16/09/2025
Let's here some words from Vlad, who spent 6 weeks volunteering with :
When I first heard about volunteering in youth centers in Jönköping, Sweden, I imagined quiet fika breaks and polite kids. What I found was so much richer, louder, and warmer.
From day one, the staff weren’t just colleagues they were teammates, co-conspirators, even dance partners (yes, dance-offs happened). The youth center ran like a well-oiled machine, but with the heart of a family.
Every day with the kids was different: painting, crafts with glitter that never leaves your clothes, basketball games teaching me Swedish words, or card games ending in endless laughter. Language was never a barrier when you had art, sports, and silliness.
Cooking became another highlight. Together we shared food and stories I introduced Balkan pita and kiflice, baked Swedish kladdkaka, and learned that food bridges cultures faster than anything else.
The youth center was more than activities it was a safe space where kids could open up about school, friends, or life. Sometimes being the person who listens, or just hands out snacks, was the most meaningful role of all.
Outside work, we volunteers bonded, explored cafe's strolled by Lake Vättern, and made Jönköping feel like home. The sunsets there are unforgettable no photo does them justice.
This experience wasn’t just volunteering. It was workshops, new friendships, personal growth, and even side trips to Malmö and Copenhagen. From Turning Torso to Nyhavn harbor, each adventure added to the journey. it felt surreal that a simple volunteering experience opened the door to so much exploration and discovery.
Looking back, the volunteering program in Jönköping wasn’t just a line on my CV. It was a colorful chapter in my life full of laughter, teamwork, fika, football matches, art projects gone wrong (but funny), and countless conversations that made me appreciate the power of youth spaces.
If someone asks me whether they should take the chance to volunteer in a program like this, I’d say: pack your bags. Jönköping will surprise you, the kids will inspire you, and you’ll leave with more than you ever thought you’d gain
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