Ilana speaks out: The Memories along the Road

Ilana Lamas von Sohsten (Hungary), ESAI EN ROI Volunteer; Candidate Youth Worker

ESC volunteering in teams  FOTH project  10-30 July 2025

2024-1-EL02-ESC51-VTJ-000200188

European Solidarity Corps

GR The Footprints of the Time Thread

10/07 - 30/07: Thessaloniki, Greece

The Memories along the Road

In July, I joined my first ever European Solidarity Corps, and as many volunteers state: it is an unforgettable experience. Together with ESAI EN ROI and 9 other volunteers from different parts of the world, we built a campaign to raise traffic awareness in the city of Thessaloniki.

Our first challenge, when we landed in Greece, was understanding the traffic context in the city and mapping what causes traffic accidents in the area. For this purpose, we participated in multiple study visits: Institute of Transport, Police Central Hall, Train Museum, VELOS Ship Museum, First Aid training and War Museum. They were all very relevant, filled with new information, and the reception was always amazing, we felt special.

Next, we step into action, organizing several events to disseminate the knowledge to the community. For that, we arranged a movie night and an art lab in a public park, an online symposium with international guests and a bicycle maintenance demonstration in the city center. In addition, we developed a research comparing traffic accidents causes in different countries and we posted a manifesto with our improvement ideas for Thessaloniki.

In conclusion, those 20 days in Greece were very valuable and changed the way I see road safety and traffic. More than that, I made new friends, I fell in love with the city, I explored Greek culture and I tried several delicious traditional dishes. This experience will follow me forever, bringing me beautiful memories of my summer in Greece.

Ilana von Sohsten.