Myvolunteering experience
C O N T E N T
R E A T I V E E X P R E S S I O N S
L A N G U A G E L E A R N I N G E X P E R I E N C E S
C U L T U R A L E X C H A N G E A C T I V I T I E S .
L O C A L C U I
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A W O R D A B O U T S I I R T
I wanted to spend my last volunteer experience within the program of the European Solidarity Corps in southeastern Turkiye, because I had not had the opportunity to visit that part before, and I love Turkiye. Until I came across this volunteering opportunity at the European Youth Portal, I had no idea that Siirt even existed. I checked the location and did a little research and I liked that the city is not a tourist place and that it is inhabited mostly by Kurds and Arabs I told myself, it will be an unique experience!
This area has almost no Ottoman heritage, but it has Seljuk heritage, such as the Ulu Mosque In the 19th century, this region was ruled by the Bedirhan Kurdish family, which at times was even in conflict with the Ottoman dynasty. Siirt is all in the hills, there is no greenery like in my country, but there is a family atmosphere The people are engaged in agriculture and trade and are very hospitable and curious. They are easy to communicate with and always ready to help, even though they mostly don't speak English. They really appreciate it when foreigners learn a Turkish word and accept some of their customs. Kurdish families have a huge number of children and that was the biggest cultural shock for me. However, many customs are similar to those in my hometown, so adapting to the new environment was very easy :)
C E D I D D E R N E Ğ I
Cedid is an organization that pays equal attention to volunteers from abroad and local volunteers, which is of great importance for the development of interculturality During my stay, in addition to participating in numerous activities, they organized a welcome dinner at the Osman restaurant, a trip to Delikli Tas and a welcome dinner for another group of volunteers in Tillo at a hotel that will be opened soon. This allowed us to make more outstanding memories, with Turkish kebab, lahmacun and baklava, which I adore :)
P R O F E S S I O N S
Siirt Bar Association and the Court
At the bar association, we got to know the president and his views on the legal system and the protection of lawyers in Turkiye. We continued the tour in the court, whose rooms are divided into those for criminal law and those for civil litigation. We also had the opportunity to see part of one trial.
Ulaknet Call Center
In the call center, we first visited the cafeteria on the first floor, which has a terrace with a beautiful view, then the space where the employees who speak Turkish, English or Arabic work and cover the support of various institutions, and we ended the tour with a hearty meal in the canteen Seems that here are really good working conditions.
In this newly opened shop, they showed us the machines for making jewelry from silver and gold and briefly explained the work process. The shop is small, but there is a lot of jewelry and tespih, and the prices are affordable
P R O F E S S I O N S
Red Cross Dırectorate
At the Red Cross office, we met the president and manager, as well as local volunteers, and enjoyed the conversation, along with homemade ice cream, tea and cookies. We received a badge and bracelet with their logo and an invitation to come again.
Siirt İl Kültür ve Tyrızm Müdürlü
ğü
In the Directorate for Culture and Tourism, we met Mr. Irfan, the director, who, despite numerous phone calls and other obligations, made time for us. With Siirt pistachios and tea, we talked about tourism in Siirt, he explained that there are not many tourists because the city is not located on the sea, but that it has beautiful places, such as Botan valley and Tillo, which also has historical significance. He was interested in our impressions of Siirt, as well as our professions and life in our countries. We all received a brochure about Siirt in English, and one in Turkish was set aside for me, which made me especially happy Mr Irfan will accompany a group of young people who will travel by train to Europe as part of the DiscoverEU program. At the end, we visited the corridor where there are examples of Siirt handicrafts such as blankets and rugs, and Siirt is also known for its soaps.
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F A D T R A I N I N G
disaster and emergency management training program
Afet ve Acil Durum Yonetimi Baskanlıgı or the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency exists since 2009 under the Turkish Ministry of the Interior Their task is civil protection and management of emergency situations within the country, and this includes educating citizens.
During my volunteer engagement, we had a training that first included a presentation on the types of education for natural disasters and preventive and disaster measures related to the family. We have covered dealing with earthquakes, fires, floods, erosion, blizzards and devastating storms In Turkiye, a notification system and a system of meeting points have been developed in such cases, which is not the case in Serbia. After that we watched a film and a presentation about the earthquakes that happened in this region on February 6, 2023 with a magnitude of 7.1 and 7.6, and then we had a presentation on fires and a demonstration exercise to learn how to use a fire extinguisher with foam. We also watched a threeminute film about the rapid spread of fire in the home The last part of the training included practicing over 20 ways to tie rescue ropes and descend the wall with the help of safety equipment and those ropes
D E V E L O P M E N T
Altın Boncuklar Montessori Anaokulu
This is a relatively newly opened private kindergarten that bases its program on Montessori principles such as learning through play, observing and following the interests of each child individually, building independence and respect in each child, a prepared environment and freedom with boundaries Special attention is paid to sustainability, paper is used to the maximum and no surplus is thrown away.
P R O F E S S I O N A L
D E V E L O P M E N T
Altın Boncuklar Montessori Anaokulu
My first task was to prepare the Turkish alphabet in different variants Then I worked on the preparation and translation of working materials to English. I also prepared a presentation about Serbia, which was translated into Turkish. First, I met three-year-old Lina, whom I taught how to use a stapler because she wanted to Then I met Naz Sultan, Aybars and Alkan, who have completely different characters, and I participated with them in making artificial snow and other activities Aybars showed me how to make a sandcastle, and Naz Sultan washed my hands after an activity, because hand cleanliness is very important.
The owner is a Russian woman who completed Montessori education and has an interesting personal story too, considering that she moved to Siirt because of love. The director of the kindergarten was previously the director of Bahcesehir College, which includes kindergarten, primary, middle and high school.
Conversations with them were of great importance for me to understand the Montessori principles and to get ideas on how to apply them in my teaching practice.
Kseniia hoca, Veysiye hoca, thank you for everything!
Here, thanks to Nazan hanım and Zehra, a real Turkish breakfast is prepared, a delicious lunch and snack that I also enjoyed during the days I was involved. Thank you!
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R O F E S S I O N A L
D E V E L O P M E N T
Gökkuşağı
rehabilitasyon merkezi
This rehabilitation center is open to children, as well as older participants with developmental disabilities. First, we went on a tour of the institution and got to know the participants of the center, and after a few days we responded to the invitation for a joint gathering during which we all danced together, played a game of getting to know each other and painted the wall of the center, of course, with baklava and tea
Özel Siirt Amerikan Kültür Yabancı Dil Kursu
The American Cultural Center offers English and German language courses for groups of children from 3 to 6 and 7 to 14 years, as well as preparation for university and internationally recognized exams. I attended a three-hour English class with a group of children from 7 to 14 years old, during which they renewed the alphabet with a song, learned numbers and colours, in which I also helped This observation helped me to compare the teaching styles and the way of maintaining student discipline in my country and Turkiye.
M I N D A N D M E L O D Y
Chess lessons
We had our first chess lesson in the space of the chess club, when the rules and movements of the pieces were explained. Although I occasionally played chess with my father as a child, it was useful to be reminded of everything because I had forgotten most things. Later we had chess sessions in Cedid and I really enjoyed it, even though there were those who beat me in two moves Chess is a strategic game that requires a lot of concentration, focus, practice and discipline, and is an exercise for the mind
Piano lesson
Playing the piano also requires concentration, discipline and patience and encourages creativity, and it is necessary to follow certain patterns like in chess This was a new experience for me, although piano is available in some of the schools where I work. Although it does not seem easy, with good explanations and practice, some compositions can be easily learned. I also had the opportunity to listen to the teacher and two talented children who attend these classes play Real enjoyment and rest :)
C R E A T I V E E X P R E S S I O N S
Needlepoint making Ceramics
At this workshop, I renewed my needlepoint embroidery skills
At the ceramics workshops, we practiced drawing, illustrated plates, prepared material for work and tried to make cups Making my cup failed, because the clay was too hard, but below you can see the process of illustrating the plate and the final result of my work. Thanks to Aynisa Sanat Atolyesi!
Paper marbling Painting
This workshop revealed to me the basics of the magical technique with which you can express the deepest feelings and the work is fun
In the painting class, the topic was a vase with flowers, and I decided to use it to show my love for Turkiye, which was greatly appreciated by the hosts
L A N G U A G E L E A R N I N G
E X P E R I E N C E S
One of the regular activities in our volunteer engagement was the participation and moderation of the speaking club, which aimed to enable both us and interested members of the local community to improve conversational skills in English. I found one group whose topics were feminism and femicide, racism, deserts, health, migration, and then a new group started, whose first two meetings I moderated together with Maksim from Ukraine. At the first meeting we got to know each other, and at the second the topic was professions and hobbies We used Kahoot, Mentimeter, pair work, plenary discussion, guessing games, and we also learned some new words related to the occupations of the future. After that, I participated in sessions about travel, games from childhood, and then the moderation was mostly taken over by dear volunteers from Egypt who chose and interestingly dealt with the topics: success, friendship, family. We also had on dedicated to addictions.
L A N G U A G E
L E A R N I N G
E X P E R I E N C E S
Once a week we implemented an English speaking club for children. We learned new words and expressions through the game. It was much easier for me than the other volunteers because I could translate from Turkish to English and vice versa most of what the children wanted to say, and the learning results were higher
Turkish language
Cedid organized several basic Turkish lessons for us. These lessons represented a lower level of knowledge of Turkish than mine, but I had the opportunity to remind myself and help other volunteers to master basic words and expressions faster. I myself have become more confident when it comes to numbers above 40. Once I was asked to present which new words I have learnt during the week and it was fun to explain why those words :)
The greatest improvement in knowledge of the Turkish language took place in everyday situations. When I was with other volunteers I was mostly a translator, which in some situations was very challenging and also funny :)
Staying in a house with volunteers from different countries of the world contributed to getting to know the Portuguese and Arabic languages more closely. Now I know that Arabs don't call me all the time, they just talk about themselves :)
C U L T U R A L E X C H A N G E
A C T I V I T I E S
We organized a cultural evening for the local community where we presented our countries: Serbia, Ukraine, Egypt and Morocco My earlier volunteering experiences were in Croatia, where it was easy to find ingredients for Serbian food, so I did not expect that in Turkiye it would be a problem to find them. Murat market partially saved me at the last minute, but still I had to give up some ideas
Among the other specialities, I would single out the Egyptian Om Ali, which is a real delicacy, and I adore sweets :)
I prepared Slava’s grain, proja and Serbian salad. Mr. Irfan from the Directorate for Culture and Tourism was also our guest, which was a special honor for us. There was a bit of conflict about whether Serbian salad is the same as Coban salad in Turkiye, but the tasting proved that Serbian salad is different :) Interested guests could get to know Serbia and Leskovac through the publications that the National museum in Leskovac kindly donated for this occasion
A C T I V I T I E S
There were moments with interesting requests but also wonderful gifts in return. Little things make life, indeed!
Taking photos with the Serbian flag was a must for some people :)
We also had a traditional dance workshop where dear Merve taught us three dances characteristic of Siirt and its surroundings, but we also showed ours. In the photo we are playing a Serbian ‘’kolo’’ called ‘’Cacak’’ .
Please don't judge this "Picasso" if you ever come to Siirt and see his "masterpiece" :D
Find the difference! :)
L O C A L C U I S I N E
There is so much talk about Turkish cuisine that I went from being a person with almost no interest in food to someone for whom tasting local specialties is important. There was not much time for walks of 20 km a day and for food, but there are still results :)
Kebab
Magnolia and other desserts
Ice cream variants
Adana kebab
Tzatziki and potato pie
Kumpir
Turkish breakfast
Ice cream variants
L O C A L C U I S I N E
P.S. And some Georgian: kvas, Adjara baklava, Georgian coffee and Khachapuri
Perde pilav, bumbar and icli kofte
Lahmacun
Ekmek kadaif with ice cream
Shavurma
San Sebastian
Kaburga dolması
Icli kofte
L O C A L H O S P I T A L I T Y A N D
I N T E R N A T I O N A L B O N D S
I had a roommate just 8 days but Dhouha and me shared really precious moments together!
Thank you Selda and Fatma for your hospitality and I hope you will come to Serbia!
My Madeira Anna will always have a special place in my heart with her uniqueness!
It was difficult to convince Emine, my Turkish friend from the previous project, to come from Antalya to Siirt. But she came. Her presence and way of looking on things means a lot to me!
My Haguri and Mariumi were my support in all situations. My Nawal and her vibe, what to say more :)
T R A V E L C H A N N E L
I used weekends and days off to travel I mostly traveled alone, except for the time spent in Antalya, where my friend Emine was my host, the Tunceli tour, which we went on at the insistence of Emine and Trabzon, which was a joint decision of Haguri, Mariumi and me, and we were guided by the Amcalar family.
Almost all trips were by bus, except to Malatya and Diyarbakir by train, and to Trabzon by car. I also used city buses and minibuses.
For more scan here
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R A
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L C H A N N E L
In total, I visited 15 cities besides Siirt, one of which is in Georgia and the rest in Turkiye.
Adana
Alanya
Antalya
Kurtalan
Malatya
Diyarbakir
Batman
Tunceli
Mardin
Sanliurfa
Gaziantep
Trabzon
Rize
Istanbul
Batumi
T R A V E L C H A N N E L
The experiences of these trips are memories that I will remember for the rest of my life: the bay/bayan topic, climbing hills until exhaustion, the joy of finally finding a place I wanted to visit, the feeling of standing in front of something that people created thousands of years before, the beautiful views, conversations with random people, people's enthusiasm for my bad Turkish, chasing a cat out of the room at midnight, unlocking a broken door, waiting for a bus for 2.5 hours at the station, etc Lesson: it's nice to travel, but don't be like me :)
S O M E R A N D O M ( O R N O T )
T H O U G H T S
I managed to get literature for learning Ottoman Turkish, which is otherwise not delivered outside of Turkey. Of course, nothing without Emine and Mariumi While the lady was traveling to Mardin (me), they were waiting to receive my package, one from Denizli from the wedding, the other from Siirt Thank you girls :)
Ozan Akbaba was not among the famous actors in the Siirt Park shopping mall, but that's why Murat Yildirim is there
Some moments don’t look lbig but they bring a lot of joy into our lives :)
Love is when you recognize the darkness of another person and accept it as your own.
Your family is not the one who is close to you by blood, but the one who takes care of you even when they have enough of their own worries.
My guardian angelLamia
Thank you for enabling me to have this wonderful experience and for the fulfillment of all my wishes!
T H A N K Y O U C E D I D A N D S I I R T
Not only my Youthpass and passport are full, but also my mind and heart :)