Sara Velkoska
Volunteer at “Movement for decent work and welfare society

     At the beginning of October, I started my volunteering program at Movement for decent work and welfare society in Ljubljana, Slovenia. This is my first volunteering experience, which happened at a really weird time. The beginning of 2020 was marked by the emergence of a new coronavirus. We faced something unknown, yet dangerous. This was followed by several restrictive measures and bans on movement, gathering, socializing. We started living in isolation. As a master’s student in Ljubljana, Slovenia, I already lived there, but at the beginning of March, I was forced to return home to Macedonia. After that, everything was uncertain. I did not know if I would ever return to Slovenia if I would continue my studies. In the period from March to September, many things have changed and become uncertain. Measures that were introduced by the governments all around the world, such as closing the borders and restricting movement prevented me from returning to Slovenia, and thus my language learning, adjusting to the environment, meeting new people, and so on. And in the period when I was disappointed and unmotivated, I had a wonderful opportunity to become a volunteer at “Movement for decent work and welfare society”.

      “Movement for decent work and welfare society” is a non – governmental organization that advocates for the rights of precarious workers. When I applied for this program I didn’t know what precarious work is. The organization was founded 10 years ago and during those years they made a significant contribution to the fight against precarious forms of work. After checking their web page and reading something more about it on the internet I realized that it is something that we all are facing daily. More and more people are now part of the precariat but are unaware of it, just like I was before I became a part of this organization. As I became acquainted with the term and its characteristics, my motivation to fight precariousness grew. I found my purpose in this organization from the very beginning. I decided to be an informant and to present this problem to the wider society. I dedicated the first month to reading and theoretical introduction to the term precariat, what were the reasons for its occurrence, which groups are most affected, and what are its consequences. When I thought I knew enough I started with writing articles on this subject. I do the informing by writing articles and posting existing ones on our website. Because I graduated from psychology my first article was about the effects of precarious work on mental health. By researching its effects on mental health, I came to understand its significance and the magnitude of its impact. Everyone in the organization is pleasant and approachable. I can easily talk to them about any topic. The existence of such organizations and hardworking people as their members, who want to make a positive change in the world, restores my faith in a better tomorrow.   

     Being part of this organization means learning something new every day, which was my primary goal. Being part of this organization means learning something new every day, which was my primary goal. During these three months, as a volunteer, I gained a lot of new knowledge and skills, met new people, and started speaking Slovenian. This organization allowed me to return to Slovenia, to integrate into society, to get acquainted with a global problem, such as precariat, and to become part of the fight against it. My experience so far as a volunteer is wonderful and I look forward to the next nine months. I hope that I will contribute to the realization of the goal of the organization and that I will gain knowledge and experience along the way.

Privacy policy

We respect your privacy and handle your personal data and cookies with care and in according to our privacy policy.

Learn more