Being an IVY volunteer at the Galicia Europa Foundation is allowing me to discover in a very close way how European cooperation can be translated into concrete actions. Through this experience, I have been able to better understand what cohesion policy means and how projects like INCUBTRANS help strengthen local communities on both sides of the border.

INCUBTRANS is a cross-border cooperation project focused on the Galicia–North Portugal Euroregion. Its objective is to create a cross-border incubator that supports the sustainable creation of new companies, promotes qualified employment and generates added value in the territory, especially in the surroundings of the Eurocidade Chaves-Verín.

In my case, I have been able to contribute to the project from several different tasks. I have participated in meetings of the project steering committee, where I was able to closely follow the progress of the project, its priorities and the way in which the partners cooperate to coordinate activities and monitor the results.

I also had the opportunity to work on identifying the sectors of local commerce that present the most difficulties in the area of Chaves and Verín, which allowed me to better understand the economic reality of the area and reflect on the challenges of trade in a cross-border context. In addition, I have collaborated in communication tasks, writing press releases on project activities and working on the INCUBTRANS Social Network Report, analyzing its presence on social networks and the content disseminated.

Another aspect that has had a great impact on my experience has been dissemination. At the O Porriño job fair, at the III conference “boost your future” organized by the UNED and at the event “Xuventude rumbo a Europa”, I was able to share my experience as an IVY volunteer and explain the opportunities offered by both this program and the territorial cooperation projects for young people.

What I value the most and what has made me grow the most during this volunteering is that it has allowed me to combine learning and real participation. Not only was I able to learn more about how different entities in Galicia and Portugal cooperate, but I also had the opportunity to give visibility to the impact that Interreg projects can have on people’s lives and on the development of more connected and cohesive territories.