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European Solidarity Corps – Field Report

Volunteering

An insight 

From time to time, we introduce our volunteers here and let them speak for themselves. 

Meet Anna Hönig

Anna Hönig has decided to take the plunge and explore a new country. She is now gaining practical experience through voluntary work. 

Her account shows how international volunteering can turn curiosity into real skills – from working with children in the classroom to running her own language clubs and integrating into a local community.

Through her account of her journey to Nachod, she brings to life what the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) is really all about: learning by doing, sharing cultures, and stepping outside one’s comfort zone. 

“Hello, I’m Anna from Germany and I’m volunteering in Nachod for five months, from February to June. Before coming here, I finished my A-levels last summer and worked for four months in a manufacturing company to earn some money. I’m here because I want to combine travelling with gaining teaching experience before I start my degree.   

At school, I assist the teachers during lessons and prepare activities such as games or presentations for English and German lessons. Through this work, I’m learning more about how best to foster creativity and how to explain things in different ways so that the pupils can understand them better. At Déčko, our organisation, I run several English and German language clubs independently. This means I prepare games and topics for the pupils to play with and discuss, to help them learn the language more effectively. We also prepare materials for the organisation’s events and take part in events aimed mainly at children, but also at our peers. I came here to gain new experiences and to learn about other people’s ways of life and other cultures.”


International volunteering – a European programme

Working with international volunteers is an exciting part of pewobe g GmbH’s work in Frankfurt (Oder) as a supporting organisation within the European Solidarity Corps. This European programme offers young people aged 18 to 30 the opportunity to volunteer abroad, discover new cultures and develop new skills through meaningful community service. At the same time, a strong network of organisations is being built across Europe. The volunteers are supported, guided, mentored, and empowered by the diverse range of organisations throughout their placement.

The role of a supporting organisation 

As a supporting organisation, it is pewobe g GmbH’s role to prepare the volunteers in its care before their departure, to stay in touch with them during their project and to help them reflect on their learning experiences. We work closely with the host organisations to ensure that every volunteer feels safe, supported, valued, and motivated.  

Personal and professional development – we support and guide you 

Sending volunteers abroad is not just about travel, but about personal and professional development, intercultural exchange, and making a real impact in local communities.   

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Volunteering with GreenLink – pewobe gets involved

Project launch

The EU project “GreenLink: Youth Empowerment for Sustainable European Cities” launched on 1 January 2026. Running for 18 months, the initiative brings together 11 cities from 10 EU countries to strengthen young people’s civic participation and promote cross-border cooperation.

What is the aim of the project?

The focus is on strengthening long-term local volunteer management that actively involves young people – particularly those with fewer opportunities (NEETs, members of ethnic or linguistic minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community) – in democratic life.

Practice rather than theory

Rather than addressing environmental or human rights issues purely in theory, the GreenLink project focuses on participatory engagement. Across Europe, over 100 young volunteers will be involved in community service activities for at least six months to organise major local events with a total of around 3,000 participants.

Cooperation

In the twin city on the River Oder, GreenLink is focused on bridging the historical and linguistic divide through joint commitment. The city of Frankfurt (Oder) acts as a project partner, whilst the municipality of Słubice is closely involved in the implementation as an associated partner.

As a project partner, pewobe gGmbH will play an active role. Our volunteers and members of the Kompetenzteam will provide targeted support for the planned activities.


Activities in the region are organised into two key work packages:
  1. “Life by the River – Ecology and Inclusion Across Borders – 5th Frankfurt-Słubice Citizens’ Picnic on Europe Day, 9 May 2026”:

Volunteers from Germany and Poland will jointly organise river clean-up campaigns, eco-workshops on biodiversity and sustainability, as well as public debates on youth participation in urban life. The aim is to view the Oder not as a border, but as a shared European space.


2. A project activity is also planned for 2027, which will be planned and carried out together with volunteers and young people.

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Past Activites

Impressions from the youth exchange „Unlock Your Ambition“

The “Unlock Your Ambition” youth exchange took place from 1 to 9 February in Ivančice, Czech Republic. The Erasmus+ programme, funded by the European Union, made it possible for participants from Poland, Germany, Serbia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic to come together. pewobe g GmbH took part in the project as a partner organisation. The “Kompetenzteam” from the International Work and Projects Department proudly represented Poland and Germany at the event.

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Past Activites

The Youth Conference at Frankfurt (Oder) Town Hall on 21 November 2025

On Friday, 21 November 2025, pewobe g GmbH held its first youth conference in Frankfurt (Oder) at the Frankfurt (Oder) Town Hall. The event began at 9:30 AM with a warm welcome prepared for all participants.

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Past Activites

Lens On Life: Empowerment Through Phone Photography

There was a fresh perspective blooming in Frankfurt (Oder) at our recent engaging workshop. Young minds discovered the captivating art of capturing moments and telling compelling tales, all through the lens of their everyday phone cameras!

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Past Activites

Where Creativity Begins: Inspiring Young Minds

There was a real buzz in Frankfurt (Oder) at a recent community event where creativity and speed came together for a cool DIY small car race!

Young people, families, and friends teamed up for a fun, hands-on session, designing and building their own unique small race cars from wood and plastic.

The results were pretty awesome – some seriously cool handmade cars! We saw all kinds of styles, from racers that looked like speedy Ferraris to powerful rockets and sleek Formula One cars. It was a fantastic showcase of creative ideas from the participants.

The highlight of the day was definitely the launching station. With a bit of a push from the helpful Pewobe volunteers (and sometimes a brave kid riding along with their creation!), each car zoomed down the track, guided by its young driver.

The crowd went wild, cheering and clapping for everyone involved as their cars sped to the finish. The atmosphere at this hands-on workshop was super positive!

Lots of laughter and smiles were all around! The pure joy on the kids’ faces as their cars competed, and the fun everyone had working together, made this event truly special.

It was a great reminder of how cool it is to create something, enjoy some friendly competition, and connect with others.

This local event in Frankfurt (Oder) was a clear success, showing off fantastic community spirit and the clever ideas of young people.

It’s clear that Frankfurt (Oder) is a great place for these kinds of creative get-togethers, and people are already looking forward to more chances for fun community activities like this one.

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Past Activites

Beyond Borders: Unlocking the Language of Cultures – A Special Volunteering Event

On March 10, 2025, all pewobe volunteers came together for a unique and inspiring event:

“Beyond Borders – Unlocking the Language of Cultures Together with Volunteering”

This gathering provided a platform for volunteers to share their experiences, personal growth, and challenges faced during their time in Germany.

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Past Activites

Empowering Refugee Youth Through Partnership: Erasmus+ Partner-Building Activity

From March 3-8, 2025, youth workers from pewobe gGmbH in Frankfurt (Oder) and representatives of Kompetenzteam participated in a transformative Partner-Building Activity (PBA) under the Erasmus+ program. The event was organized by the Latvian NGO “Alternative Reality” and brought together organizations from across Europe and neighboring regions, including Italy, Germany, Latvia, Georgia, Jordan, Norway, Finland, and Palestine.