Mate Pargalava is a Georgian volunteer who joined FERSO Foundation in 2025 and carried out his long-term European Solidarity Corps project funded by the European Solidarity Corps programme of the European Union. Read more about his experience below:

“For almost a year, I had the opportunity to live and volunteer in Łódź, Poland, as part of the European Solidarity Corps. I joined the project as a graphic designer, but, as usually happens with volunteering, my role quickly became much more than what was written on paper. 

During my time there, I worked on social media content, promotional materials, photography, video editing and visual communication. I also had the chance to work on creative projects such as board games and illustrated books, while supporting different activities for young people.

Besides design, I became involved in education and youth work. I worked as a trainer and educator, shared my creative skills with others and learned a lot from the people around me. Every day was a mix of creativity, teamwork, new challenges and occasionally figuring out what exactly was going on.

Living and working with people from different countries also taught me a lot about communication, independence and seeing things from different perspectives. I came to Poland mainly as a designer, but I left with much more experience in youth work, education, teamwork and international cooperation.

It was definitely a year full of challenges, unexpected experiences, and memories I will carry with me long after the project ended”.