Let’s DO ESC

Ciao 🙂

I’m Fatma Rüya. I am 24 years old and I come from Turkey. My volunteering adventure started during my university years and still continues. All of the activities and projects I took part in in my country caused me to be shaped and to feel a spiritual peace. The peace of mutual help and solidarity.

Most of the students at the university where I studied were foreign nationals. I was very excited to live together with people from different countries and cultures. This gave me the courage to step up to my desires. This excitement and courage made me take the steps that started my volunteering experience abroad. Later, I learned that I could apply for short or long-term European Solidarity Corps projects abroad, just like the students at my school, and I immediately researched what I needed to do for this. As a result of my research, I was selected as a volunteer for the project called “DO ESC” by the Torre dei Giovani association in Torre del Greco, Italy. In the next process, my project manager shared all the information with me and showed me the way I should follow. Before I came to Italy, I had a fear of the unknown and a bit of curiosity about the people I would live and work with. Then my fears gave way to relief. We gathered as a team and met with the other volunteers in the project. Our project manager made presentations about the volunteering activities we will carry out and many more.

My first days in Torre del Greco started with exploring the city. I took a trip in the wonderful national park of Vesuvio and learned about the afforestation projects there. We came together with different associations, explained why we are here, our purpose, and exchanged ideas about our projects. We have done environmental cleaning together, the damage of plastics to the sea and the environment is not to be underestimated. We organized our event where we shared clothes with Kenyan volunteers to contribute to recycling. I enjoyed the sea and canoeing in the protected marine area with divers. I met our disabled friends with whom we will be together throughout the year. Celebrating a birthday with them and helping them was great. We organized an event where we explained the culture of our country and showed our local dances. I have never felt so happy and emotional before. Lastly, I would like to talk about the summer camp I attended. I attended the camp held in Vico Equense with all my friends. During the camp, our main duties were to eat organically and not leave any food waste. I learned how to make handmade pasta and bread here. The activities and activities were educational and entertaining. As for my achievements, I cannot express in words the effect all these activities had on me. I have developed socially, my communication and team working skills have increased. Making countless friends is the best advantage. At the end of the whole time I worked as a volunteer, I realized that every project I was in and every person I worked with for the world I wanted to live in actually served to develop and develop the most.

See you next month arrivederci 🙂