Volunteers Vafa and Rasima from Azerbaijan came to Slovakia as part of the Youth Without
Prejudice project, supported by the EU’s European Solidarity Corps programme.
Their three-month volunteer stay in Slovakia began at the end of November 2019, and after arriving — thanks also to their previous experience with similar projects — they were able to throw themselves fully into the organization’s activities. Breaking down prejudices about different cultures and religions and also spreading the values of the European Solidarity Corps was an inseparable part of Vafa’s day-to-day activities at the Quo Vadis House.
In addition to helping out in the café as a barista and waitress, she had the opportunity not only to learn new words in Slovak and to get acquainted with Slovak culture, but above all to bring her home country of Azerbaijan closer to the café’s visitors. The presentations she gave as part of her work at the Quo Vadis House helped with this. Volunteer Rasima also had the opportunity to introduce Azerbaijan and Georgia to pupils at a primary school as part of her presentation.
Another part of her day-to-day activities was cooperation with Domka – Association of Salesian Youth, where she mainly helped out in the office and, especially among her colleagues, spread the idea of mutual respect and understanding. Prejudices and negative attitudes towards people of the Muslim faith are becoming more radicalized year by year in Slovak society too, and that is why it is very important to offer Slovaks the chance to get to know these people and to lead them to break down their prejudices. The opportunity to spend the Christmas holidays with Slovak families was an unforgettable experience for them, as was the chance to travel and get to know other European countries and cities. Thanks to this personal experience, Rasima and Vafa can present to young people in Azerbaijan the possibilities and benefits of volunteer programmes run through the EU’s European Solidarity Corps programme and thus draw them into volunteer work.
