Volunteers of 2022 in Budapest

European Solidarity Corps Project No: 2020-3-HU01-ESC11-093784 


Soap

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? 

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Palm Oil

In Nigeria, the demand for palm kernel oil – extracted from the fruit of the oil palm tree – is estimated to be double than what local producers can currently supply. Palm oil is used for cooking and it is also an important ingredient in a variety of food and cosmetics products.

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Flea Markets

The second-hand tradition has started to become a trend at an incredible speed recently. Flea markets, which are described as second-hand sellers, are one of them. A flea market (or swap meet) is a type of street market that provides space for vendors to sell previously owned (second hand) goods. These purchase points have become a must-stop for sustainable consumption that is based on the reuse of all sorts of things. İt can be easily argued that flea markets and thrift stores have a significant positive impact on the environment. In fact, flea markets have recently become one of the indispensable addresses of tourists. It is possible to find very beautiful antique products at incredibly cheap prices in these markets. Of course, sometimes you don't know if they are real, so we may have to be careful about it. I regret to say that the concept of second-hand clothing is not very common in Azerbaijan and people find it strange. But recently, the flea market, where second-hand antiques are sold, has also become common in our country. I love visiting flea markets mostly in the countries I visit and a few days ago I visited one of the flea markets in Budapest. Unfortunately, many stores were closed in this market because it was wintertime. But I think I will visit it again, thinking that it will come to life more in summer.

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Autumn vegetables

It is possible to find products of all colors and varieties in the Szatyorstore, that are related to the autumn season. Many products of these are not common in Azerbaijan and we do not use them.

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Autumn and renovations in the garden

In the Grundkert community garden, which is a part of the volunteering project, crops in the garden have been a bit disrupted due to long-term repairs and renovations. But even the renewal process did not prevent the flowers in the garden from blooming and adding color to our lives. At the same time, some red fish live in the small pond in the garden. I hope the renovation work will be finished soon and the new seeds will find life in the garden before winter comes.

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Mid-term training

I attended the mid-term training held in Visegrad between 13.09.2022 and 16.09.2022 as a Budapest volunteer of the Szatyor organization. I was very happy to see the friends we made from Arrival trainig again. In the 3-day program, we shared what we learned from the volunteering project in the six-month anniversary we left behind, and we learned new information about how we will contribute to volunteering in the upcoming period. We experienced different activities and different experiences. We went to the Hungarian national restaurant with local clothes, local food and music, and in the evening of the same day, we learned the Hungarian local dance. Training added a lot to my life in terms of volunteering and helped me improve myself.

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Ignacio de Angel Fernandez

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.

Aysel Huseynova


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.


 Volunteers of 2021 in Budapest

 

 

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.

Kelemen Erika

Federico Apollo

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.