Beyza Nur Çiyim

Today's date is January 1, 2024. Exactly one month ago today, I set out for my short-term volunteer project in Rezekne, Latvia. Since it was my first ESC project, I had hundreds of questions in my mind, including concerns and excitement. While, on the one hand, I was very happy to live and work like a local in another country. On the other hand, I was afraid for the same reason. Yes, I was afraid, but I never felt alone. Because since I learned that I was selected, none of my questions were left unanswered by my sending organization. Everything was explained to me from start to finish and I felt more confident having all the information I needed to know. Since I arrived in the project country, I have never been left unanswered by my Host organization. Every question I had was answered immediately and every problem I had was solved immediately. I found myself in an environment that was much warmer than I expected. Let's talk about the process of my volunteering project... I quickly met and bonded with other volunteer friends in my city. Because we were meeting and having meetings in the office, and our Host organization was encouraging the volunteers who were there before to help the new volunteers with some issues. These incentives helped me get to know the city, adapt to it, and better understand the process where I work.

I got used to it from the first day I started working there. Everything was presented to me slowly and clearly, and I was made to feel that I was actually there voluntarily. At first I wasn't sure about some things, of course I was afraid, but if I had known how bad I would feel when I was away from there and how much I would miss it, I would never have been afraid, I would have enjoyed it. Nothing I was afraid of or worried about happened to me. The only disadvantage was the season I went because I was going from a hot country, but I overcame this with a quick adaptation process. When our host organization told us at the meeting that they would give us leave on very cold days, I was amazed at their thoughtfulness.

I was very sad when I left, even though I was there for a short time, I felt familiar and belonged as if I had always been there. The people there were equally saddened by my departure and I received gifts and cards.

In conclusion, volunteering is something every young person should definitely experience at least once in their life. I hope every young person is as lucky as me in terms of both the Sending organization and the Host organization. Because during these volunteering projects, you can gain experiences, friendships and connections that you cannot gain anywhere else in your life.

Emirhan Altan

Hello, I'm Emirhan. I'd like to share the wonderful things I gained from Rezekne and volunteering. Before starting my volunteering in Rezekne, I didn't have any major fears, but there was a slight hesitation. Throughout my solo journey, I didn't encounter any problems because I was in constant communication with both the Lidosk team and the team in Latvia. During my initial week, I had free time, and in that period, I explored the place. I met new people, and the local community was warm and welcoming to foreigners. They were always eager to solve any minor issues. I made many friends from various countries in Latvia, and communication was never a problem. Even if your English isn't very good, don't worry; people won't judge you for it when you go there. Now, let me tell you about what I did there. Normally, I was supposed to work in the office, but since my expertise is in fitness, they found activities related to my skills, and I ended up giving fitness classes. In my free time, I also participated in workshops with disabled individuals. It was a lot of fun and very fulfilling because my colleagues were enjoyable, and I enjoyed every moment spent with them. I had a few Turkish friends as well. Although we spoke the same language, we always spoke English to improve our language skills, and that's how I comfortably improved my English. I got to know various cultures and tried to share our own. Being 22 years old and having so much experience makes me very happy. I thank the LIDOSK family for allowing me to join this project and for never leaving me alone there.