Embarking on a journey of personal growth and cultural exploration, Selina, a former European Volunteer Service (EVS) participant, shares her inspiring story of how a chance encounter in Macedonia transformed her life. Hailing from the enchanting city of Helsinki, Finland, Selina's journey has been a remarkable fusion of passion and purpose. Armed with a background in audiovisual communication and an unexpected detour into the world of house painting, Selina's heart has always yearned for the adventure of living abroad. Her path led her from an EVS volunteer to choosing to live in North Macedonia, where she discovered a deep connection to the culture and community. In this interview, Selina reflects on her motivations, experiences, and the impact of her EVS program on her personal and professional development. She also offers valuable insights and advice for young individuals considering similar adventures of volunteering abroad or making a life-changing move to a new country. Selina's journey is a testament to the transformative power of international volunteering and the enriching experience of embracing a new way of life.
Source: Selina Neimi
1. Can you share your motivations and experiences that led you to participate in the European Voluntary Service (EVS) and ERASMUS+ program, and what specific project were you involved in during your time in North Macedonia?
In 2016, I took part in a training course in Struga Macedonia. I got there with a bit of a coincidence without knowing anything about Erasmus+ or EVS. It was hosted by Volunteers Centre Skopje, from whom I then learned about the program. I always wanted to go abroad but I thought I could only do it through university studies. When I learned about EVS I found something perfect for me, and 2 years later I started my 12-month project at the same organization. I have studied the media field so their project with VOICES magazine fit my preferences perfectly. I also wanted to challenge myself to go to a country completely opposite to my own, to learn about it's culture and way of life. During my project I learned a lot, strengthened my media skills and found a new home. I wrote and designed articles for VOICES magazine, took care of social media and marketing, organized events and helped with Erasmus+ projects.
2. Transitioning from being an EVS volunteer to choosing to live in North Macedonia is quite a significant step. What inspired you to make this decision, and what do you appreciate most about your new life in the country?
It took me not more than 2 months when I started to think about it already. I am a very outgoing person, love to meet new people, especially at that time. Skopje fit that perfectly, as the lifestyles here are very relaxed and people have learned to enjoy small things. I love the fact that I always have time to meet with people, even after work. This is something I was struggling with in Finland with longer working hours and distances between friends. Macedonia gave me a warm feeling of being home, with the constant sunlight, beautiful nature, and interesting culture where people are close to each other.
Source: Selina Neimi
3. How have your experiences in the EVS program shaped your personal and professional growth, and how do you think these experiences have influenced your life in North Macedonia?
EVS truly gave me a life-changing experience. I started my project when I was 23, which I see as a hectic period of growing up and figuring out who you are and want to be. My project made me fall back in love with the media field and inspired me to become a graphic designer. It made me find a new home, beautiful friends, and connections around the world through different Erasmus+ projects. It challenged me to live in another country, alone for the first time away from my family and friends in Finland. I learned a great deal about how to be independent.
4. Can you share your experiences with learning the Macedonian language, and how has it influenced your daily life and interactions within the community?
I realized pretty fast that in certain situations you must speak Macedonian, most often in shops or a taxi. I got basic language lessons during my project which helped me to get to a level where I can communicate little with people who don't speak English. But since I worked in an international organization where our daily language was English, the same as the group of people I did around myself with, I never took my language learning to a higher level. But the little I knew, truly helped me to connect, especially with the elderly whose faces were always shining when someone put an effort to learn their little-known language.
5. Living in a new country often comes with challenges. Can you share some of the cultural and practical adjustments you had to make when relocating from Finland to North Macedonia for your EVS year, and how did you overcome them?
As I’ve been in Macedonia for 5 years already, most of the things have become such normality that it’s hard to go way back… But I remember the first thing that was weird for me when I was in contact with Macedonian, was how close they are in a sense of touch. You hug or kiss people you’ve just met, or at least high-five them on the streets. Finland is quite the opposite where we need to really know each other to do this.
Of course, the very basic things like different food, language and not understanding Cyrillic at the beginning were challenging. But this was one big point for me to do my project in such a different country, to challenge myself out of my comfort zone. I welcomed everything new with open arms and wanted to learn how people live in this country and how can I get closer to this culture.
6. As someone who has been involved in both the EVS program and has chosen to build a life in North Macedonia, what advice would you give to young people considering similar experiences, whether it's volunteering abroad or making a significant move to a new country?
I can’t tell anyone not to do this, because moving to another country is a truly beautiful experience. You get to know yourself so much better by challenging yourself to the great unknown, you learn to see the world through different eyes and meet such beautiful people and cultures different from your own. It puts us all more equal and closer together.
It’s scary, especially at the beginning but believing in yourself and jumping into this adventure is the coolest thing you can do. And if it doesn't work, you can always try another country or go back home, nothing’s irreversible!
Denica, OLS Community Manager - Macedonian