European Solidarity Corps Project No: 2020-3-HU01-ESC11-093784
Recently, we have been exposed to so many clothes in the places where we work voluntarily that I even started to think that clothes are more dangerous than plastic. We used to work in thousands of clothes every day, and I was thinking every time there are so many clothes on the ground but still people are buying clothes or big companies producing clothes every day. Crazy don't you think?
A lot of people, including myself, love to cook, and there are even those who consider it a hobby. So, have you ever thought about the foods we use while making these dishes that directly concern our health? Do you have any information about the production process of the foods you use? Are they even sustainable? In this article, we can talk about sustainable food by taking the example of "Szatyorbolt", one of the organizations where I worked voluntarily for 10 months and that has been active for many years before me and gained a reputation in the field of sustainable food in Hungary.
The Association of Conscious Consumers has organized their yearly “Family Day” on the 18th of February in the downtown building of the Central European University, and we were invited to help during the event.
24th February 2023 marked a year of sadness and at the same time a year to celebrate life from Ukraine because we are still living since the invasion of Russian war on Ukraine. Dévai Fogadó had an event @ Dévai utca 11 on this day to celebrate with refugees from Ukraine, it was such a great time. Participants (volunteers) from other organizations were present like Menedek Egyesulet, Emma Egyesulet, Patent Egyesulet, Dévai Fogadó, Szatyor etc.
Since the new path started on our volunteering journey with the shop closing, we are experiencing other volunteering opportunities. One of these is to help out in a place where they are offering sustainable life for Ukrainians.
We are European Solidarity Corps volunteers, but have we ever thought about what Solidarity means here?
The term of "sustainable cleaning" can have a lot of definitions, but the main goal of the process is to use cleaning solutions and methods that keep us and our environment healthy and free of toxins. Exposure to chemicals and toxins can potentially cause irreparable damage to our bodies, water, air, and ecosystem. Green cleaning can fall mean using a green cleaning product or cleaning your home to reduce waste that goes into landfills, for example. Sustainable cleaning products typically have the following characteristics:
Before I came to Hungary voluntarily, I had never had a chance to go to Europe. Usually, I had the opportunity to travel a little with my family around border countries. Of course, there is a huge difference between traveling with family and friends. Ever since I came to Europe, I realized how much I love to travel and discover new places. It's nice to visit and see new places, but how can we make these trips sustainable?
Every day thousands of people use Beauty Products, while going to work, sitting at home, or taking a shower. Have you ever gone on a date without perfume or brushed your teeth? Probably you did not. Well, do you have any information about these products that you use in your daily life? Have you thought about how eco-friendly and sustainable they are? Let's forget about sustainability, what if it contains something that is not good for your health? Oh, wait no, do not forget about sustainability. Let's find out together because I didn't know much either until I wrote this article.
Nigeria has a tropical climate; hot and humid in the coastal area of south, but increasingly dry towards the north. Ezugwu (2015) identified the available renewable energy sources in Nigeria to be solar, hydropower, biomass and wind. Solar energy is freely available in all parts of the country which favors the use of its radiation for energy in buildings
One of the main advantages of being in an international community is: food!
How many times do we wash our hands with soap every day? 5-10-15? Even maybe more for people who are suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. So what do we know about these soaps that are part of our lives? What do we know about the history of soaps, which became even more popular after the pandemic period? You always buy soap, but have you ever tried to make soap yourself?
My name is Nacho and I am Spanish. I have just finished my studies as a lawyer, and it was at that moment when I realised that maybe this life was not for me, or at least not the way I had planned it.
That's why I decided to turn my life around and join this project. The people involved are wonderful, and the lessons they teach us volunteers are the basis for a sustainable lifestyle that respects the planet and the environment.
Although I live in Budapest, where I have the opportunity to work in a shop whose products come from local producers, and to have access and the possibility to work in urban gardens, it is also possible for me to get to know this project on a more local scale, in Etyek.
I have been involved in various volunteering, but this is the first one with such a strong sustainable development component, so I am looking forward to learning more!
My name is Aysel, I am 23 years old from Azerbaijan. I was working after I graduated from university but after two years of working life, I realized that some things were not going well in my life. I started to search for new opportunities around Europe. Then this project caught my attention and I said "why not?".
I usually spent the sum-mers with my grandmother in our village, we had a big garden and since my grandmother was old, I always took care of the garden. It was really hard for me towards the end of the summer because I was always forced to leave the village-life and return to the city. And right now, the happiness of being able to do the same things in the middle of a big city is undescribable.
I had the opportunity to meet new people from different countries because of the project and I believe that we will reflect our cultures in the best way with these people.
The organization also helps us a lot to participate in other activities besides the project and I am very grateful for that. I believe that I will be involved in the project with my full potential and I will reflect myself in the best way possible.
Hello! I am Ola from Nigeria. Found myself in Hungary as a result of the war happening in Ukraine. I discovered about Szatyor volunteer program and I decided to take part in the project. It’s indeed something new for me. It is absolutely a new experience for me because I haven’t talked or though about sustainability in anyway, this is completely a new face in my life. However, the idea of getting to travel is adventures for me, meet with new people from different cultures, country and learn about the European lifestyle and traditions are quite exciting for me. I’m so excited to start a new adventure and to learn about the local communities, Hungarian culture and other cultures around Europe! I hope in the end of this program I would learn maximum about how to build sustainability in my community and contribute to a better future for myself.
For a couple of weeks now, we’ve been able to observe a smiling girl (though she’s less visible in a mask, but we’ll show her now) who recently joined our team as a volunteer for European Solidarity. Greet Erika, who is from Miercurea Ciuc, Transylvania, with great pleasure. During her school and college years, she was active in several student and NGO organizations, so he was happy to join our community as a new volunteer. Growing up in the mountains and going on a lot of hiking with her family as a child, nature has always been close to her heart. She became acquainted with the so-called sustainable economy and the green way of life during his time in Budapest, so she hopes that she can learn and gain new experiences during her work with us.
My name is Federico, I was born in Cremona, a small town in northern Italy, 26 years ago from Sicilian parents. Even if agriculture is a fundamental part of life in Cremona, I actually lived and felt the soil only during the hot Sicilian summers in the tiny country house of my grandparents. Cultivating with my grandfather and having the excuse to be dirty was the best game. Thanks to my job I could feel again some of those flavours and perfumes of my childhood. I am an educator and I worked in the schools and in the fields with youngsters, who have mental disorders: we grew vegetables and sold them to the people and some restaurants. I also worked with disabled people: we managed small caterings during sport events and we helped serving in some bars. The contact with nature and being among people is very important for psycho-physical well-being, including mine. Besides all this, there was always the music. Cremona is the home to violin makers and the music flows through the streets. Since I was young I have been studying music, and teaching piano is another job of mine. I got to know Szatyorbolt 3 years ago thanks to my partner. I entered this shop and I could smell the perfume of the products. I was really interested to know more about them because I liked their ethics. I worked a lot in these years, and I loved my job a lot, but I needed to change air. The old country house of my grandparents has been sold, my Sicilian roots have been cut, so I decided to create new ones here in Budapest with my girlfriend. I wanted to start with the things that I love and I think that the volunteering at Szatyorbolt could be a great solution.