As my ESC project days in Bremen are already over, I would like to share with you my final report about this experience!
The first thing that I would like to tell you about is the shift in my life in 2026. Now, sitting and thinking about my time in Bremen, my memory mainly brings back highlights of festivals, bright and kind-hearted people I had the opportunity to meet, international events at the Senate Chancellery, including various delegations, and sunny, warm weather.
Summer in Bremen surprised me a lot. The city starts lighting up in the green colours of nature and the golden shine of the sun. If you are fond of music and different kinds of festivals, it is definitely your city for this season. Breminale, Summer Sounds, La Plaza – these were my personal favourites, filled with international friends and acquaintances, people’s laughter all around, and magnificent sunsets.
As a jackpot, I also consider the opportunity to experience the World Cup 2026 in Germany, as the spirit of football was everywhere! Especially memorable for me was the Spain-Portugal match, which I watched with my Spanish and Portuguese friends (heartbreaking for Portugal).
Spring also brought me plenty of unforgettable memories. One of them was an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange in Croatia. I am especially grateful that volunteers were given such an opportunity, as this experience helped me not only to boost my professional skills, but also to expand my international outlook and connections.
For the first time, I became a German representative at an international project. It should also be mentioned that I was very lucky with my teammates. Particularly memorable for me was the German cultural night as we decided to create a Deutsche Bahn performance.
My professional life at the Senate Chancellery also became much more diverse. Starting in February 2026, I gained experience in different fields: I provided a City Hall tour for the young Odesa theatre troupe T3, helped with international delegation meetings, and even had the opportunity to join some of their programmes in Bremen. Moreover, I got the chance to interpret from Ukrainian into German and vice versa during the opening of the “Träume vom Meer” exhibition, negotiations between the municipalities of Bremen and the Odesa region, and even a church service at St. Ansgarii Church. Each of these activities was a professional and personal challenge that I was happy to take on.
Therefore, I would like to say thank you to everyone I was lucky enough to meet during my volunteering time! You filled my heart with your energy and kindness! I am also grateful for everything I had the chance to experience during the project – it was a wonderful time of personal growth, meeting amazing people, and experiencing life in the north of Germany.
Veronika has done her voluntary service at Bremische Bürgerschaft ; her project was co-financed under the European Solidarity Corps program.
If you’d like to experience something similar to Veronika, check out our calls here.
