Sara Calò
S. Calò - Getting your hands dirty makes you grow and meet yourself
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Sara is studying Social Work at DEASS and is in her second year of training. During the autumn semester 2023/2024, she did an internship in San Luis (Argentina), at the Universidad Nacional de San Luis. She worked on several projects in a local community.
How did your interest in a mobility period come about?
I have always considered a work experience abroad very important for the training of a social worker, as it allows one to consider other points of view and different approaches to the profession. I was fascinated by the idea of being able to work immersed in a different socio-cultural context, and being able to measure myself against novelty.
What did you do at the university/host organisation?
I participated in several projects with which the University of San Luis collaborated. Three days a week I took part in separate talleres (workshops) that took place in a working-class neighbourhood a few kilometres from the city centre; these were an after-school programme, folk dances and a music workshop in which the children played percussion instruments. The ultimate goal of the workshops was to provide a safe and stimulating space for children to come into contact with art, facilitating the creation of healthy and non-violent relationships and offering a safe place for young people. A second project followed was in close collaboration with a lady in charge of a canteen run by a lady who lives in one of the poorest areas of San Luis, who decided to open the doors of her home, for two evenings a week, to families in the area living in difficult economic and family situations.
What will you particularly remember about this experience?
The experience gave me the opportunity to put myself on the line by experimenting with transversal skills, enriching myself with the people I met, and developing a greater awareness of what kind of person I want to be for myself and for others. Argentina has also taught me the concrete meaning of sharing, of hard work, of family, of working in uncertainty, of political commitment to which as social workers we are obliged to respond, and that a sincere, bright smile makes us realise how, despite the problems and suffering that local people experience on a daily basis, we should know how to 'disfrutar', how to play and live life in all its contradictions, ready to welcome the happiness that it can give us.
Would you recommend this experience to other students and why?
Absolutely yes, with curiosity and an open mind you acquire skills that can be applied to everyday life, from the working world to the personal sphere, such as creativity, proactiveness and your own independence. Moreover, it gives you the opportunity to make authentic connections that fill your soul.