In January, I took part in various activities within PI Youth Association. First, I co- facilitated a workshop on gender equality with adolescents, together with four other volunteers. The aim for this workshop was to raise awareness about sexism and gender inequalities through discussions and interactive activities. I also facilitated an English learning workshop for the Turkish population. This activity was carried out independently and allowed me to work directly with an adult audience with diverse backgrounds. Finally, I participated in a workshop to build small houses for street cats, organized by two other volunteers, shayen and Oliphie. During this workshop, we built shelters using cardboard, aluminum, and plastic in order to protect the cats from rain and cold. This activity was part of a solidarity-based and ecological approach.
During this month, I was able to develop several skills, including communication skills, particularly in group facilitation, improvement of my language skills, both in English and Turkish, and adaptability and teamwork skills in an intercultural context. Some difficulties were encountered, especially managing adolescents who were disruptive during the workshops or who sometimes displayed inappropriate behavior, and
managing older participants who wanted to impose themselves on the structure and content of the workshops. To deal with these situations, I tried to be more assertive, to set clear boundaries, while remaining respectful and supportive. This month of volunteering allowed me to develop my language skills and better understand how to manage groups with different profiles, gain self-confidence, particularly when facilitating workshops independently, and better understand my ability to adapt within an intercultural and associative environment. These experiences have strengthened my motivation to continue my engagement and to become more involved in the association’s projects. For the month of February, I would like to continue participating in activities for the most vulnerable, especially those related to street cats, develop a gender equality workshop aimed at an adult audience, take part in more group activities, and co-facilitate a workshop on psychology with Nadia.