I am living my first month of volunteering in Turkey and every day I realize how much this experience is expanding my horizons. Ankara, with its chaotic rhythm has become the background of the activities I do within the association that hosts me. I work together with volunteers from different countries and with Turkish university students who join our events: a dynamic, stimulating and deeply multicultural environment.
The heart of our work is made of workshops and weekly events. During coordination moments, we analyze the previous week and prepare the post for social media, so we can clearly explain the activities we carried out. During the week, we prepare materials: we create scarves for children using the knitting technique, we prepare ideas and materials for the Speaking Clubs.
A very important role is played by the Speaking Clubs, events where Turkish young people come to practice English. These moments are very enriching: we talk about different topics (culture, travel, social differences, traditions) and we learn from each other. Sometimes one simple question is enough to turn the event into a conversation full of anecdotes, laughter and reflections. Thanks to these meetings, I am getting to know more about the local mindset and the daily life of Turkish students.
Another meaningful activity is the Cultural Days, when we present aspects of our home countries: food, music, curiosities, traditions and idioms. Learning more about cultures different from our own is stimulating and OF COURSE THE TEA IS ALWAYS PRESENT! We never start an activity without a warm cup in our hands, accompanying our conversations and discoveries.
Part of the volunteering experience also includes exploring the local area. During this first month, I visited symbolic places such as the Atatürk Mausoleum, traditional markets and different neighborhoods of the city. Entering mosques, covering my head and walking barefoot on the carpets is an experience that allows me to get closer to a different way of living spirituality. These small gestures, so normal for people who live here, are moments for me to observe and respect a cultural system that is distant from mine but deeply fascinating.
My week also includes Turkish language lessons every Saturday. Even though I am learning only the basics, every small word feels like a success: sometimes just saying “Merhaba” is enough for people to start talking to me in Turkish, and I find myself smiling, nodding and trying to understand as much as I can. It is a constant challenge, but also a daily exercise in adapting.
One activity that I found particularly meaningful was the food packing. LÖSEV, the foundation we visited, supports children with leukemia and other blood diseases by offering medical, educational and material support to their families. When I arrived at the bus stop, that was our meeting point to go together to the activity, I was impressed by the number of young people there: all of them, early on a Saturday morning, ready to give their time for a genuine act of volunteering. Seeing them participate so naturally, without expecting anything in return, was truly moving. It gave me hope and reminded me how much kindness still exists in people.
Looking at everything I am experiencing, I realize that volunteering is not only about organized events and tasks, but also about encounters, stories, challenges, surprises and moments of personal growth. This first month is teaching me about the generosity of people, the importance of adaptation and the value of curiosity.
In the middle of all this, I am also starting to discover new flavors, to get closer to different ways of thinking and to let myself be surprised by a daily life that, day after day, feels more familiar and meaningful.
With one month still ahead of me, I am sure that this experience will continue to surprise me and transform me in ways I cannot imagine yet.