Every Monday at INPRO, we go somewhere new without leaving the room.
Monday Stories is a weekly event built around one simple idea: each week, a guest or one of our volunteers presents the country they come from, or one they feel closely connected to. That's it. And yet, week after week, it manages to be one of the most genuinely enriching things we do.
My role for now is mostly behind the scenes. I come in early, help the organisers set up, make sure everything is in place before people start arriving. It's a small contribution, but there's something satisfying about being part of something that clearly matters to the people who show up for it.
What makes Monday Stories work is the accumulation. Learning about one country in a single evening might feel like a small thing. But over weeks and months, it adds up. You start to notice how much more you know about the world, how many more reference points you have, how many more people you can genuinely connect with when their country comes up in conversation. That quiet, gradual expansion of perspective is what makes this event special.
Like any recurring event, it comes with its own organisational challenges: choosing which country to feature, supporting guests as they prepare, coordinating the logistics. But these are the kinds of problems that teamwork and clear communication solve without too much trouble, and the results consistently make the effort worthwhile.
Monday Stories has also become an unexpected learning ground for me personally, specifically around public speaking. Watching presenters share their cultures with confidence and warmth every week is genuinely inspiring. And when something could work better, we talk about it as a team and figure it out together. That collaborative approach is part of what makes the whole thing feel alive rather than just routine.
The event has quietly become a fixture in a lot of people's weekly lives, both for the local community and for the volunteers. It draws people in and keeps them coming back, which says more than any description could.
If you're looking for new perspectives, genuine connections, or just a good reason to make something of your Monday evenings, this is the place.
The world comes to you, one week at a time.