Gvantsa Chanturia is a Georgian volunteer who joined St. Nicolaus Bishop Association in Poland in 2024 and for 9 months, carried out her long-term European Solidarity Corps project funded by the European Solidarity Corps programme of the European Union. Read more about her experience below:

“In 2024, my journey as a volunteer began – and it was full of unforgettable experiences.

Throughout this time, I met some truly amazing people and made lifelong friends from all around the world. Volunteering gave me the chance to learn about different cultures, perspectives, and the real situations people face in their countries. I started to understand more clearly how the world works and just how lucky we all were to share that unique experience—despite our different backgrounds, challenges, or privileges.

Living independently and handling challenges on my own helped me grow a lot. It taught me lessons I’ll carry into the future and gave me confidence in myself. Now I have connections across the globe, and that makes me feel deeply connected to the world as a whole.

The organization I volunteered with focused on creating a better and safer space for children. My role involved helping kids with their homework, playing games with them, and simply enjoying the moment together. It was both fun and fulfilling.

I also got to collaborate with other places—one highlight was giving a presentation about my country, Georgia, at a local library. We even made traditional Georgian food together! Seeing how excited people were to learn about my culture, and how much they appreciated it, made me feel incredibly proud.

Looking back, despite the challenges, I can truly say this experience was meaningful. It helped me grow, gave me a chance to contribute to something bigger, and showed me how powerful it is to make a difference in the lives of others”.