Hi! My name is Sihem, and I come from Normandy, in the northwest of France. Before this adventure, I was working as a librarian in the city of Rouen. Then I decided to press pause on my career and finally pursue something I had been dreaming about for a long time: volunteering abroad.
That dream brought me to Poland, where I spent 11 months as part of the European Solidarity Corps. I had been looking for a chance to support something meaningful, improve my English, and immerse myself in a completely new culture. This opportunity did all three at once.
I applied to INPRO specifically because the role combined two things I genuinely love: photography and social media. It felt less like a volunteering position and more like the right next step.
Honestly, I didn't know much about Poland before I arrived. But this experience has turned out to be the best chapter of my life so far, and I mean that without exaggeration. Poland is a wonderful country, and Rzeszów in particular is full of energy and creativity. There is always something happening here, whether it's a cultural event, an art exhibition, a social gathering, or something completely unexpected. You can't help but fall in love with the atmosphere of this city.
My main responsibility at INPRO was managing the organisation's social media presence. I created reels, stories, and posts, documenting our activities through photos and videos on a daily basis. It was a fantastic opportunity to grow in digital content creation in a real, hands-on way, not just theoretically.
Two weekly events shaped the rhythm of my time here and gave real meaning to the work. The first was Monday Story, which ran during the second part of the school year. It was a space where participants presented their home countries and shared moments of genuine intercultural exchange. The second was Open Café, held at Urban Lab, which is one of INPRO's most important recurring events. Volunteers lead workshops and open discussions, and the goal is simple but powerful: bring people together and build a community that feels welcoming to everyone.
Beyond these, I took part in school visits and various workshops, where I met people from all walks of life who inspired me in ways I didn't expect. My communication skills grew, my understanding of marketing deepened, and my English improved more than I thought possible in eleven months.
And then there were the moments that have nothing to do with tasks or responsibilities but everything to do with why experiences like this stay with you. A trip to the mountains of Zakopane. Discovering Armenia and Ukraine. Celebrating my 30th birthday in Poland, surrounded by people who had become real friends. All the evenings shared with other volunteers in the apartment, the kind of ordinary moments that somehow end up being the ones you remember most.
Intense, unexpected, and genuinely incredible. That's the only way I know how to describe it.