SLOVENIA'S 5 CORE VALUES

I wanted to experience something new, something that would open my eyes and my heart, so I joined a group of volunteers and went to Izola for three weeks, to the Dom dva topola (Home of Two Poplars), where people with muscular dystrophy spend their summer days.

On the first day, I was excited and a bit scared at the same time. I didn't know what to expect. But I soon realised that a door had opened to a world I had never known before. The people who lived there welcomed me with warmth, smiles and an incredible strength that defied their physical limitations. I learned that a person's true strength does not come from muscles, but from the heart and the courage to get up every day and live to the best of your ability.

Among the volunteers, I met young people from Romania, America, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Although we came from different countries and cultures and spoke different languages, we bonded quickly. Sharing tasks, laughing, talking late into the night - all this forged sincere and strong bonds between us. We were there for each other, just as we were there for the residents of the home. When any of us doubted ourselves, the others picked us up. When someone needed help, we offered it without hesitation. I have learnt that we are never truly alone - if only we allow someone to give us a hand.

The most beautiful moments were the small but precious ones. We took the residents for a walk by the sea, accompanied them on workshops and listened to them tell us their stories. They taught me to be grateful for things I had often taken for granted - for my health, for my ability to walk and move without help. It was there that I realised that volunteering is not only about giving, but also about receiving. You get so much wisdom, warmth and life lessons ...

The most precious moment, which will always remain in my memory, happened in the very first week, when one of my clients asked me to take her to the coast because she wanted to see the sunset. There, she quietly said to me: 'My biggest fear was that I would be a burden to someone here. You know, I've been trying to work up the courage to go on holiday on my own for a long time. And now here you all are, making me feel alive again. I will always be grateful for that." I understood then that sometimes people don't ask for help; not because they don't need it, but because they are afraid of not being understood. Do we realise that it is our willingness to lend a hand that can give someone back a sense of dignity and a little bit of happiness? 

After those three weeks, I came home a different person. I was left with a sense of being part of something bigger - a community based on compassion and mutual support. I made new friends who were part of my life for a long time afterwards, and I realised that my future was linked to caring for people.

When we shake hands, we become stronger. When we share the burden, the journey becomes easier. When we help someone, or someone helps us, we realise that we are never alone.

Maja Grošelj, 7. 9. 2025