{"id":19519,"date":"2025-01-14T12:15:46","date_gmt":"2025-01-14T11:15:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.servethecity.brussels\/?p=19519"},"modified":"2025-08-18T10:46:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T08:46:07","slug":"mid-term-interview-spotlight-aguineth-andrade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.servethecity.brussels\/nl\/2025\/01\/14\/mid-term-interview-spotlight-aguineth-andrade\/","title":{"rendered":"Mid-Term Interview Spotlight: Aguineth Andrade"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1738053185102{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Volunteering has the power to reshape our perspectives, and Aguineth Andrade’s journey with Serve the City through the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) is a testament to that. In this interview, Aguineth reflects on how her views on volunteering and the ESC have evolved, the challenges she\u2019s faced, and the personal and professional growth she\u2019s experienced during her time in Brussels.<\/p>\n

How has your perception of volunteering and the European Solidarity Corps changed since you started?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

AA<\/strong>: <\/span>Honestly, my perspective has shifted. I used to think that volunteering had a bigger impact on people’s lives, partly because it seemed like fewer people were doing it. But after joining Serve the City through the ESC programme, I realized there\u2019s actually a whole community of people who dedicate their time to helping others.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, I also came to understand that our collective impact is limited\u2014there are so many people in need and not enough volunteers to go around. Even though it can feel like we’re not doing enough, I\u2019ve come to realize that we do make a difference. It\u2019s not always obvious, but when you look closely, you can see it in the lives we touch.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As for the European Solidarity Corps, it\u2019s an amazing opportunity. It\u2019s not just about volunteering and meeting new people\u2014it\u2019s also a chance to grow personally. You get to travel, learn new skills, and gain hands-on experience. Looking back, my view of the ESC has evolved\u2014it\u2019s not just about helping others; it\u2019s also been a huge way for me to grow too.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What have been the biggest highlights of your experience so far?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

AA<\/strong>:Working in an NGO has been a dream come true\u2014something I always hoped for but wasn\u2019t sure would ever happen. It\u2019s incredibly rewarding to know that, even when the impact is limited, the work I do plays a part in making a difference in people\u2019s lives.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This experience has also taught me so much about myself. I\u2019ve realized I have more skills than I ever gave myself credit for, and that\u2019s been both empowering and deeply satisfying.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another unforgettable moment was attending the Serve the City forum in Berlin. The workshops were inspiring, covering such interesting topics, and exploring a new city was an added bonus!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Are there any challenges you\u2019ve encountered that you didn\u2019t expect, and how have you worked through them?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

AA<\/strong>: My time in Brussels has been mostly positive, but it hasn\u2019t been without challenges. One of the hardest moments was experiencing racism from someone working in the house where I live and not receiving support from my roommates. It was painful to be called a derogatory name and treated unfairly. I\u2019m still processing it, but I\u2019m taking things one step at a time.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another challenge has been the language barrier. While many people here speak English, there are times when I struggle to express myself as clearly or as quickly as I\u2019d like. On the bright side, I\u2019ve started taking a French course, and it\u2019s slowly helping me build confidence in navigating some situations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you feel you\u2019ve grown personally or professionally since the beginning of your volunteering journey?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A.A<\/strong>: Being alone in a new country, without knowing anyone at first, has been a huge personal growth experience for me. It\u2019s taught me to trust myself more, to know that I can handle challenges, figure things out, and rely on myself to get things done.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On the professional side, diving into communication and social media, an area I had no prior experience in, has shown me just how capable I am of learning new things. It\u2019s been empowering to realize that I can adapt and pick up skills I didn\u2019t think I could. By the time my volunteering ends, I\u2019m confident I\u2019ll have grown even more and be capable of so much more.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”19524″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1736851430785{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\u00a0<\/span>Is there anything you\u2019d like to accomplish or focus on in the remaining months of your volunteer period?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

AA<\/strong>: <\/span>In the next few months, I’d like to focus on improving my work as much as possible and try to improve my French.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How have your interactions with other volunteers or locals influenced your experience?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

AA:<\/span><\/b> Spending time with other ESC volunteers has shown me that, even though we\u2019re in different places, our experiences are surprisingly similar, and that\u2019s been so reassuring. But what really makes this journey special are the incredible people I\u2019ve met here; they\u2019ve brought so much positivity and energy into my life.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Looking back at the first half of your volunteering year, what would you say to someone considering joining the European Solidarity Corps?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

AA<\/strong>: I\u2019d say: go for it, take the chance to volunteer! It\u2019s an incredible opportunity for both personal and professional growth. You also get the chance to make a real difference in someone else\u2019s life, depending on the organization you\u2019re with and the role you take on. And if you\u2019re 18 and still figuring out your next steps, volunteering with the ESC can be an amazing way to learn more about yourself, gain independence, and grow as an adult.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1738682947574{padding-top: 50px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/4″][vc_single_image image=”19849″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” css=””][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”3\/4″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1738682882140{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Financed by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the International Youth Bureau. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Check out how the ESC experience has been for Aguineth, who has been with us since April!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":619,"featured_media":18892,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[217,108],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-european-solidarity-corps-nl","category-geen-onderdeel-van-een-categorie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.servethecity.brussels\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.servethecity.brussels\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.servethecity.brussels\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.servethecity.brussels\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/619"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.servethecity.brussels\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19519"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.servethecity.brussels\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19519\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20476,"href":"https:\/\/www.servethecity.brussels\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19519\/revisions\/20476"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.servethecity.brussels\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.servethecity.brussels\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.servethecity.brussels\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.servethecity.brussels\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}