10 years of European Solidarity Corps volunteers at EKOenergy’s Secretariat

10 years ago, on 14 September 2012, EKOenergy welcomed the first European Solidarity Corps (Then known as European Voluntary Service, EVS) volunteer to our Secretariat. We were about to launch our international ecolabel and needed extra hands to get things rolling. The European Solidarity Corps programme was the perfect solution

The European Solidarity Corps Programme, abbreviated as ESC, is somewhat of a sister programme to the well-known Erasmus programme. Whereas Erasmus gives EU students the opportunity to study in other EU countries, the European Solidarity Corps is dedicated to supporting young people’s engagement in solidarity activities and focuses on non-formal learning. It is open to residents from the EU and from some neighbouring countries and finances costs related to volunteering activities. Participants have to be between ages 18 and 30.

All ESC projects are set up by registered non-profit organisations and are screened and approved by National Agencies. In Finland, where our Secretariat is based, this agency is Opetushallitus, the Finnish National Agency for Education.

At EKOenergy’s Secretariat, volunteers engage in a variety of activities, all related to raising awareness about the dangers of fossil fuels and promoting the use of sustainable renewable energy. Volunteers help us translate our texts and materials, set up renewable energy campaigns, support the general work of EKOenergy’s Secretariat, help us reach out to relevant stakeholders in many countries, etc…

Between 2012 and now, we have hosted a total of 73 volunteers. They came from 17 different countries: Belarus, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom. Most came from Germany (13 volunteers), France (11 volunteers) and Italy (11 volunteers).

Together, they have volunteered 712 months at our Secretariat.

Thanks Paloma, Maria, Anna, Marie, Fabiola, Elea, Anita, Milena, Esther, Lis, Susan, Marta, Marie, Charlotte, Ana, Ginevra, Pavla, Ana, Katsiaryna, Lenka, Sophie, Daniel, Gabriella, Amy, Theresa, Vincenzo, Catrin, Olga, Merve, Monika, Christiane, Elyem, Karlina, Mounia, Maria, Laura, Anna, Nicolò, Teresa, Fran, Julia, Amelie, Valeria, Cameron, Maria, Glòria, Kristell, Lasse, Manuela, Tom, Oussama, Kristi, Cèlia, Elodie, Nihal, Sara, Milly, Tamara, Wael, Marie, Icíar, Andrea, Lucia, Vasarè, Mariia, Quentin, María, Lisa, Liana, Milena, Margarita, Aisling and Luzie!

Published on 11 September 2022