A transformative journey – Richard’s story as volunteer in Kora
We hosted Richard as a European Solidarity Corps team volunteer in Kora in October-November 2025; together with other 15 youngsters coming from France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Ukraine, Estonia, Georgia, Germany and Italy, he supported our activities in farm tasks such as olives picking and maintenance, took part in non formal education workshops and lived according to environmental sustainability values on La Buona Terra school farm, where we are based.
The project was coordinated by Associazione Vagamondo and funded by the European Commission through the European Solidarity Corps programme and the Italian Agency for Youth.
This is his experience!
Before joining Kora in Italy, I was going through a period of depression, confusion, and deep existential uncertainty. I felt disconnected from myself, unsure of my goals, and overwhelmed by doubts about my future. My mind was blurry, and I didn’t know how to reconnect with a sense of purpose. This personal crisis pushed me to search for clarity, stability, and a space where I could observe myself honestly. That is what led me to embark on this project.
Living on the farm with Kora has been one of the most important steps in my journey of self-awareness. Being surrounded by nature, working with my hands, slowing down, and experiencing a different rhythm of life helped me reconnect with my body and emotions. The presence of the animals—especially the cats—played a surprisingly powerful role in my healing. Their calm, their trust, and their ability to simply “be” reminded me of something essential: that I needed to ground myself, breathe, and face my inner world with compassion instead of avoidance.
Through this experience, I began recognizing both my strengths and my areas for improvement. I discovered that I have resilience, empathy, creativity, and a genuine desire to care for others—animals included. But I also noticed some emotional triggers and biases that were shaping how I reacted to situations. For example, I realized that when I feel overwhelmed or afraid of not being good enough, my instinct is to run away: to escape responsibilities, to travel spontaneously, or to distract myself with new environments instead of dealing with the core issue. This avoidance was influencing many of my choices without me fully noticing it.
Being in Italy allowed me to observe these patterns more clearly. I started questioning them instead of obeying them. I asked myself: Why do I want to escape? What am I afraid of confronting? What do I truly want, beyond the fear? By reflecting on my actions, habits, and reactions, I was able to understand how certain emotional triggers had controlled me in the past—especially during my depressive episode. This self-awareness helped me break the cycle.
Little by little, things became less blurry. I gained clarity about what really matters to me, and what I need to do next. I understood that constantly running away won’t solve my problems; it only postpones them. I also realized that my true ambition has always been to grow in my acting career. It is a path that demands commitment, discipline, and consistency—qualities that I now know I am capable of cultivating. Instead of escaping my responsibilities, I learned to face them with confidence.
My time at Kora reminded me that I want to return to Paris, not to hide or restart the same patterns, but to focus seriously on my career as an actor. This is where I can truly build something meaningful and stable. Gaining financial stability is also connected to another dream that has become clearer during this experience: the desire to one day create a cat sanctuary or shelter. This idea grew stronger as I bonded with the animals on the farm. Their presence helped heal me, and in the future, I want to offer them safety, love, and a home in return.
Reflecting on these weeks, I can say that I learned to look at myself honestly—my emotions, my fears, my behaviors, and my hopes. I recognized my strengths but also the biases and emotional reactions that sometimes push me off track. I took concrete actions to improve: slowing down, observing myself, journaling, engaging with nature, connecting with animals, and talking openly about what I was feeling. All these steps allowed me to grow, to learn from my past choices, and to understand what direction I truly want to take next.
This journey has been transformative. I am no longer lost in confusion. I know what I must do, and I feel strong enough to pursue it.
