Meet Carlos Alvarez, New Member of PPI-NI

Carlos recently made his way over to add his signature on one of the Belfast peace walls.

Carlos Alvarez comes to PeacePlayers NI (PPI-NI) from Galiza, Spain for a three-month internship. He has always been interested in different sports, especially soccer. In 2007, he moved to A Coruña to start a degree in Science of Physical Education and Sport. During that time, he also got involved in sports like rugby and handball.

His degree specialty is manual therapy and physical rehabilitation through sports and he aspires to become a PE teacher. During the summer of 2012, he worked as a conditional trainer and leisure monitor in a refugee work camp in Giessen, Germany. International Fellow Chris Schumerth recently sat down with him and asked him some questions about his experience with PPI-NI so far:

Chris: “Carlos, why did you come to Northern Ireland?”

Carlos: “Actually I’m here with a job mobility program called Leonardo Da Vinci. It’s a grant that gives you the chance to improve your work experiences while you can learn another language for three months.”

Chris: “But why here?”

Carlos: “Well I should say mainly because of the language. But I’m also really interested in the history, and the job opportunities are better. I can also learn so much from the experiences of local people here.”

Chris: “How did you find us?”

Carlos: “My grant gives me a place to do some job training, and they assigned me here. I have to admit that I didn’t know anything about it before, but I’m feeling very comfortable so far.”

Chris: “What do you think about the role of PPI-NI in Northern Ireland?”

Carlos: “We’re doing necessary work in a split society. I want to contribute as much as I can.”

Chris: “Have you come across any difficulties in adapting yourself to the organization or to the country?”

Carlos: “Well the accent here is strong, and in my first month, sometimes I felt a bit lost during my co-workers’ conversations. But I’m working on it, and it’s getting better!”

Chris: “Perfect, keep on it. Anything else to add?”

Carlos: “Yes. I want to say that people here are so friendly. And the drivers are polite!”