VOLUNTEERING IN FRANCE

Volunteering is an exchange between a person who offers their time, energy, and vision for the benefit of a project of general interest. It is also an opportunity to learn, to experience interculturality and personal construction. Volunteering is first and foremost a personal commitment.

Taith – Wales’ International Learning Exchange Programme. Taith offers young people, staff and volunteers from Welsh youth organisations and local authority youth services opportunities to participate in transformative and life changing mobilities abroad, giving participants the chance to develop new skills and experience new cultures and languages. Taith encourages participation from people from underrepresented groups – including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, ethnic minority backgrounds, Disabled people and people with additional learning needs.

“We want to take Wales to the world, and bring the world to Wales”

-Taith Programme ambition

The Welsh Centre for International Affairs (WCIA) partnered with Taith to organize a volunteering trip to Laguépie, Toulouse, from August 1st to 8th, 2024. A selected group from Cardiff, including myself, participated in this intercultural experience.

The French partners who coordinated the trip on their end were Solidarités Jeunesses, an organization committed to promoting international volunteering, solidarity, and intercultural exchange and also young people in difficulty as part of solidarity actions and fight against exclusion. They ensured everything was arranged smoothly for the group from Cardiff during the volunteering trip to Laguépie.

The purpose of the trip was to foster open-mindedness, self-confidence, and cross-cultural understanding. Volunteers had the opportunity to discover new cultures, learn new languages, and appreciate the intercultural differences between countries. This experience offered the chance to engage in community work while fostering international connections, highlighting the importance of global cooperation and cultural exchange. The trip was not just about volunteering but also a learning opportunity for all participants involved. The experience provided valuable lessons in embracing diversity and building global awareness.

Citrus, the regional delegation of SOLIDARITÉS JEUNESSES in Occitanie

(South-West of France) was where we stayed in Laguépie. When we arrived in Laguépie, the already existing volunteers welcomed us with open arms. Friendships were formed from there on.