Interview with Vanya Toseva from Bulgaria
What is your name and background?
Hi, I am Vanya Toseva, 20 years old. I study Financial Management in UCN. I am from Bulgaria.
Why do you volunteer?
I love to do volunteer, I started back in the high school in my country. The first time was because one of my favorite teacher asked me for help and since then I cannot stop. There is something in this volunteer "job" once you start you become addicted. Every time you heard there is a volunteering you just sign up, it's just crazy.
Why at Asian Culture Festival?
Well I think everybody knows the situation in Asian and that they need help. Once I heard that there is a festival here in Aalborg and that each krona will go directly there I was sure I would like to take part in. Moreover one friend told me that he took part last year and he had an amazing time. So I have no doubt that it would be great.
How did you find the job?
One of my friend told me as I said above. He told me that he will participate this year again and he needs help. I was sure that if he doing this for the second year he has great memories from the first. Moreover I read about this festival that hold in last year and there were only positive opinions. All the people in Aalborg really liked and helped a lot.
How is the environment?
It was amazing. I was impressed, because everything was so organized. The managers were saying 'Hi" to every volunteer and "Thank you that you are here and help us". They hugged us and gave us so much positive energy from early in the morning. They explained what we have to do, asked if we have questions, if we are tired, we were able to have breaks all the time, so we will be fresh and talkative. It was amazing experience.
What is your best volunteering experience?
I know it sounds strange but the best thing was that I was speaking Danish with children. It was the best experience for me. Now I am trying to learn Danish, but when I am speaking with adults they always switch English. But the kids were speaking Danish with me and they could understand me. I was so happy, they were smiling at me and they were so excited. It was amazing feeling.
What do you gain from volunteering?
Now I work with team much more easily. Once you have great time, you somehow see how to communicate, what to do to help your team and that its much funnier and easier than if you work alone.
What are your team members like?
They were amazing, all of the volunteers love to do that. I really like the spirit that everybody has. The atmosphere is great I cannot explain, the only way you can see this is to take part and fell it. I really recommend this to all of my friends.
What characterizes volunteering in 3 words?
Fun, help, positive energy.
What surprised you the most in volunteering in Denmark?
That there is an adult volunteers, not only young one. In my country volunteers are only young people and I was really surprised when I saw 40 years volunteers. It was really nice.
Did you find any friends through volunteering?
Yes of course, when you spend 2 or 3 days with this people you find friends.
All this emotions and spirit that you have when you are volunteer you cannot have this anywhere else. The fiends that you find, the people you met, the help you give is priceless. Every time is different, every time you learn something more, and something better than previous time. That is why you cannot stop. You feel like this is a river and you swimming there once you jump you don't want to go out.
It is amazing experience and sincerely advise everybody to try.