Learning, contributing and connecting through volunteering

Philanthropy the Charitable Foundation of the Serbian Orthodox Church  is pleased to welcome Laura Sai from Italy, who has joined our team as a Project Assistant within the European Solidarity Corps project “Volunteering for Humanitarian Solidarity and Action”, supported by the European Union. Launched at the beginning of 2024, the three-year project brings together seven organisations from Serbia, the European Union and Africa, with the aim of promoting volunteering, strengthening solidarity among communities and creating opportunities for young people to gain valuable international and professional experience. As a certified organisation for working with volunteers, Philanthropy hosts international volunteers who contribute to different areas of our work while developing their skills and gaining practical experience in an international environment. In total, 24 volunteers are planned to be engaged throughout the project across various host countries.

Laura graduated from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, where she studied Languages, Economics and Institutions of Asia and Mediterranean Africa. She is currently attending a programme leading to a diploma in Humanitarian Emergencies and Intervention, further developing her academic knowledge in the field of humanitarian action and international cooperation. Following her graduation, Laura continued to combine volunteering with professional activities, including teaching Italian.

Laura enjoys travelling, spending time abroad, discovering new opportunities and meeting new people. She speaks Italian and English and can also communicate in Arabic, French and Spanish, enabling her to engage in different multicultural environments. Her interest in languages reflects her enthusiasm for international experiences, intercultural exchange and connecting with people from diverse backgrounds.

Her international experiences have strengthened her adaptability, intercultural awareness and motivation to continue developing her professional experience in humanitarian and international environments. Laura spent 11 months in Greece and Türkiye, where she supported young people in their social inclusion and contributed to project development and implementation. She has also participated in other volunteering experiences and an Erasmus experience in Palestine.

Laura also gained experience with Najdeh, a humanitarian organisation in Lebanon, further strengthening her understanding of humanitarian assistance and working in an international context. Having already studied Arabic prior to her stay, this experience provided her with an opportunity to further develop her language skills and gain greater familiarity with different Arabic dialects. She also gained practical experience in youth work through her involvement in a refugee camp, where she worked directly with young people and gained valuable insight into supporting communities in a humanitarian setting.

These experiences have provided her with the opportunity to work in multicultural environments, engage with people from different backgrounds and gain a broader understanding of international cooperation and humanitarian contexts.

During her time at Philanthropy, Laura will contribute to the team as a Project Assistant. Having already gained practical experience in project implementation, she is particularly interested in developing a more comprehensive understanding of project management and the complete project cycle. She would like to deepen her knowledge of the different stages of project implementation, including project identification and planning, implementation steps, monitoring, evaluation and reporting, and to connect this knowledge with her previous practical experience.

Laura will be based in Belgrade, Serbia, until the end of January, during which time she will work alongside the Philanthropy team, contribute to ongoing activities and further develop her professional knowledge and skills. Her placement is part of Philanthropy’s continued commitment to international volunteering and to creating meaningful opportunities for young people to learn, contribute and develop through the European Solidarity Corps project “Volunteering for Humanitarian Solidarity and Action”.

We are pleased to welcome Laura to the Philanthropy team and to support her continued learning and professional development through this international volunteering experience.