Griaß enk! Hei!

My name is Anishaa Kramer and I’m a 22-year-old soon-to-be university student from Tyrol, Austria. For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been participating in the Project Friendship here in Kokkola. At this point, I have to thank my dad. Without his consistent reading of our local newspaper, I might have never found out about the project. And oh, am I glad I did.

My groups’ goal in this project, was to bring the meaning and importance of friendship closer to children. With a playful program planned, we visited a school near Villa Elba and spent time with the kids, during school hours and after. My initial concerns about the workshop and its sufficiency were quickly turned into dust by the positive response from the children. One of their favorite games was “catch”, in which they included us without question. It made me realize that I should work out more. Keeping up with them was a rather hard task.

They were more than happy to tell us all about themselves and their interests. I felt really appreciated by them. They didn’t really know us, but I got the feeling that they looked up to us and liked that they had someone who would listen to their ramblings and stories.

“Living with 11 volunteers required patience – and humor.”

Even though we were here to teach the kids about friendship, it felt like I learned more from them and from the people I met here than I could ever teach someone else. Patience and understanding are two of those things. We are 11 volunteers in total. All of us so different from one another, so living together was tricky. Sometimes there were conflicts about the dishes or the bathroom schedule, but with the help of communication and openness, we were able to create a comfortable and relaxing space for everyone.

We managed to set off the fire alarm twice in the first week. One time through cooking and the second time with a hair straightener. (Don’t ask me how. I have no clue either. Gia might have an answer though.) Even though it was quite frightening when it first happened, I can now proudly say that I know how to turn off a fire alarm.

Additionally, to the things I learned about being and living with people, I also got to know more about myself. Asking for space and alone time is hard for me. I feel selfish rather quickly. But with the assurance of my newfound friends it got easier to express myself and my needs. The girls I have shared my room with, especially, feel like sisters to me rather than strangers I met less than a month ago. Pretty much from the beginning, they have made me feel safe. At home. They calmed me down when I got anxious, made me laugh when I was sad and listened to me when I had something to say. One of them specifically, does not know how to shut up. And I’ve never been happier to meet someone that talks more than I do.

One thing I am especially grateful for, was the necessity of biking in Kokkola. Before coming here, the last time I sat on a bike was over a decade ago, and I’ve been scared of it ever since. But having to ride a bike to the school made me discover my love for biking. The breeze and the freedom that comes with it brings me happiness.

The most meaningful event of this whole experience was something quite else. At the end of our first week here, all of us got a little emotional. Feelings spilled over and the night ended with us girls sitting on the floor of our room, crying and laughing together. It was a bonding moment I value a lot. It brought us closer together and made us stronger as a unit.

Which brings me to my final point. I would recommend taking part in a project like this to everyone. If the positive impact on the kids and the stunning scenery aren’t argument enough for that, then the opportunity for bonding with people from all over Europe sure is. I got to experience different cultures through food, conversations and music. And to top that off, I got to meet people that I couldn’t imagine my life without anymore.