{"id":32575,"date":"2025-06-11T12:37:39","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T10:37:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/?p=32575"},"modified":"2025-12-02T12:51:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T11:51:15","slug":"training-for-european-solidarity-corps-volunteers-in-orahovica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/news\/training-for-european-solidarity-corps-volunteers-in-orahovica\/","title":{"rendered":"Training for European Solidarity Corps volunteers in Orahovica"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The ESS volunteers from Sunce Martina, Jeanne and Sanja<\/strong> took part in the volunteer training in Orahovica. Read their article to hear about their experiences, what impressed them the most, and what they will remember forever.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here we are, three volunteers from Sunce, excited (or maybe a little worried) about heading to Orahovica for our on-arrival training. Honestly, we were all secretly expecting a week filled with dry lectures, endless presentations, and the feeling that our brains were boiling from the amount of information. You know that typical \u201ctraining\u201d where you sit in a room, politely nod your head, and try not to fall asleep in front of a crowd of strangers. But how wrong we were! We had no idea that this week would turn into a whirlwind of laughter and learning through fun activities. We arrived thinking we’d be checking the clock every five minutes, and left with minds full of knowledge, hearts full of memories, and phones full of selfies with new friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrival and first Impressions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Orahovica, a charming little town, felt more like a relaxing getaway than a training location. With all the greenery, cosy houses, and fresh air, it almost felt like we were on vacation. The Red Cross center Merkur, where the training was held, looked more like a wellness retreat than a classroom, with its gardens and indoor pool. But beyond the stunning setting, the real surprise was the training itself \u2014 no boring lectures. Instead, we immediately jumped into fun games, lively discussions, and activities that made learning about solidarity and ESS priorities genuinely engaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meeting new people and the fun of the first day<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From the moment we arrived, it was clear this wouldn\u2019t be a typical training. Volunteers from all over Europe, hosted by NGOs from Croatia, Albania and Kosovo<\/strong>, gathered together like a playful, smiling version of the United Nations. Each person brought something unique, and we quickly realised that despite our different backgrounds, we shared the same goal: to learn, grow, and create memories that would last a lifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the real star of the first day was Poppy, one of our mentors\u2019 adorable dogs. Poppy became our unofficial mascot, following us everywhere with a level of dedication that could put any guard dog to shame. Honestly, we all agreed that without Poppy, the week would have felt simply incomplete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Laughter, lessons, and local flavours<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To kick off the training, we played a walking game around town in pairs, during which we not only explored the beauty of Orahovica but also learned about each other\u2019s volunteer experiences. It wasn\u2019t just sightseeing it was connecting, sharing, and trying to understand what solidarity truly means<\/strong>. Between laughing, getting lost in cute little streets, and talking about everything from hobbies to deep thoughts on volunteering we began to understand that solidarity is something everyone can feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then there was the coffee. Coffee breaks weren\u2019t just breaks \u2014 they were rituals. Rituals we all looked forward to, as if each cup of caffeine was a tiny celebration of survival. Conversations flowed, ideas emerged, and yes, snacks also played their role. And in case you\u2019re wondering \u2014 yes, the coffee was so strong that by the end of the week we probably could\u2019ve powered a small car with our collective caffeine intake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next day brought us a role-playing game about responsibilities. The mentors were incredibly creative; this wasn\u2019t your typical \u201csit and listen\u201d session. Instead, they threw us into team games that made us run through the park, discuss communication, group rules, and teamwork. We weren\u2019t competing for a prize, but for that pure feeling of satisfaction when a group task goes well. And let\u2019s be honest \u2014 there’s no better feeling than teamwork where everyone communicates and no one eats all the snacks (well\u2026 almost no one).<\/p>\n\n\n

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After all the running and teamwork, we were rewarded with a real treat \u2014 a traditional Croatian dinner that completely delighted us. Imagine this: creamy \u0161trukli<\/em> that hug your palate, a hearty and spicy \u010dobanac<\/em> that warmed us up nicely, the legendary Slavonian kulen<\/em> \u2014 a sausage so good it deserves its own fan club \u2014 and maslenica<\/em>, a rich, flaky pastry that made us wonder why we don\u2019t eat it every day. Honestly, every bite felt like a delicious history lesson, and we were absolutely here for it. Croatian food? A perfect ten \u2014 we\u2019d eat it again in a heartbeat!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day three: project management<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve ever wondered what it\u2019s like to be a mini-manager for a day \u2014 this was that moment. We were divided into groups, given tasks, and told to handle everything from start to finish. It was intense, but in the best possible way. We learned how important it is to stay organised, communicate effectively, and always keep the final goal in mind<\/strong>. The clock was ticking, and we had so much fun that the pressure didn\u2019t even feel like pressure. Everyone worked in harmony, and we walked away not just as little managers but with a sense of accomplishment that could rival some corporate executives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then, of course, the weather decided to ruin the fun \u2014 literally. It started to rain. But did we let that stop us? Absolutely not! We adapted like true volunteers. The rain didn\u2019t prevent us from organising a cosy movie night, sharing more laughs, and relaxing after a day full of learning and teamwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultural exchange and reflection<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Towards the end, we focused on intercultural learning. This was when we shared our personal stories, talked about our cultures, and reflected on how our volunteer roles contribute to the broader ESS priorities. It wasn\u2019t just about understanding what ESS means \u2014 it was about truly connecting with its values.<\/strong> And, let\u2019s be honest, after a week of bonding, learning, and (too much) food \u2014 we had plenty to talk about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the highlights was the trip to Ru\u017eica city<\/strong> castle. I\u2019m convinced that castle is actually a disguised endurance test. We all thought: \u201cOh, it\u2019ll just be a nice little walk,\u201d and once we reached the top \u2014 we questioned every life choice we had ever made. But the view? Absolutely worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last day was dedicated to planning future projects and learning all the steps to ensure everything runs smoothly. We filled out evaluation forms, probably overthinking our answers. After that, we had a free afternoon to soak in the final moments before saying goodbye. With hearts full of memories, we hopped on a train and waved farewell to a week we\u2019ll never forget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What we learned (and laughed about along the way)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Turns out learning doesn\u2019t have to be boring! We discovered that teamwork, communication, and solidarity work much better when you\u2019re having fun and not sitting through dull presentations. We learned to plan projects, manage time, and solve problems \u2014 all while making friends and laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, we didn\u2019t just become better volunteers \u2014 we became a well-coordinated team ready for anything. A huge thank you to our amazing mentors, Diana and Domagoj<\/strong>, for guiding us without dimming the fun. And thank you to all the volunteers for the laughter and memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s to what comes next \u2014 may there be even more games, good food, and of course, endless coffee!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ESS volunteers share a week in Orahovica filled with learning, teamwork, cultural exchange and fun activities during their unforgettable training.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":32571,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,975],"tags":[361],"class_list":["post-32575","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-volunteers","tag-ess"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32575","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32575"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32575\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34976,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32575\/revisions\/34976"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32575"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32575"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}