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#Developed the conviction that sincerity resonates #Experience in the field of elderly welfare #Felt warm care and a sense of responsibility
After completing the gap year project, the belief that sincerity gets through became my life motto.I was reminded once again that sincerity gets through even when words don''t. I couldn''t communicate in English, but the sincerity I showed during the project seemed to reach others. -Targeting the emerging silver industry: Greece senior welfare care internship / Han** gap-year participant / 4-week gap year |
# A project to experience elderly welfare in an EU country
Hello. I''m Han**, majoring in social welfare and management. I''m interested in international development cooperation and social welfare practice abroad. I believe that somewhere on this planet there is someone who shares the same concerns as me.
As an exchange student spending my last semester abroad, I wanted to have a meaningful experience before returning home and graduating. While looking mainly for experiences related to my major, I applied to the gap year project I had been keeping an eye on.
As a social welfare student, my goal was to experience various social welfare practice settings around the world during my school years. I wanted to try a new field in a new country. So...I chose a Greece senior welfare care internship where I could experience elderly welfare in an EU country.The goal of the gap year was to gain experience in Greece''s elderly welfare sector and spend leisure time before returning home to prepare for going back to Korea.
# K said with a cheerful laugh that it''s all a matter of mindset.
To briefly describe a typical day: for those working four days a week, the working hours are Monday to Thursday, 9 AM to 7 PM. As a gapper I participated in a daycare project. The project consisted of six sessions, each one hour long: from 10 AM to 12 PM and from 5 PM to 7 PM. Since the end of work is at 7 PM, I participated in the 6 PM session as the last one and then left. From 1 PM to 5 PM is lunch and free time.
If I had to choose the person I remember most from the project activities, it would be nurse assistant K. At least during the time I was at the organization, he/she never showed any sign of being tired. He/she volunteered for the tough, unpleasant tasks that no one wanted to do and never even frowned.
Of course, K earned the full trust of the elderly and their caregivers. Compared to other staff who were expressionless all day, K was always full of positive energy, and I once asked if it wasn''t hard for him/her.K laughed cheerfully and said it depended on your mindset.
Although the pressure is as great as the trust he receives from the people at the organization, I could see him always striving to do meaningful work with the same mindset as at the beginning,From K I was able to learn how to approach my work and people, and how to love.
# My gap year tips
(Language)
English is sufficient for ''communication'' with staff at the organization. Communication mostly involves asking and responding to favors and there are hardly any meetings to coordinate opinions with staff, so basic conversational English is enough to participate in the project. However, depending on your English ability, the depth of conversations you can have with the elderly or caregivers at the organization varies.
They listen and respond as much as I talk.There were about five elders at the organization who could converse in English. Among those who could communicate, most spoke in Greek. During the month I stayed, I picked up basic Greek phrases from the internet and eavesdropped on what the nurses were saying, and used that to express myself to the elders.
At first I caught phrases the nurses used often, asked their meaning and used them, but it turned out they were informal expressions without honorifics. Since Greek also has honorific forms like in our country, it''s better to use polite language when talking with elders.
(Accommodation)
The Airbnb where I stayed for a month was in a neighborhood about an hour and a half from the organization. Since the neighborhood with the organization was a bit expensive, I personally recommend staying near Syntagma, the center of Athens tourism. From Syntagma station to the organization it takes about 30 minutes by metro.
(Meals)
Because the commute times were quite long, there was almost no time to prepare breakfast and dinner. I mainly bought simple food from the supermarket to cook after work, or bought meals costing under 5 euros.
(What to bring)
Since you stay at the organization as an ''intern'', it''s good to prepare somewhat formal clothing. During the project period I mainly wore blouses and black pants to keep a formal appearance. In fact, the social welfare team members don''t pay much attention to clothing and mostly wear t-shirts and jeans.
# For prospective participants
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Even if you have to stretch to make the timing work, if you want the ''experience'' I recommend applying to match the internship period. Personally, because I had experience as an overseas volunteer, I was able to finish it safely without great expectations or big disappointments. I heard that some people on site gave up and ran away after just one day.
Due to the nature of social welfare settings and elderly care institutions, the training period is not long and quick adaptability is required. You may quickly become bored with the same routine and program content, butI enjoyed noticing the minute-by-minute changes in the seniors.What I observed and learned in each programI recorded specificallyand by doing so I could sense the changes that emerged within the monotonous programs.
# My personal Greece destinations
During my gap year I visited Ikaria, Mykonos, and Crete. As I mentioned earlier in the accommodation section, if you stay near Syntagma Square you can easily see Athens'' tourist sites without having to set aside extra time. While I was on Ikaria I took part in Panigiri, a Greek festival. If you go in the summer, I hope you''ll consider the Panigiri dates so you can enjoy time with the locals.
# After completing the gap year project, the belief that sincerity gets through became my life motto.
Living in the charming country of Greece for a month and experiencing a part of it was my most enjoyable experience. I was personally grateful to pass through Syntagma Square every day as a transit station on the way home rather than as a must-see tourist spot. I also think participating in the project and being able to work in the field of dementia elderly welfare, which I had not experienced in Korea, was a good opportunity.
After completing the gap year project, the belief that sincerity gets through became my life motto.I was able to feel once again that sincerity comes through even when words don''t. Although I couldn''t communicate in English, the sincerity I showed during the project seemed to be visible to others.
Near the end of the gap year, the English-speaking caregivers told me they had been watching me the whole time and could feel how hard I worked, that their mother (or father) really liked me, and that they were sorry to see me go — they said this to comfort me.
It seemed like no one cared who I was or what I was doing, but everyone had been watching me.It was praise and comfort I would never have received if I had wasted all that time alone just because there was no assigned work or sense of belonging.
After completing the gap year project, the belief that sincerity gets through became my life motto.I was reminded once again that sincerity gets through even when words don''t. I couldn''t communicate in English, but the sincerity I showed during the project seemed to reach others. -Targeting the emerging silver industry: Greece senior welfare care internship / Han** gap-year participant / 4-week gap year |
# A project to experience elderly welfare in an EU country
Hello. I''m Han**, majoring in social welfare and management. I''m interested in international development cooperation and social welfare practice abroad. I believe that somewhere on this planet there is someone who shares the same concerns as me.
As an exchange student spending my last semester abroad, I wanted to have a meaningful experience before returning home and graduating. While looking mainly for experiences related to my major, I applied to the gap year project I had been keeping an eye on.
As a social welfare student, my goal was to experience various social welfare practice settings around the world during my school years. I wanted to try a new field in a new country. So...I chose a Greece senior welfare care internship where I could experience elderly welfare in an EU country.The goal of the gap year was to gain experience in Greece''s elderly welfare sector and spend leisure time before returning home to prepare for going back to Korea.
# K said with a cheerful laugh that it''s all a matter of mindset.
To briefly describe a typical day: for those working four days a week, the working hours are Monday to Thursday, 9 AM to 7 PM. As a gapper I participated in a daycare project. The project consisted of six sessions, each one hour long: from 10 AM to 12 PM and from 5 PM to 7 PM. Since the end of work is at 7 PM, I participated in the 6 PM session as the last one and then left. From 1 PM to 5 PM is lunch and free time.
If I had to choose the person I remember most from the project activities, it would be nurse assistant K. At least during the time I was at the organization, he/she never showed any sign of being tired. He/she volunteered for the tough, unpleasant tasks that no one wanted to do and never even frowned.
Of course, K earned the full trust of the elderly and their caregivers. Compared to other staff who were expressionless all day, K was always full of positive energy, and I once asked if it wasn''t hard for him/her.K laughed cheerfully and said it depended on your mindset.
Although the pressure is as great as the trust he receives from the people at the organization, I could see him always striving to do meaningful work with the same mindset as at the beginning,From K I was able to learn how to approach my work and people, and how to love.
# My gap year tips
(Language)
English is sufficient for ''communication'' with staff at the organization. Communication mostly involves asking and responding to favors and there are hardly any meetings to coordinate opinions with staff, so basic conversational English is enough to participate in the project. However, depending on your English ability, the depth of conversations you can have with the elderly or caregivers at the organization varies.
They listen and respond as much as I talk.There were about five elders at the organization who could converse in English. Among those who could communicate, most spoke in Greek. During the month I stayed, I picked up basic Greek phrases from the internet and eavesdropped on what the nurses were saying, and used that to express myself to the elders.
At first I caught phrases the nurses used often, asked their meaning and used them, but it turned out they were informal expressions without honorifics. Since Greek also has honorific forms like in our country, it''s better to use polite language when talking with elders.
(Accommodation)
The Airbnb where I stayed for a month was in a neighborhood about an hour and a half from the organization. Since the neighborhood with the organization was a bit expensive, I personally recommend staying near Syntagma, the center of Athens tourism. From Syntagma station to the organization it takes about 30 minutes by metro.
(Meals)
Because the commute times were quite long, there was almost no time to prepare breakfast and dinner. I mainly bought simple food from the supermarket to cook after work, or bought meals costing under 5 euros.
(What to bring)
Since you stay at the organization as an ''intern'', it''s good to prepare somewhat formal clothing. During the project period I mainly wore blouses and black pants to keep a formal appearance. In fact, the social welfare team members don''t pay much attention to clothing and mostly wear t-shirts and jeans.
# For prospective participants
Even if you have to stretch to make the timing work, if you want the ''experience'' I recommend applying to match the internship period. Personally, because I had experience as an overseas volunteer, I was able to finish it safely without great expectations or big disappointments. I heard that some people on site gave up and ran away after just one day.
Due to the nature of social welfare settings and elderly care institutions, the training period is not long and quick adaptability is required. You may quickly become bored with the same routine and program content, butI enjoyed noticing the minute-by-minute changes in the seniors.What I observed and learned in each programI recorded specificallyand by doing so I could sense the changes that emerged within the monotonous programs.
# My personal Greece destinations
During my gap year I visited Ikaria, Mykonos, and Crete. As I mentioned earlier in the accommodation section, if you stay near Syntagma Square you can easily see Athens'' tourist sites without having to set aside extra time. While I was on Ikaria I took part in Panigiri, a Greek festival. If you go in the summer, I hope you''ll consider the Panigiri dates so you can enjoy time with the locals.
# After completing the gap year project, the belief that sincerity gets through became my life motto.
Living in the charming country of Greece for a month and experiencing a part of it was my most enjoyable experience. I was personally grateful to pass through Syntagma Square every day as a transit station on the way home rather than as a must-see tourist spot. I also think participating in the project and being able to work in the field of dementia elderly welfare, which I had not experienced in Korea, was a good opportunity.
After completing the gap year project, the belief that sincerity gets through became my life motto.I was able to feel once again that sincerity comes through even when words don''t. Although I couldn''t communicate in English, the sincerity I showed during the project seemed to be visible to others.
Near the end of the gap year, the English-speaking caregivers told me they had been watching me the whole time and could feel how hard I worked, that their mother (or father) really liked me, and that they were sorry to see me go — they said this to comfort me.
It seemed like no one cared who I was or what I was doing, but everyone had been watching me.It was praise and comfort I would never have received if I had wasted all that time alone just because there was no assigned work or sense of belonging.
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