Ani’s project in Estonia – Flavors and Traditions of Armenia: A Special Day at the Shelter

While being a volunteer of the European Solidarity Corps in Tallin, Ani put in place her own initiative of solidarity : Flavors and Traditions of Armenia, A Special Day at the Shelter.

She organized a cultural day at Ema ja lapse turvakodu to share her Armenian culture.

” Due to the perfect weather, we hosted our event outside in the backyard, allowing us to invite more guests than initially planned. In addition to our mothers and children, I also invited some former clients who had been living in the shelter during the months I have been volunteering. Social workers, administrative staff, and office workers, including the head of Tallinna Lastekodu, also joined our cultural day. A total of 22 people attended.

The aim of this event was to foster a sense of community and cultural exchange, helping everyone learn more about Armenian traditions and cuisine while strengthening the bonds we have built over the months.

We began the day by cooking Armenian dishes together with the kids and mothers. They actively participated in preparing Khurjin, a traditional lavash filled with meat, cheese, and tomato, as well as the popular regional salad, Tabuleh. The sweet delight of Armenian Pahlava, baked with walnuts and honey, was a hit and perfectly showcased Armenia’s culinary heritage.

The event featured authentic Armenian music, and everyone enjoyed learning traditional Armenian dances. We spent time reflecting on the months we had spent getting to know each other.

I prepared a special quiz for the guests about Armenia and Estonia, which delighted the children. At the end of the event, we conducted a questionnaire to gather feedback and discuss what everyone had learned about Armenia. The responses were overwhelmingly positive, with participants expressing a newfound appreciation for Armenian culture.“

This initiative was supported along the CLIC project. C.L.I.C. for “Coordinating Locally in order to Increase More Changes with  the European solidarity Corps” is a cooperation partnership we participate  in with 9 other like-minded organisations from 9 European countries. Together, we want to increase the impact and the visibility of the European  Solidarity Corps in our communities, while providing young people with a  strong educational value along their volunteering projects.