Hello everyone,
My name is Federica, I am 28 and I am from Italy. About two months ago, I started my volunteering experience as an IVY Reporter through the IVY (Interreg Volunteer Youth) programme.
I am based at the Interreg IV-A IPA Hungary-Serbia Joint Secretariat in Budapest. The Programme I am supporting aims to foster and encourage the harmonious cross-border development of the involved countries, by following the priorities of a greener region, the enhancement of human and cultural values, as well as strengthened cross-border institutional and civil cooperation.
Within this framework, my role mainly consists of communication-related tasks, primarily focusing on contributing to the development of the programme’s communication strategy and revamping its social media channels to improve its visibility, strengthen the engagement and expand the audience reach.
This includes, among others, designing graphic materials and create content for the programme’s social media platforms, writing articles, recording interviews, and supporting the preparation of communication activities for events, but also regular participation in online meetings and trainings sessions organized by Interact to stay up to date with their communication initiatives and contribute to promoting them.
Despite having started this experience only recently, I can already say that IVY has represented a meaningful opportunity, both personally and professionally.
Thanks to this experience, I am not only strengthening my skills in audiovisual editing, event organization, and stakeholder engagement, but I am also continually reinforcing my belief in the importance of communicating complex topics in a clear and accessible way, adapting messages carefully to different audiences. I am convinced that effective communication can bridge the gap between institutions and citizens, making policies and initiatives more relatable and meaningful.
Therefore, the IVY Reporter role is essential in helping people truly understand the tangible impact these projects have, often extending far beyond their formal completion.
During this period, I am also deepening my appreciation of the European Union’s active role in improving cross-border cooperation and everyday life in border regions. What I find particularly motivating, and that gives a strong sense of purpose to what I am doing, is being able to see how each project, meeting, and initiative contributes to concrete and visible outcomes, efforts that truly impact people’s daily lives in a positive way.
Adding to that, this experience is broadening my understanding of what Cohesion Policy means in practice. It is inspiring to see how partners who come together for a project often build long-term relationships, and how beneficiaries can experience life-changing impacts through their participation in project activities.
Witnessing how collaboration strengthens communities, fosters mutual understanding, and delivers tangible results motivates me a lot.
I see every day as an incredible opportunity to learn and, without any doubt, this experience is helping me to further cultivate my interest in territorial cooperation and regional development while feeling rewarded that the work I do can make a real difference.
For these reasons, I would definitely recommend it to all young people who are looking for an opportunity to engage actively in initiatives that generate tangible impact!
– Federica, IVY Communication Reporter at the Interreg IV-A IPA Hungary-Serbia Joint Secretariat, supporting cross-border cooperation and regional development
