Salut! My name is Louna, I’m 22 years old, and I’m from the south of France, although I’ve moved around a bit for my studies.
I joined Petrinja and the association IKS Udruga a week ago through the European Solidarity Corps.
After finishing high school, I left the south to study for a Bachelor’s degree in Law and Political Science in Lyon. There, I became more independent, discovered student life, and got involved in several associations, especially in tutoring programs. Around that time, I also discovered scouting, leading a group of 11–13-year-olds, and I loved it! Since then, I’ve continued my training and now organize weekend trips and camps for young people aged 8 to 17.
Academically, I realized that I didn’t want to work in the legal field, even though I really enjoyed my studies and still benefit from that education today. In my third and final year, I went on an exchange program to Colombia. It was a huge cultural shock, but I learned so much, about other cultures, other ways of seeing the world, and about myself.
When I came back, I enrolled in a Master’s program in European and International Studies, focusing on careers in international solidarity, in a new French city: Nantes. I really enjoy discovering new people and places. I found this Master’s very interesting, we had classes on global geopolitics and project development with associations. For my part, I organized a panel discussion on stereotypes and discrimination in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) for an association that helps young people with academic and career guidance.
During my second semester, I went on an exchange to Cadiz, Spain, where I wrote a thesis on civil disobedience. That experience taught me a lot about how environmental organizations work and how local actions are put in place.
After that, I wanted to do something more hands-on to give real meaning to what I’d learned at university. So, I decided to take a gap year. My goal was to practice my English, discover more of Europe, and understand how a community-oriented association works. That’s how I discovered the Marseille-based association Hors-Pistes, which supports young people in international volunteering and that’s how I ended up at IKS Udruga in Petrinja!
I love everything about this project. In just one week, we’ve already taken part in two activities — one on a farm and another in a youth center. The atmosphere is calm, and the team is incredibly kind and welcoming.
Bok! Ja sam Louna, imam 22 godine i dolazim s juga Francuske, iako sam se zbog studija selila nekoliko puta.
U Petrinju sam stigla prije tjedan dana kako bih se pridružila Udruzi IKS kroz program Europskih snaga solidarnosti.
Nakon završetka srednje škole napustila sam jug Francuske i preselila se u Lyon, gdje sam studirala pravo i politologiju. Tamo sam postala samostalnija, upoznala studentski život i uključila se u nekoliko udruga, posebno u programe pomoći učenicima. Upravo sam tada otkrila i izviđače – vodila sam skupinu djece od 11 do 13 godina i to mi se jako svidjelo! Od tada sam nastavila s edukacijom i sada organiziram vikend izlete i kampove za djecu i mlade od 8 do 17 godina.
Tijekom studija sam shvatila da se ne želim profesionalno baviti pravom, iako su mi ta znanja i dalje vrlo korisna. U trećoj, završnoj godini otišla sam na razmjenu u Kolumbiju. Bio je to veliki kulturni šok, ali sam puno naučila – o drugim kulturama, načinima razmišljanja i, naravno, o sebi.
Po povratku u Francusku upisala sam magisterij iz europskih i međunarodnih studija u Nantesu, usmjeren na karijere u području međunarodne solidarnosti. Volim upoznavati nove ljude i mjesta, a taj mi je studij bio izuzetno zanimljiv – imali smo kolegije iz geopolitike i razvoja projekata u udrugama. Sama sam za jednu udrugu organizirala panel-raspravu o stereotipima i diskriminaciji u STEM područjima (znanost, tehnologija, inženjerstvo i matematika), s ciljem podrške mladima u odabiru obrazovanja i karijere.
Tijekom drugog semestra ponovno sam otišla na razmjenu, ovoga puta u Cádiz u Španjolskoj, gdje sam pisala diplomski rad o građanskoj neposlušnosti. To iskustvo mi je omogućilo bolje razumijevanje kako djeluju ekološke organizacije i kako se lokalne inicijative provode u praksi.
Nakon toga sam poželjela učiniti nešto konkretnije, nešto što bi dalo stvarno značenje svemu što sam naučila na fakultetu. Zato sam odlučila uzeti godinu pauze kako bih usavršila engleski, otkrila više o Europi i bolje razumjela kako funkcionira zajednički orijentirana udruga. Tako sam pronašla udrugu Hors-Pistes iz Marseillea, koja podržava mlade u međunarodnom volontiranju – i tako sam naposljetku stigla ovdje, u Udrugu IKS u Petrinji!
Već sada obožavam sve što ovaj projekt donosi. U samo tjedan dana sudjelovali smo u dvije divne aktivnosti – jednoj na farmi i drugoj u centru za mlade. Atmosfera je opuštena, a tim je izuzetno ljubazan i gostoljubiv.
