Goeiedag!

I’m Marie Lambert (24) from Belgium and I was for 2 weeks part of the volunteers workcamp in Gvozd. Since the end of febuary 2008 I’m doing my EVS (European Voluntary Service) in VCZ (Volunteers centre Zagreb). This means that I’m paid for accomodation and food through the European Commision for a period, to work as a volunteer in this centre for volunteers. I chose to be 7 months in Croatia, to escape the life in Belgium, where I studied Visual art (Textile) and Theatre theory. After this 2 masters I wanted to be busy with something different, before turning into the 9 to 5- working-life. As I’m still young and don’t have the obligations to take care of children or a husband, I thought that this would be a great opportunity, to enjoy the free time I still have. I will leave in the end of September back to Belgium, till then I will spend my time in Zagreb. I hope that I can enjoy also other cities in the weekends, like in Bosnia and Serbia. 

My job in VCZ in Zagreb is connected with the promotion of Voluntary work in Croatia. VCZ is a branch of SCI, (Service Civil International) the international organisation that stands for peace, social help and volunteering. I take also care, as ‘the outgoing placement officer’ of the communication between Croatian volunteers and other SCI-organisations. Croatian volunteers that want to go on voluntary workcamps in the summer in all over Europe and the world come to the office of VCZ for asking information. I try to answer their questions and place them in the workcamps in other countries.

More than 150 Croatian volunteers go each year volunteering for 2 or 3 weeks in another country. At the same time there are also around 150 international volunteers that volunteer in the 13 workcamps in Croatia. There are workcamps with different themes. Working with children or eldery people, and also workcamps more focused on environmental issues (mainly cleaning, or making paths…) There are also workcamps where volunteers helping with organising.

I did already 3 workcamps the last 5 years. One in Romania, where I helped cleaning the preserved area of the Danube Delta, one in Serbia, where I cleaned the banks of the island Lido, in the Danube at Belgrade. 2 years ago I volunteered on the SOS theatre Festival in Sisak. I helped with the organisation and took care of the artists and the promotion for the festival. From that moment I got impressed about Croatia and his beautiful nature. I came back few times for vacation: in Dalmatia (Sibenik), in Istria (Groznjan, Pula) and in Zagreb. I also started to learn the language. I have 2 books for learning: one called ‘Teach yourself Croatian’, the other ‘Grammar of Croatian language’. The 3th book is my small dictionary that I carry all the time with me. If I don’t know the word I search it up immediately! 

Why I’m here in Gvozd:

For each workcamp that VCZ organises with Local partners they send also a workcamp leader to take care of the international volunteers. Because the dates of the workcamp changed the previous workcampleader couldn’t come anymore, so they asked me to go. I really wanted to have some change in the office, and be more involved with local volunteering and less with the practical organisation on higher level.

Here in Gvozd I got to know very nice people. Also the kids from Suncokret, that are so energetic and sweet I will remember for sure! Thanks to all off you to listen to my primitive Croatian and also thanks to Suncokret for the nice accommodation we had! A warm appreciation also to the family Macut, that cooked for us the nice dinner and made the amazing dessert with raspberries!

Ps: Goeiedag means Dobar dan in Dutch!