Espanol
Latviesu valoda
I am in Latvia as a French volunteer through EVS program for nine months. I had already the luck to go as volunteer for a short term in India and in Senegal through a small French organisation. I wanted to go for a quite long term, to learn the language and to "live" abroad. M first wish was to go in a South country. Then I realise that it could be interesting also to go somewhere I don't know nothing, to open myself to these countries I didn't have any knowledge. You are going to be citizen of the same Europe. In France no image in our mind. Just if we can put Baltic countries in a map... I didn't want to close this opportunity. EVS program allowed me to be volunteer without cost.
I chose a project in the East part of Europe. They answered be here. My project was for a local NGO in Rezekne to develop European Program. Then there were also the possibility to take care of a French Cultural Centre.
My volunteering...
I can't say Rezekne is beautiful. Rezekne was completely destroyed during the Second World War. Rezekne has been rebuilt during the Soviet time, with a lot of similar buildings and factories which some are now closed. It gives a strange atmosphere.
It is a middle town but there is not a lot of things to do. In Summer you can go to swin in the lake, alone there. It is the paradise for fisher man and people who like quiet places... In Winter, you go to the pub as usual...
I am used to live in a big city. Here I could see the changes of the weather. When I arrived, the fields were full of dandelions... In the end of September, I went outside at 8.00 o'clock in the evening and it was already dark. In the Summer solstice, it was not dark at all. Now Rezekne is recovered with snow. One week ago, it was minus 30. I couldn't imagine to live with such temperature. And I survive... Even I went for a walk with minus 20, the colours were so beautiful with the shiny sun.
Here I was attentive of the weather and the season, of the landcape, the nature around me.
People in Latvia have a hard life. They work a lot, so many hours we can't have now in France especially for a so small account of money. But some young people want to do something for their region, Latgalean people are very proud of their place. I understand them, I support them. I have been introduce to new questions : problems between Russian and Latvian people, no-citizen and citizen people. In Lagale you can meet a lot of Russian people because of the history. They are born here, but still they are Russian. Latvia was all the time under the power of a bigger country.
I learnt Latvian language. I was so happy to be able to speak a little and understand the inhabitants. So many language have been useful : French with other French volunteers and with contact in France, English for common language, Latvian with native people who don't know English, Russian to realize I don't understand nothing... I think juggle between languages is very fascinating.
An important time of my EVS was the work. I gave French lessons - I didn't like a lot to be teacher but discussions about cultural differences were very rich. I wrote a project of Youth Exchange France - Latvia and a Linguistic work camp. I don't know if these projects will be successful. I continued the French Cultural Centre created by the previous volunteers. I had the luck to have it in my hand, I wanted to do the best, as it could be for my own one. I think it is a very great chance I can't imagine to have in France. We began a Web Side with Natasha and Ruth... I hope the next volunteers will enjoy it as it was for me. They haven't any abligations, it is their own interests. I liked this autonomy.
In the local NGO "Meridians Plus", I helped to write projects to receive volunteers and I proposed to create a network between French volunteers who came and are in Baltic countries.
Now and the future...
I will finish my volunteering soon, in one week, I was very happy to live here, to have this experience. I come back with a so great luggage, full of things...
I had as everybody moments of loneliness and other of hapiness. I acquire skills for a job in the Third Sector, I had so interesting discussions about life, I kept my own personnality anyway...
Long life to this centre, long life to EVS, thanks a lot to Natasha, Sandra, Marija, Ilga, Kristine and each person I met here... Gook luck Ruth and Violaine.
You receive a lot, you give a lot. You change. You are changed.
I would like to give to each person this opportunity to go abroad through this program or another one. I believe when you go and meet another culture, you risk your own self, you need to recover in question and accept a new reality. It is not easy but a kind of education - education of human being - you can't find anywhere else, only inside yourself, no teacher, you are your teacher. You have taken this decision to leave, you accept what happen abroad... You feel alive... You grow up, in your mind, your soul...
Violaine French Volunteer 28.04.2002 - 24.01.2003
Rezekne, January, the 10th 2003
