Sandra De Castro (France)
Service Civique in Armenia from 05/03/2017 to 10/27/2017
at FPWC & Wedzig
Travelling always gives you something different than what you’ve been looking for in the first place. And having the opportunity of trying several job positions in different working fields is what I’ve really appreciated about volunteering in Armenia.
I came to Armenia with a Master’s degree in Marketing and the will to volunteer in social media. However, when I arrived in Yerevan I got the opportunity to work as a photojournalist for the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural asset (FPWC), taking advantage of my already existing passion for photography. Finally during my last months in Armenia I ended up volunteering as a Graphic Designer at Wedzig — a marketplace for wedding products and services targeting Californian market — and this is the job that makes me the happiest today.
Volunteering in Armenia was a great challenge because I didn’t know much about the culture nor the living conditions of the locals and my Armenian language knowledge was basically nonexistent. Taking a step back now I can say this experience has been one of my proudest accomplishment on a personal level because I was able to adapt to an entirely new environment and dedicate myself to understanding a very different culture and language. Meeting unique people with amazing life stories in Armenia helped me further expand what I believe I can achieve in life. This experience has made me realize what I want my career to look like: outside of my home country to keep cultivating a true global perspective without being inherently limited and filtered by my surroundings.
I really can’t tell how amazing discovering Armenia has been to me. And I have to admit waking up every morning facing Ararat Mountains didn’t make me miss the trash can area view I used to have from my Parisian apartment even for a second.
