Eylül ÖZDEMİR

Hello everyone :) I am Eylül. I hope you get the chance to join projects like this too.

Between 30.06.2025 and 26.08.2025 I took part in short-term ESC volunteering in Madan, Bulgaria through KOZ-DER. As a child I dreamed of going abroad, but for a long time it stayed just a wish. After starting university and spending more time with myself, I began applying to projects like this — and that is how my path crossed with KOZ-DER.

What I Did

The project was mostly about nature, but it was also a very meaningful process in which we supported people who needed help. We once filled sacks with firewood for an elderly woman and carried them up to her attic. Another time we went to a nearby village and painted the exercise equipment there. The work was sometimes physically tiring, but it was deeply satisfying.

One of the best things about this project was meeting new people in another country while doing all this, and growing used to them over time. I still keep in touch with friends from abroad even after the project ended. That showed me how real and lasting the bonds formed here are.

New People, New Experiences

On your free days you also get the chance to explore the area, which makes the whole thing more special. This might sound a bit iconic, but I had never hitchhiked before in my life. I met friends who suddenly had me in a completely different car in Bulgaria, in the middle of a new journey :) Even that became an unforgettable memory in itself.

Sharing a space with different people, getting to know new cultures and seeing how special even the most ordinary moments can become gave me a great deal.

What the Project Gave Me

Through this project I also had the chance to see other countries in Europe. I travelled to six countries on my own. You really do not need perfect English; enough to make yourself understood is usually plenty. I saw that for myself.

Seeing new places, trying to communicate with people and moving around on my own in a foreign environment were all feelings I experienced for the first time. This project genuinely helped widen my horizons. It increased my confidence, improved my decision-making and gave me the courage to make a new decision that will matter for my future. I am still working towards it now.

Thank You

Thank you very much to KOZ-DER and to the other organisations involved, who support us so that more young people can see the world and grow.

For me this volunteering was not just a project: it was a very special journey in which I turned part of my dreams into reality and got to know myself better.