In our rubric “To be a Volunteer – see why?” today we present you Jaime:
My name is Jaime from Spain, and I am 23 years old. I am recent graduated in Archaeology in the University of Jaen, and currently, I am doing a long-term volunteer at the Open Space Foundation, Sofia (Bulgaria). My hobbies include spend time with friends, family, play videogames, watch series and films, learn new cultures and spend time reading news about archaeology.
Now, I am going to explain to you how I ended up doing long-term volunteering. It all started last year when I finished my degree in archaeology and I wanted to go abroad to do a short-term volunteering. The good opportunity for me was a project in Veliki Preslav town that Open Space Foundation did in the summer of 2020. One month and a half I was a part of the team their.
In the project I’ve learn more about the different archaeological techniques that were used in other countries, and that is where I chose Bulgaria as a destination. On July 15, 2020, I started my trip to Bulgaria where I was able to learn in that month and a half everything about the country (customs, language, traditions …) in addition to learning about archaeology, not only in the field of excavation, if not also in the museum field and in the field of new technologies, which is the field in which I am specializing.
After a month and a half in Bulgaria, the impressions they had about this country and the people were amazing, so I asked my boss if she knew of any job related to archaeology around here because I saw all the potential that this country have in terms of heritage speaking. So she proposed a long-term volunteer in October of that same year, which I accepted.
After starting this second experience in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, I began to work and improve myself in the field of new technologies applied to heritage, so I am currently helping with reconstructions of buildings in 3D in the Blender program of the archaeological site that I was in Bulgaria for short-term volunteering.
Regarding what it has meant to participate in this program for me, sincerely, to all the people who are thinking about it, do it, since I am growing both at the personal level, as I am learning new languages, new cultures, and even knowing new wonderful people. In addition, you can focus or look for alternatives to focus your volunteering in the field in which you want to specialize, as I have said before, I have been able to focus said volunteering in the field that I like is the new technologies applied to heritage, so I am currently helping the preservation of Bulgarian culture through the reconstruction and digitization of archaeological artefacts from all around Bulgaria thanks to new technologies.
Regards,
Jaime Cano.
The project happen with financial support of the program “European Solidarity Corps” of European Union.
