Hello everyone, I'm Natália, a volunteer at Parco Culturale Alta Langa in Monesiglio where I started my journey in November. I learned about volunteering opportunities through Keric and began searching for a project where I could share my passion for culture, history, art, and travel and I found it here.

Together with my team – Ebru from Turkey, Karla from Spain and Hanna from Germany – we work at the tourist office to promote the local area, its people, and the activities happening here. So far, I’ve had the chance to participate in an event where we helped with document screening, prepared the hostel for dance workshop participants, and worked on a photoshoot in Monesiglio for the office’s website and blog.

Learning, Creating and Growing Together

We also collaborate with other volunteers from Bergolo, who focus on gardening and they also organized some activities. One of the highlights was a slow lunch made from produce grown in their garden.

As an artist, I mainly work on graphic design for the tourist office, website promotions, and event materials. This work brings me joy as I can finally apply what I learned in school, but in my own creative way. I’ve also had the opportunity to share my knowledge about art, which has inspired me to start a personal project of organizing art workshops.

Things I like here are the beautiful medieval streets, nature and the local people who are incredibly friendly. Through their conversations, I’m also learning Italian, which I’m excited to improve. I’m also discovering more about Italian traditions as well as those from my friends’ countries. The diversity I experience make this opportunity even more meaningful and spark my creativity.

More Than Volunteering

My volunteering has come to the end and as I write a dot behind this chapter , a lot of memories run through my mind. For example, my English wasn't perfect when I arrived, but that was never a problem. Because sharing is caring, such as sharing lunch in the garden with the other volunteers and making ravioli with our neighbours, which was a real Italian experience and moments that connected me to this community. I also found interest in how art supports mental health, so I created some workshops to explore more, which increased my self-confidence. This ecosystem became a safe space for my curiosity and for exploring the world. In fact, I became one of the models in the photos we took to promote the Alta Langa region. When you visit Monesiglio, you will find postcards designed by me: the part of me that remained there.

This volunteering turned the grey world into a colorful ride. It was different, it was challenging, but it was meaningful and transformative. Thank you!