Enjoy Vafa Balakishiyeva’s success story about her journey to Poland as a participant in the Global Volunteer Project of AIESEC, a non-profit organization.
Hey! My name is Vafa Balakishiyeva. I am from Azerbaijan, and this is a story of how I lived the experience of being a volunteer with AIESEC.
I graduated from Khazar University this year. Currently, I am working as a Proofreading Assistant at Baker Tilly Azerbaijan. Before graduating from the university, a friend of mine told me about AIESEC, a non-profit organization that offers opportunities to young people to personally develop themselves. In order to use the opportunity offered, I joined AIESEC as a volunteer. When I learned about the Global Volunteer Project, one of AIESEC’s products, I understood that this product totally matches my goals in life as I enjoy traveling and helping people. It was a powerful combination of two of my favorite dreams. So, here is my AIESEC journey of learning, healing, and growing.
The Global Volunteer Project of AIESEC
The Global Volunteer Project of AIESEC is a set of projects that offers participation as a volunteer in different areas. Currently, the Global Volunteer projects of AIESEC around the world exist because AIESEC has committed to supporting the movement to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by the year 2030.
Before the Project have started
The first thing that I had to do was to find a project suitable for myself and what I could do. The project I found was about teaching English to children aged 3-8 years in Poland at a private school in Warsaw. First I had to be at the interview, and then, I could apply for a visa after the approval of my participation.
However, the setbacks had begun before I left. I could not choose an appointment date to apply for a visa as it was summer vacation time. I was in a difficult situation and took my visa appointment date on the first day of the project. Since all my files were correct, I was able to get my visa on the day of my flight and could reach the project one week later. So, my journey was for five weeks.
Challenges
As I was working with children aged 3-8 years, it was very difficult to interact with them, because most of them didn’t speak English. Other teachers were helping me with this.
While I was there, I worked at two schools, and one of the schools was for hyperactive kids with bursts of energy. It was really difficult to cope with their energies, but at the same time, it was really enjoyable. Each kid was different and very talented. The school system was completely different from my country’s school system. It was very valuable for me to observe these differences and to be in that environment.
I worked with people from different cultures. We were able to collaborate on the SDGs after that, so it did not end there.
Work and travel at the same time
This experience didn’t simply take place in Warsaw. I went on trips with my pals to other Polish cities such as Kraków and Wrocław on the weekends and occasionally on Fridays. I also visited Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, where I obtained a lot of memories of this amazing city. The priceless adventures that we have experienced while visiting these cities, and the breathtakingly beautiful locations we have seen, all play significant roles in my journey.
Becoming a leader
Learning through AIESEC also involves developing leadership skills. We focus on improving ourselves before concentrating on the globe, empowering future generations, or achieving sustainable development goals. And I am aware of my personal growth and my development strategy.
