I find it very hard to believe that I have been living in Turkey for almost one year now. Time flew by incredibly fast which is a bit surprising, considering how many things happened and how much our lives have changed during the last 12 months. Because we’ll soon be returning to our country (on […]
Hello everyone! My name is Martyna and I'm Polish. I'm an ESC volunteer here at Pi Youth Association.
Poland 101: a quick guide to our culture
This month I had the honour of being featured in Pi Youth Association’s digital magazine, Youppi. Not only did I give an interview (which turned out to be super long, so I don’t blame you for not reading the whole thing), but I also had the opportunity to design my own pages. One of the […]
European Youth Together
Since October, I have had a chance to discover various aspects of Erasmus+ and writing projects seemed by far the most interesting and intellectually stimulating. So when at the beginning of May our project coordinator mentioned that our association is planning to apply for the European Youth Together 2020 call and that he wants us […]
(Re)discovering Izmir
European Solidarity Corps is at its core about volunteering, contributing to the society, making a positive impact on the local community. It’s also about gaining new experience, challenging yourself, growing as a person, making new friends and creating new memories. However, undoubtedly one of the most exciting aspects about being an ESC volunteer, is the […]
A very Youppi adventure
About two months ago, our colleagues from the Partnership Department approached us with an idea of creating a digital magazine. The magazine- which first issue was published in the beginning of May- is a joint initiative of the Partnership Department and Pixel Team. Together, they set out to create a monthly magazine which would highlight […]
Mid-term training… in the safety of our living room!
Our mid-term training from the Turkish National Agency was supposed to take place in the middle of March in Ankara but got cancelled last-minute due to the official announcement of the first Coronavirus case in Turkey. Since we were both excited for our little trip, the decision- although completely understandable- came as a disappointment. We’ve […]
Random thoughts of a quarantined volunteer
Today, 14th of April, marks exactly one-month anniversary of Pi Youth Association’s decision to close the main office and to enable all the employees and volunteers to work from home. Back then, this decision seemed merely as a wise precaution to take- the coronavirus had just reached Turkey and the number of infections were still […]
The Turkish way of doing things
Discussing the differences between Poland and Turkey Çay comes first Even though I knew about Turks’ love for tea before coming here, the sheer scale of it surprised me. Everyone in Turkey either has just drunk tea, is currently drinking it or is about to do it. It’s truly an addiction! And even though Türk […]
The many adventures of learning Turkish
Since I’ve stepped on the Turkish soil for the first time back in October, I’ve had one clear goal in mind- to make the most out of my ESC experience. For me, that includes learning everything there is to learn about different aspects of working in the field of NGOs, getting to know all the […]
On-arrival training in Ankara
In the second week of December Barbara and me had the privilege to take part in the on-arrival training in Ankara which was organised by the Turkish National Agency.The main goal of this event is to welcome all the new volunteers and adapt them into the new environment as well as to equip them in […]