Welcome to my second blog post about my live as a volunteer in Türkiye.The last two months have been a period of adjustment and growth. Since my first blog post two months ago, I’ve become more settled in my role as a volunteer with Pi Youth Association in Izmir, Türkiye. In this post, I’ll reflect on how my work has progressed, how a trip to the southeast gave me a new perspective on the country, and how daily life here has taken shape. One moment that stands out is recognising how this experience continues to challenge and shape my understanding of myself and the world around me.
Progress in Volunteering
Over the past two months, my volunteering schedule has become more consistent, which was good for the development of my workshops. My weekly schedule now includes workshops in diverse settings: a high school, the association’s office, and several municipality centers. The age range of participants, from ten to thirty, adds variety to the sessions but also requires me to be adaptable and creative in my planning.
The familiarity I’ve developed with the participants has made workshops flow more smoothly. However, that doesn’t mean everything has become easy.Teaching German conversation, for example, has been unexpectedly difficult.Explaining the nuances of my native language has been more complex than I anticipated. Also, keeping up the motivation of the participants can be another challenge sometimes.On the other hand, I’ve started to really enjoy organising debates and games in english and I feel like a became more creative doing that. It’s a different kind of challenge and one that has helped me reflect on language learning from a new perspective.
A memorable experience outside my usual responsibilities was joining a renovation project for the Bornova municipality. We painted the interior walls of a building—a completely new task for me. It was a refreshing change to do some physical work in contrast to the other language related activities I do as a volunteer.
Discovering Southeastern Türkiye
At the end of November, I traveled to the southeast of Türkiye together with other long-term ESC volunteers to attend a midterm seminar in Diyarbakır, organized by the national agency of Türkiye. Before the seminar, we visited two other cities in the region.
Our first stop was Gaziantep, where we stayed with ESC volunteers we had met at a previous seminar. They were incredibly welcoming, showing us their organization, GEGED, and introducing us to the city. It was fascinating to see how their work and daily life differed from ours while also sharing a lot of common challenges as volunteers.
Next, we traveled to Mardin, because of its stunning architecture and location overlooking vast plains. The five-hour bus ride from Gaziantep was long, but the views and unique atmosphere of Mardin made it worth the effort. Though we only spent one night there, the city left a lasting impression.
This trip highlighted the cultural and geographic diversity of Türkiye. It was a very interesting experience, offering insights into different regions of the country and providing a welcome change from the routine in Izmir, while showing cultures that differ quite a lot from the ones in Izmir. During this trip I properly realised that Izmir just portrays a small part of a big country.
Adjusting to Daily Life
Life in Izmir has become more familiar over the past two months. I’ve developed a sense of routine and discovered some favourite spots around the city, like cafés, grocery stores, and places to eat. Navigating Izmir now feels much easier, and I’ve become more comfortable in my surroundings.
Learning Turkish continues to be a work in progress. At times, it feels overwhelming, and I catch myself mixing things up or feeling stuck. But there are also moments when I manage to understand or say something correctly,which keeps me motivated. I’ve made it a habit to study a bit every day and to ask my Turkish friends questions about the language during our conversations.This informal learning method has been both practical and enjoyable.
At home, the dynamic in our flat has shifted as two short-term volunteers left and two long-term volunteers moved in. With all of us staying for a similar duration, the group feels more settled, and we’ve formed stronger connections.
Reflection and Looking Ahead
These past two months have been a time of steady progress. I’ve learned new skills, mastered some challenges in my volunteering work, and gained a deeper understanding of life in Türkiye. Each experience, whether big or small, has added to my understanding of what it means to live and work in a different cultural context.
Looking ahead, I’m curious to see how the next few months unfold. I’m keen to continue improving my workshops, exploring more of the country, and learning the language. This experience has been a constant process of adaptation and learning, and I’m eager to see how it evolves further.