Tornike Namicheishvili is a Georgian volunteer who joined non-governmental organization PSONI in Gdansk, Poland and carries out his long-term European Solidarity Corps project funded by Erasmus +. Read what he says about his upcoming experience:

“Volunteering is not unknown to me as I had taken part in various volunteering projects and activities during the last ten years, but the latest one is the most challenging because I have to enter the sphere of people of special needs, which is new and yet unfamiliar for my experience.

Special education is growing more and more in my homeland rep. of Georgia as many schools are adopting education for children of special needs. As I was working in a school in 2016 as an English teacher, I had a few students, which needed special tutoring and teaching methods and I’ve got a chance to be introduced to the different and unknown world. After that, for a couple of years, I was dived into the many spheres and activities and so the idea of entering into special education was just moved into the background for a while.

One of the best things that happened to me during the world lockdown under the pandemic of covid-19 is when I saw the advertisement on the BITISI’s page on social media about the volunteering program in Gdansk Poland to help people having special needs. I didn’t expect that I would have been accepted as the answer of my acceptance came at the very last moment and after a few challenges including visa, covid-19 test results, and other paper works I was able to step my foot in Poland for my new adventure, to write another page in the book of my life experience.

In one’s opinion the person should stick only for one job and has to dedicate his life to make it grow and master it, but based on my experience of a lifetime, it is also possible to open doors for two or more spheres, because life never stands on the one point, it always changes and it makes you adapt changes based on its flowing. All the experience the person gets is essential because based on my example all the knowledge and experience that person can get will be beneficial in the future as life can never tell before head what is going to happen.

The second reason for participating in this project is my willingness for helping children and people of this category because by doing this I feel myself as a part of the community that does good things for the people that benefits for its own country and I want to take part in to make life a little bit better for my country.

Apart from the new experiences as a teacher and tutor, my next motivation is to get known to the country itself, as Poland is an EU member central European country. It is interesting to compare the lifestyles and development strategies of two countries of a different culture. Also, Poland has one of the best historical sides, and being a historian I found it very mesmerizing the sites of the old town of Gdansk with its beautiful medieval European style architecture. At the last, I get to known other volunteers from other countries as we share our views, experiences, cultures, etc. and so I do my best to represent my country in the best way possible.

To sum up I’m expecting to come back to my homeland as a new person full of experiences to share it for my country and to help to build a better future” – Tornike Namicheishvili.