February 12, 2026
MARCH/APRIL
I arrived in Łódź, Poland at the beginning of March. My settling-in process went very well, and I quickly adapted to this new environment. March and April were particularly pleasant months: I explored the city, got to know the people, and experienced its unique atmosphere. One of the most interesting challenges has been stepping out of my comfort zone, especially when it comes to language. Here, I have to communicate in English, which has pushed me to practice more. I’m also taking English and Polish classes to better adapt to daily life and interact more easily with locals. I’ve had the chance to try some local specialties, like pierogi and bigos, and I really enjoyed discovering Polish cuisine. I also started giving presentations about France in different schools, which allows me to share my culture while improving my communication skills. Finally, I took part in a training session in Warsaw with other volunteers, and it was a great experience. I met people from all over Europe, exchanged ideas, and learned a lot about international volunteering.
MAY
In May, I continued my activities as part of my ESC project in Poland. I had the opportunity to give several presentations in schools to talk about my country.I also took part in an NGO fair. This allowed me to discover other organizations and better understand how they work. It was interesting to see the commitment of different people to various projects.Another important activity this month was a study visit with a group of people from Croatia. We shared our projects and experiences. I learned a lot from these meetings. Also, I started making some friends in Poland, which makes me feel more at home and helps me enjoy the experience even more.
JUNE
June was one of my favorite months since the beginning of my ESC project in Poland. We welcomed a group of young Polish participants as part of the DiscoverEU program. I really enjoyed spending time with them, exchanging ideas, and learning more about their experiences. During this month, I also gave French lessons with Sacha and Laurine. It was a great way to share my language and culture in a fun and interactive way. Another highlight was participating in a school fair where I helped organize a badminton workshop. It was fun to engage with the kids and promote sports. I also started working on my personal project, making videos about sports for social media. This project allows me to combine my passion for sports with creativity. Overall, June was a very positive and fulfilling month
JULY/AUGUST
I`ve had some French talks with a Polish girl who was preparing to start her own ESC project in Belgium. It was great to help her improve her French and to share tips about the ESC experience. These conversations were very enriching for both of us. I also finished my Polish classes in July, which helped me improve my language skills and better understand the local culture. I also continued working on my personal project — creating videos about sports for social media. I’ve been focusing on developing ideas, filming content, and learning more about video editing. During these two months, we also had two study visits. At the end of August, I also took part in my mid term training in Toruń. It was a valuable experience where I had the chance to reflect on my ESC journey so far, meet other volunteers, and get motivated for the remaining months of the project. Overall, July and August were productive and inspiring months, combining personal growth, teamwork, and new connections.
SEPTEMBER
In September, I went back to France for 15 days. It was nice to see my family and friends again. However, I’m not sure if it was the best idea because since I came back, I feel like I have to start everything from scratch. It’s been a bit difficult to get back into the rhythm and reconnect with my project here in Poland, but I’m trying to stay positive and focus on moving forward. This month, I also met the two new volunteers who joined the project. We restarted the English talks, which is a great way to practice and improve our and the local people’s language skills. Additionally, we started a new activity on Thursdays called “The Growth Spot.” It’s a nice opportunity to try something different and engage with more people.
OCTOBER
In October, I took part in the Study Tour Poland (STP) organized with LEVEL UP, during which we welcomed young people from Ukraine and Moldova. It was a great human experience — they were all very friendly and motivated, and it allowed for wonderful intercultural exchanges. We are also continuing to organize our English Talks every Tuesday. However, participation is still quite low. To improve this, we’ve decided to promote the event locally by putting up posters in public places to attract more participants. This month, I also co-hosted a Growth Spot session with Giovanni, focused on fun facts about Italy and France. It was a fun and cultural activity!
I also continued creating videos for LEVEL UP’s social media, still as part of the sports-themed campaign that we started during the previous period.
Finally, I started organizing French Talks with a Ukrainian girl I met during the STP. It’s a great opportunity for both language practice and cultural exchange!
NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER
In November and December, I continued working on the preparation, promotion, and facilitation of the English Talks, taking an active role both in organizing the meetings and leading the discussions. I supported promotional activities for English Talks, including creating content for social media and encouraging local participants to join. During this period, I was also involved in preparing workshops within the Growth Spots initiative. I supported the planning of workshop content and helped facilitate selected sessions (focusing on self-development and personal growth).
At the same time, I worked on closing and recording content for social media as part of my personal content cycle, ensuring consistency and regularity of publications. I actively promoted LEVEL UP’s activities online by creating and publishing multimedia content. I also supported local, on-site events by assisting with their organization and promotion. I helped with many events in November and December. Part of my role included promoting volunteering opportunities and encouraging engagement in local initiatives. Additionally, I continued regular language exchange conversations, supporting informal learning and intercultural exchange. All these activities allowed me to combine organizational, communication, and creative tasks in practice.
Summary
This period was very enriching for me, both professionally and personally. I gained a lot of practical experience in organizing and facilitating activities such as English Talks and Growth Spots workshops. I significantly improved my English language skills, especially in speaking, moderation, and spontaneous communication. Leading meetings and workshops helped me step out of my comfort zone and gain more confidence. Working on social media content taught me how to plan, record, and finalize multimedia materials more effectively.
I met many new people and made a lot of new friends, which made this experience even more meaningful. The international environment inspired me to reflect on my future career path.
As a result of this experience, I decided that after returning to France, I would like to look for opportunities to work abroad. Overall, this time helped me grow, gain clarity about my goals, and build valuable relationships that I will carry with me into the future.
Author : Dimitri Rigaldies
This article was created as part of the Individual Volunteering project – LEVEL UP with volunteering (2023-2-PL01-ESC51-VTJ-000173505) implemented by the European Solidarity Corps program with European Union funds.