Sarah Browne, one of VSI Ireland’s ESC volunteers did her ESC project in France with a Youth Information Point – Maison de l’Europe en Mayenne in Laval, from September 2020 to July 2021. She was an Ambassador of Europe and mobility with EuropeDirect.

Sarah’s project was divided into two parts: promoting youth mobility and promoting the EU as a union of equality. It involved developing new partnerships and projects, leading intercultural and linguistic workshops, and of course, discovering the foreign cultural reality as well as sharing her own. Aditionally, throughout her journey, Sarah also worked on her personal action project. Its main focus was a topic of gender and LGBTQ+ equality, which ultimately contributed to achieving SDG 5th goal: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Sarah helped achieving this goal by regularly facilitating workshops, holding information sessions and organising events and activities for young people with aim to raise awareness about gender equality education and topics such as harassment, consent, LGBTQ+ issues, harmful stereotypes and so much more.

As part of her contribution to LGBTQ+ equality, Sarah ran a support group, that provided a safe space for people to discuss various topics openly but also educated them how they are protected under EU laws as the EU has declared itself an LGBTQ+ Freedom Zone. Sarah’s objectives were to provide support for young people, raise awareness on how EU law can protect their rights and to educate them on gender equality and gender equity.

Thanks to this incredible work, Sarah is making an active contribution towards a better, more inclusive and peaceful future.

Listen to a video in which she shares her insight and thoughts after completing her project.