I was catching up online with a friend who lives in the Netherlands one day and I had expressed to her how exhausted I was of my day to day life back in Skopje. After comforting me with some affirming words, she mentioned Olde Vechte Foundation, this place she had recently been to for training and gave me the idea to check out the volunteering options they provided.

And so, after a bit of research, I applied to OV for my short term volunteering. Fast forward a few months and there I was, in the little city of Ommen, having arrived late in the night in November, ready to start my journey.

Even though it was maybe past 10pm when I arrived at Olde Vechte, I was fondly greeted by some of the volunteers and got a little tour. The buildings were packed with volunteers and people from various trainings the foundation hosts, there were even two cats who the volunteers took care of, Luna and Krisi. This was my first ‘good omen’ if you will. Whatever would happen in the next two months I knew I had signed up to the right place.

What had initially caught my eye in regards to Olde Vechte was that the volunteering activities had a more ‘hands on’ approach, with manual labour being quite an integral part of the volunteers tasks. This was perfect for me as up until applying there, I had been working an office job and felt I needed a break from the hyper-digitalized life I had been living.

In my two months there, I was faced with many new and exciting challenges for which I quickly learned proper tools to help with overcoming said hurdles.

Among the various activities I had, most notable were the opportunity to help with demolishing one of the older volunteering houses, where I finally learned how to properly use some important tools. I also helped out with various tasks in a local garden in Ommen, where I gained a bit of knowledge on natural herbs and remedies for various ailments, as well as the ins and outs of the upkeep of a sustainable and seasonal focused garden, in a country like the Netherlands where much of the agriculture is mainly done in greenhouses.I also learned how to use a sewing machine at one of the local second hand shops, participated in an art therapy training, helped out in the volunteer kitchen where at times we would be cooking for 50+ people, as well as doing landscaping and minor repair works on some of the buildings at the foundation.

What was most shockingly positive for me was the other volunteers and how easily they accepted and integrated me as part of their community. In those two months, I got to truly feel like I was a part of something bigger, a collective of people focused on bettering themselves and their surroundings. There was a lot of introspection in Olde Vechte, a lot of reflecting, crying, letting go, accepting, learning, creating, being.

I am so grateful for the ecstatic time that I got to have in this magical place with so many beautiful people, I would not trade these experiences here for anything else!

Аngela Manchevska
Short-term ESC volunteer hosted by Olde Vechte