew the participants and also i was more comfortable doing interactive workshops and speak about myself. 

3) Which type of skills you have gained so far that you want to put into account?

TRAINING EVENTS ‘’Social media as a key tool for social worker’’ involving youth worker/ active participation/ enhance digital skills through ICT/

Partners: Greece, Cypro, Macedonia, Serbia 

Objectives: Education and training feature prominently in the ‘’Europe 2020 Strategy’’ as a method of promoting smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Indeed through this mobility experience abroad, participants will be able to learn to better develop a curricula that is more user friendly, simple and intuitive as possible and makes available opportunities in life. The participant will be involved to the increase used of modern ICT technologies and their various application participating in an international network with other adults sharing knowledge and experiences, pinpointing similarities and difference between the countries in ICT issue and discovering new ways to encourage best practices to bolster the use of ICT. The main goal is keep the participant abreast with new developments and make them conversant with different technologies and systems by empowering their sense of initiative and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, the project wants to encourage them to improve foreign language competences and enhance cultural awareness.

Target Group:  to reach 5 youth worker coming from each country

Results: as a result, the participants perceive they are better equipped with skills transferrable to their colleagues. The sharing of information, knowledge and skills acquired through this project is being considered as improvement initiative.

Ahead of the Afternoon clubs with kids! 

‘‘Young people have the most power to change society where we re living in it’‘

Promote curiosity, self-development and responsibility

The clubs featured kids from 4-10 in Floriana, spending time with them, focus on carry out a wide range of activities currently based on: brief talk, games, art, sharing best practice, in order to pass a special, interactive and smart free time together. During these free weekly sections we set up several youth activities ranging different area in order to develop basic skills in youth providing them material with whom they can experiment by their own. We hope to leave a positive impact to the children who are attending the clubs and also help families in giving them practical help, taking care of the kids and assist them by providing guidance for homework.

As Foundation working against human trafficking, interaction with local children is a key component and we have in our heart the wish to raise awareness about human trafficking, tackling some of the issue, enable them to distinguish suspicious situation through using action workshops where they can act and find out more about how this dramatic topic affect our society.

Playing wise, we aim to make the kids busy throughout these afternoon on a number of session teaching them to be safe, equip them with the tools they require to stay informed and conscious about the matter.

‘’Each chapter is a new adventure’’

As a participant involved in a full term European Solidarity Corps project i have to attend the Mid-term Evaluation, my follow up of my on-arrival training provided by Maltese National Agency .The training took place at 213, Żgħażagħ Azzjoni Kattolika (ZAK House), Birkinkara and l slept there for three nights in shared rooms. Being in this training was a necessary break in this moment of my Evs which allowed me to make a deep reflection on my self, my progress and challenges addressed and put words on what i have learnt so far.  

 The trainers for this MTM were Louis Debono and Suzanne Vella again with us in this last training, with vast experience with EVS volunteers. They have prepared a very interesting programme during the course of the training.

During the training i found an hosting and trustful environment receptive of individual specificities where i could set up new goals and reflect about my life changing in Malta as active youth engaged in society in developing activities in local community. I have attended several useful activities enhancing volunteers professional skills and competence, contributing to make my profile more attractive for next employability.

Aware of my tasks in CCIF and my role in the Foundation i therefore took this possibility to think a bit more about my pathway with the aim of assess my personal and professional growth and my contribution to my hosting organization. The training was a reference point for me and for all the Evs volunteers who are doing the volunteering experience here in Malta in different Foundations dealing with crucial topics (protection of the environment, social issue, kids, disable youth, animals ...etc) carrying with their ideas, expectations, needs and habits. During these days i have received support enhancing and implementing new ideas for my future. 

All the workshops were well-organized and each of them highlighted different points to make us go into personal introspection. We have worked both together and alone, sharing our personal moments of reflection with all the rest of the group. Although sometimes during the activities we took into account tricky subjects, we were be able to talk all together helping each other in a constructive way to get into our potential and make it concrete. 

Moreover, thanks to this training i acknowledge it is important having a beneficial break from the frenetic life in order to take own time and make a mind-map of what are own outcomes and how you can move to reach them. Never less to say, the breaks could be a rich moments where you can have an acknowledgment of your skills and learn how to use them in an efficient way for the next future. I have lived a variety of moments which let me develop my creativity and commitment to strengthen more myself. 

Also reflecting about which steps i made to face the obstacles in the past,how i sort them out and which skills helped me to overcome the situation.

On the side of entertainment time, we went to a traditional restaurant in Dingli on Saturday evening all together, spending great time and eating traditional delicious plates and building strong bonds among us.

The Citizen are United- Conference Malta. 29-30 May 2019 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/citizens-are-united-conference-towards-a-more-inclusive-society-tickets-57984853257#

The Citizen are United has called for a solid European pillar of civic participation and inclusion towards migrants to reinforce social rights and deliver a positive impact on people’s lives. That project is bases on eliminating modern Slavery and integrate the Third Country National in EU member states. The project has shows to overcome hate speech and inequality promoting tolerance, understanding, participation of migrants for making the society a more inclusive place to live in order  to achieve a positive change on it. The founded by Europe Citizen Programme includes 10 Partners (Romania, Cypro, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Italy, Slovacchia, Malta, Portugal and Ireland). The central points of the project are the intercultural dialogues with different topics (world cup, marriage,migrants/native nutrition, stigmatisation, religion) which plays a central role in pursuing social rights and volunteering.

During the Conference with the role of MC + time keeper. Host people to communicate detailed information.

Keynote: Media tools and their effectiveness/

Panel Discussions: Xenophobia and Racism, Third Country National Integration in the EU, right of Eu citizens, 

Workshops: protection of Minority Groups, stigmatisation, how to propose projects which are in line with Europe 2020 strategy and EU and national policies, funding, towards a fundamental rights-based approach to migration and integration, integration for policy makers and practitioners, migrant empowerment, active citizenship, immigrant youth, education and labour market

Marlene and Shierly’s compilation of anti-human trafficking workshops 

Generate awareness about human trafficking and support the community.