Two Months in Madan: Solidarity, Friendship and Personal Growth

Hello, I am Rüveyda EKER.

This summer, I had the opportunity to be part of the Grandchildren for Rent project in Madan, Bulgaria. Within the scope of the project, we supported local people and took part in environmental improvement activities. To be honest, I had many questions in my mind while travelling to Madan. I really could not imagine what I would do for two months in a country I did not know, with people I had never met before, or how the days would pass. But from the moment we arrived and started the project, everything began to turn into something beautiful.

My Volunteering Process and Field Experience

Our project was truly wonderful. We helped elderly people there; if they had tried to do everything on their own, they might not have easily found that kind of support around them, but as young people we came together and stood by their side. For the first time in my life, I held an axe, chopped wood and carried it on my back. Of course, there were days when we were physically very tired; our hands hurt, we sweated a lot and we even experienced some minor accidents. But at the end of the day, seeing the pure gratitude in those people’s eyes and knowing that you were the reason for someone’s smile was such a proud feeling that it took all the tiredness away.

Our volunteering process was not only about physical work. In fact, everything we did reminded us how valuable solidarity and being together really are. Being able to touch people’s lives, even in a small way, was one of the most meaningful aspects of this project for me.

Learning to Live Together

But honestly, besides the work we did, I also loved living in Madan for two months. Our group’s energy and dynamic were so good that I truly felt like a part of the team from the very first day. Even though living so close together in a hotel for two months could sometimes be difficult, we supported one another in every way. We cooked together, sometimes laughed until we dropped, and sometimes cried together in difficult moments.

In fact, we created a beautiful routine life for ourselves there. Sometimes what gave us peace was simply sitting on the balcony and drinking tea together, and even that was so valuable. I learned how to share the same space with other people, how to take real responsibility and how to build a life together. In terms of personal development, these two months gave me so much. I can clearly feel the change and maturity within myself, and I am already looking forward to having a similar experience again as soon as possible.

The Mark Madan Left on Me

Madan was truly the perfect place for volunteering. Its air was so refreshing that even waking up in the morning and taking a deep breath was enough. Everywhere was full of greenery, and just looking around made me feel better. One of my favourite things was that after walking just five minutes from the hotel, we could already find ourselves on a hiking route, right in the heart of nature.

Madan was such a warm place, and its people were incredibly kind. After some time, we started recognising one another. Forgetting that you are in a foreign country and beginning to feel that place like a second home is an indescribable feeling.

International Environment and New Connections

One of the greatest opportunities in our project was that we witnessed three different Erasmus projects during our stay. Thanks to those projects, we met dozens of young people coming from many different places. In the evenings, we gathered on the balcony of Chayka and shared the same place, the same songs and the same memories. Seeing people from different languages laugh and have fun around the same table was very valuable for me.

This process showed me how natural and powerful intercultural learning can be. Coming from different countries, speaking different languages or having different habits never became a barrier to coming together and building strong connections.

Farewell and Thanks

At the end of the two months, packing my bags and leaving Madan was truly very difficult for me. If someone had told me before I set out that a small mountain town in Bulgaria would take such a big place in my life and make me feel at home, I would never have believed it. This experience gave me incredible self-confidence. Sometimes we live the most beautiful moments of our lives in places we never expected, with people we never imagined; life is really full of such surprises.

I would like to thank KOZ-DER for opening this door for me and making it possible for me to live this unique experience, my dear volunteer friends who shared every moment with me and turned these two months into one of the most beautiful periods of my life, and our host organisation for welcoming us.