Veronika in Bremen // 1st Report

My decision to take part in ESC volunteering started in the summer, when I was finishing my Bachelor’s degree and reflecting on what to do next. It was another hot June day in Odesa, my hometown in Ukraine, when I came across an announcement looking for applicants from Odesa/Odesa region, Bremen’s partner region, to volunteer at the Senate Chancellery of Bremen.

My eyes quickly ran over the text, and in that very moment, a spark appeared. The opportunity to gain experience and insight into international cooperation between cities, to experience life in the north of Germany, to grow personally, and to create opportunities for promoting cooperation between my country, Ukraine, and Germany. All of this deeply resonated with me.

That spark led me to Bremen in September, one week before the official start of my volunteering at the Senate Chancellery. To be honest, autumn in Bremen surprised me, it arrived very suddenly, almost together with me. The year 2025 did not bring this city an “Indian summer,” yet in my memories, this autumn remains bright, painted in orange and red colors.

From my very first week in Bremen, I began exploring the north of Germany together with another Ukrainian volunteer. Just a few days after our arrival, we traveled to Hannover and Osnabrück. Those days still remain sunny in my memory, filled with street dancers, the search for interesting postcards, and sunglasses worn despite the changing season.

Soon came a month full of events, new encounters, tasks, and emotions – October. This was when my involvement in the work of the Senate Chancellery became more active: getting to know colleagues, attending events, and participating in official activities. The on-arrival training for volunteers in Hamburg helped me adapt to this new environment. There, I met many inspiring people, volunteers from different parts of German, with whom I am still in contact today. During the week, we attended workshops during the day and explored Hamburg, danced, and simply enjoyed conversations in the evenings. Later, Spanish volunteers from Leipzig invited us to celebrate Halloween with them. It was another unforgettable highlight of October.

Together with my flatmates, I attended many autumn events: a visit to an amusement park that brought back a sense of childhood joy and adrenaline, the opening of the Freimarkt in Bremen with its countless fireworks in different shapes and colors, festivals, and many other shared experiences.

Starting in November, I became even more immersed in my volunteering work. The Odesa Cultural Days began in Bremen, and I was responsible for reviewing the programme on the Senate Chancellery’s website. Meeting international delegations, attending sessions of the Bremen Parliament, and participating in meetings aimed at strengthening cooperation between Germany and Ukraine were all completely new experiences for me. I went through a wide range of emotions: initial nervousness combined with curiosity, and later excitement and joy.

On December 15, I co-organised the opening of the exhibition “Unissued Diplomas.” The exhibition is dedicated to the life stories of 40 Ukrainian students who were never able to receive their diplomas because their lives were taken during the full-scale invasion in Ukraine in 2022. In January 2026, the exhibition was visited by Mayor Dr. Andreas Bovenschulte and State Councillor Nancy Böhning. I had the opportunity to share more about the students portrayed in the exhibition. They expressed their sincere sorrow and solidarity with everyone affected by the war in Ukraine. The exhibition was also included in the official programme of the Odesa Cultural Days.

ESC volunteering does not only bring new acquaintances and friendships from all over Europe, it also offers invaluable experience. This experience goes beyond what can be written in a CV: it is about personal challenges, growth, resilience, and victories.