Maide Ceren Macit:
I spent two months volunteering in Struga, North Macedonia, as part of the European Solidarity Corps (ESC).
During this time, I had the opportunity to develop both personally and professionally. My work spanned a wide range of areas, including supporting a local initiative, producing social media content, preparing guidance materials for new volunteers, and volunteering at an international sporting event.
Participating in active duty for two months significantly improved my time management, sense of responsibility, and communication skills. I developed my independent decision-making, problem-solving, and creative content production skills.
I also gained concrete experience in areas such as event management, social media content production, and audiovisual material preparation. These skills will be a significant advantage in both my academic and professional careers.
My participation in the European Youth Olympics in Skopje provided me with the opportunity to communicate with people from different cultures and work towards common goals.
This experience made me more sensitive to cultural diversity. In addition to all these activities, we also made the most of our free time during the two months. We particularly had the opportunity to swim in Lake Ohrid, organized Turkish and Macedonian nights with volunteers to share cultural experiences, sampled local cuisine, and explored the surrounding historical and touristic sites. This made for a fulfilling experience in both my volunteering and my social life. Below are some photos from these experiences.
Fatih Özger:
My main responsibility for the project was working on the CRDSEE organization's website. When I arrived, the website was unusable and not actively functioning. My responsibility was to revitalize, organize, visually improve, and make it usable. Thanks to my work, the site became operational and can be used again to promote the organization's activities. This process gave me both technical skills and a sense of responsibility.
Furthermore, we participated in many cultural events as part of the project. For example, we organized a Turkish Night and a Macedonian Night. During these events, each country introduced its own culture and shared its cuisine. At the Turkish Night, we prepared traditional dishes: sarma, yağlama, lentil soup, kısır, salad, rice pudding, and tea. We also played Turkish songs, performed our local dances, and learned simple Turkish phrases like "hello" and "günaydın" (good morning). This activity was very enjoyable, both for representing our country and for sharing with other cultures.
During the project, we also took Macedonian language lessons. This gave us the opportunity to learn some basic words and expressions. We also had the opportunity to practice by interacting directly with the local people. For example, we met Bosko's family and tried to establish basic Macedonian conversations with them. We had the opportunity to chat with some local people and told them about Turkey. Some people had misconceptions about Turkey; for example, we learned that some people think Turks are Arabs and that we ride camels. We corrected these misconceptions and tried to present Turkish culture accurately. These conversations were both fun and helped me better understand the importance of intercultural communication.
We also engaged in various activities in our daily lives. Going to Lake Ohrid for a swim had become almost a routine. There was also a gym downstairs where we stayed, which I used regularly. Being able to exercise was good for me both physically and mentally.
The event I enjoyed most during the project was the Youth Olympics held in Skopje. I had the opportunity to participate in these Olympics as part of the ESC. For two weeks, I met people from all over the world, stayed together, and participated in the Olympic preparations. I played an active role in organizing the event to ensure it ran smoothly. This process taught me how to work with people from different cultures, see behind the scenes of a large organization, and the importance of teamwork.
