The experience of a volunteer in Croatia

My experience in Croatia started almost as a joke, but it quickly came to life, and from one day to the next, I found myself catapulted from the boring volleyball gym—where I had spent my past sports season—to the colorful cultural center that had become my summer dream.

When I arrived in Pula, the house welcomed me with all the charm of the decaying building that housed it. The apparently dilapidated condominium hid a cozy, clean, and modern apartment.

The first week, which I spent alone because my roommates were attending a training course, helped me get familiar with the neighborhood, the city, and especially the Rojc and its people.

Contrary to what I expected, prejudices simply had no reason to exist. Pula welcomed me with the warmth of its people, with conversations in Istro-Venetian at the bar with the elders, and exchanges with people my age, who surprisingly still remembered Toto Cutugno, Albano and Romina, and Rita Pavone with nostalgia.

Not only that, Pula welcomed me among its beautiful Roman ruins just steps from the sea, promising an unforgettable summer—a promise it kept with flying colors.

After a few days of settling in, wandering from corridor to corridor and asking if I could be useful in any way, surrounded by the colorful graffiti of the Rojc, my real adventure began. The circus arrived, with its absurd characters, dogs, colors, wild fantasies, and above all, the talent that animated it. It was a small French troupe that took their performances extremely seriously and professionally. I was fascinated by this, especially considering that the reward was very modest… just a few kunas in the hat!

So, this was the beginning: a few photos here and there, some meetings in the central hall hosting community events, and, above all, precious exchanges and long coffee breaks with my summer colleagues—special people, open to dialogue, with many stories to tell. It rained all of May, tirelessly, yet my first month was truly special, animated by the spirit of an eighteen-year-old on her Erasmus abroad.

The days flew by, alternating between my six hours of service and the free time I had to explore nearby beaches, lesser-known spots, the city’s history, and especially its people.

At Rojc, there were many varied tasks: our room was shared with multiple volunteer associations, which often held public meetings, exhibitions, or gatherings. We welcomed volunteers, kept the room tidy and clean, and took photos to share on social media. Tasks were divided fairly: some worked on graphics, some organized events, some watered the flowers. There was always something to do in such a large and lively place!

But most of my time was dedicated to my Croatian adventure partner: Radio Rojc.

Radio Rojc is the social radio of the cultural center. It is listened to not only by the Rojc community, but its signal covers the entire district of Pula and much of Istria. It was my first experience with a “real” radio: I had done two web radio projects before, but live broadcasting on a frequency is another story.

During the week, I hosted two programs: one on Tuesdays with Alessia, in Italian, called “Voglio vivere così” (I Want to Live Like This), focused on Italian culture. The jingle was fantastic: it started with a mazurka from the Po Valley and ended with a tarantella from Salento. We talked about traditions from the north and south of Italy, legends, curiosities, and Italian culture in Istria, which is still very present. We even interviewed some Italians who had settled in Pula, and they shared the most diverse stories.

The other program, which I started earlier, was in English and called “Two Talking Heads”, an homage to the post-punk band Lusine, my Armenian colleague, and I adore. TTH focused on volunteering in the broadest sense. Its structure usually included a short “logbook” segment, a cultural exchange moment (differences between Italy, Croatia, and Armenia were abundant, so we rarely ran out of ideas), an interview with a volunteer association, and a final segment promoting Rojc events.

But we had complete freedom and could experiment: interviews with street artists, writers, and performers; episodes on theater and music; stories of special experiences and radio experiments. I remember the first live show like it was yesterday: Lusine was very nervous and laughing hysterically. Her laugh irritated me a little, but I found it grotesque and funny. I was shaking with anxiety, and luckily she started first because I’m sure my voice would never have come out! From that day on, it got a little easier each time, until we were able to manage everything independently, even handling the production. We spent a lot of time preparing our shows and were quite proud of them, always claiming after each episode: this one was the best ever! The radio experience was definitely a challenge but an incredible opportunity to test myself, considering each episode lasted an hour.

Rojc is a magical place for me, which is why I spent so much time there outside of working hours, always offering my help whenever needed. It became a home for the summer, a point of reference, and a place where I knew I would always find someone to talk to.

This is why I don’t take home just the activities carefully logged in my weekly reports, but all the hours spent talking with people: the stories, the laughter, the trips, and all the moments I shared with them. When I think of the people I would like to thank for making me feel at home—sometimes even better than home—I see a gallery of friendly faces and wish I could hug them all.

For this reason, it is an experience I would recommend to everyone. It would be a shame to miss it!