1. What motivated you to join this youth exchange, and what were your expectations before coming?
My main motivation was to discover new approaches to entrepreneurship and learn how to become a more active citizen in my community.
Living in a rural area, I sometimes feel that bringing my ideas to life is difficult because opportunities are more limited than in bigger cities. I wanted to explore how I could move forward despite those challenges.
Before coming, I hoped to gain knowledge that would help me become both a more engaged community member and a future entrepreneur. I was also looking forward to exchanging experiences with the other participants and discovering what we could learn from one another.
2. How has this experience changed the way you see volunteering, entrepreneurship or your own role in the community?
I now see volunteering as an opportunity to support people and communities while also learning and gaining experience. The exchange helped me appreciate how contributing to a cause can support personal development and introduce new possibilities for involvement, including opportunities through the European Solidarity Corps.
My perspective on entrepreneurship changed too. Hearing stories about people who had built businesses, often starting with very little, motivated me to consider taking that step myself.
Their experiences made starting a business feel more achievable. I hope to use what I learned to develop my own ideas and become more useful to my community and town.
3. What was the most valuable activity, moment or lesson for you during the exchange, and why?
For me, the Discussion Workshop was the most valuable part. It gave us the opportunity to exchange opinions on different topics and hear how people from different countries approached the same questions.
We could share challenges affecting our towns and countries, compare our experiences and think about possible solutions together. I appreciated having space to explain our own situations while listening to perspectives we might not encounter at home.
The activity showed me the value of discussing local problems with people who bring different experiences. Their questions and suggestions can help you look at a familiar issue in a new way.
4. What new skills, ideas or confidence did you gain through participating in this project?
The biggest change was in my confidence and my willingness to believe in my own abilities. I realised that waiting for the perfect environment or the perfect moment can keep me from taking action. Those conditions may never arrive exactly as I imagine them.
I came away feeling that I need to take my ideas seriously and be prepared to work consistently to develop them.
At the same time, I would have appreciated more opportunities to discuss our own business ideas. Much of our time was spent analysing other entrepreneurs’ business plans. Learning from those examples was useful, but having more space to apply that learning to our individual plans would have made the experience even more relevant to me.
5. After this youth exchange, what do you want to do differently in your local community or in your own future?
After the exchange, I feel more drawn towards becoming an entrepreneur. I see it as a possible way to respond directly to local needs while building something of my own.
I would like to explore ideas that could be useful to my community and give me greater independence in my working life. The possibility of making my own decisions and shaping a project matters to me.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
