Veruska – LdV experience in Bremen
A story by Veruska Vannacci
Country of origin: Italy; Destination country: Germany
It’s a long time ago, when I was 27 years old, and it represented a turning point in my life.
I am used to think of my life “before and after Germany”.
I left Italy because I was unsatisfied by my previous “safe” work as export assistant in textile firms. I needed to better know myself, far from my ordinary family life. It was like having the possibility to realise my inner dream!
We were a group of about 15 people and with 5/6 persons we still keep in touch after so many years.
In the same period there was another Greek group and some Spanish students and I remember, at the beginning, we were seen by the German organization through stereotypes and prejudeces (Italians “are always late”, Italians “have no sense of labour duty” or” do not work hard” and I felt we were treated as children) At the end the project managers congratuled with most of us for the positive evaluation by the hosting partners where we had attended our entrepreneurship! I also remember our requests of direct participation to the decision about cultural activities in our spare time: we did not agree with the ready –made programs they gave us and we were spending some of our spare time in discussing what was “culture” for every one and how we would have liked to use pocket money foreseen in the grant!
I already knew the language and had already lived a month near Bremen when I was 18 years old thanks to a pen-friend of mine. That was my strength but I had never had experiences in baby services and that was my great surprise. I had the lucky chance to be “choosen” by a Mexican baby teacher in a wonderful baby school and could observe and learn a lot about children and therefore human behavior. I probably had the chance to re- educate myself consciously and came back home deep innerly changed.
As I came back I was so enthusiastic about my German experience that I asked the Italian sending partner to collaborate in the organization of Italian hosting groups and started a new period of my life and a new professional path.
I got to know that I was fond of human relationships and possible changes in one personal career through conscious use of inner potential power and was realizing that I liked helping and accompanying others during critic periods of life, to be like an intermediate, to help changing life careers ( as I did with my life)
From 2009 until 2011 I worked in the local youth information agency with specialization in the European field and began to study social work as “labouring student” at the University of Florence.
I graduated in 2002 and since 2007 I am employed in the local health service as social worker.
My main occupation is about inclusive, integrating paths for disability, mental illness and poor adult people and I am a referent for work experiences of disabled people by a social-therapeutical point of view.
In 2012 my baby was born and this is now the break point of my life!
I would like, in the future, to be able to exchange experiences in social topics and organization and to be able to support people who are consciously trying to interiorly grow and change their personal life career .
