Voluntary Culture Shocks – Podcast on International Volunteering

Do you want to hear about experiences of international volunteering and being a host family for a young volunteer? Welcome to listen to the podcast of our European Solidarity Corps volunteer Roos!

The podcast is called Voluntary Culture Shocks and in this podcast, Roos talks with people who have been involved in Maailmanvaihto’s activities. You can listen to the podcast below on Spotify, or on your favorite podcast app. Currently, the podcast is available on Google Podcasts, RadioPublic, and Breaker.

First episode: International Volunteering

A person stands in front of a mountain view and smiles at the camera, a graphic picture of headset, and the text "Voluntary Culture Shocks".

Roos interviews ICYE volunteer Veera. Veera volunteered in a kindergarten in Ecuador in 2020. Together they talk about international volunteering, including differences between learning in school and learning while volunteering abroad, learning a new language, and above all: growing as a person.

>> Listen to the episode on Spotify

Second episode: Life after Volunteering

An adult person is squatting and reading something surrounded by children, a graphic picture of a headset, and the text "Voluntary Culture Shocks".

How does volunteering abroad shape one’s views and affect one’s choices in life? In the episode, Roos interviews Anni Valtonen, who volunteered via Maailmanvaihto in Mexico 27 years ago. Anni headed for the volunteering period from being a student of the Finnish language and journalism. The plan was to volunteer at a Mexican radio station, but the plan changed. Nowadays Anni, for instance, directs as an editor-in-chief a magazine Maailman Kuvalehti, which wants to tell stories around the world, give background and deepen the news flow. In the podcast chat, Anni tells about the volunteering period and explores how time spent as a volunteer in Mexico has influenced Anni’s focus on journalism and other life.

>> Listen to the episode on Spotify

Third Episode: Hosting a volunteer in your family

Two people standing next to each other and smiling at the camera, wearing towels; a graphic picture of a headset, and the text "Voluntary Culture Shocks".

The guest of the third episode is Markus who, together with their family, hosted one of Maailmanvaihto’s volunteers. Roos and Markus talk about being a host family. How do you prepare for hosting a volunteer and how does hosting a volunteer enrich your family life and worldview?

>> Listen to the episode on Spotify

Do you have any questions or feedback? Reach out to us – via the contact form, for instance. And don’t forget to leave a review in your podcast app and recommend our podcast to others that are interested in international volunteering.

The podcast has been made as a part of the European Solidarity Corps volunteering period of Roos at Maailmanvaihto’s office team. The European Commission is not responsible for the content of the podcast.

Read also

Sharing and Caring as a Host Family

All the volunteers who have lived with us have arrived...

Intercultural Learning in Afterschool Activities

In this new series we get familiar with volunteering possibilities...

#VolunteeringMadeMe

"Volunteering made me..." How has volunteering abroad – be it in...