Sena MAZLUMOĞLU

Hello everyone,

I am Sena Mazlumoğlu. I spent two months as a volunteer on the ART EVS project in Madan, Bulgaria. It was my first volunteering experience. I had done Erasmus before, but I experienced volunteering for the first time in Bulgaria — and I loved it. So my first volunteering experience, like my first Erasmus, will always hold a special place.

How the ART EVS Project Went

Our main aim was to make handmade pieces to be shown at the Crystal Festival on 5-6 June. The project began on 12 April and ended on 7 June. Every day we met at the youth centre, learned from our teacher what we would be doing and started work. After around two hours our pieces for the day were ready and we finished up.

Over two months we made a wide range of creative pieces: magnets, keyrings, necklaces, postcards, bracelets, and acrylic and oil paintings. One of the best parts was trying something new every day and producing something concrete. That made the project both instructive and very enjoyable.

What the Project Meant

The association running the project was called Children with Special Needs. So all the income from our pieces at the festival would go to children with special needs. Serving such a good and meaningful purpose was a genuine honour.

We worked with greater enthusiasm every day, feeling both useful and happy knowing our work would benefit someone. I felt again how valuable it is to create, to share and to contribute to a social good. The project was genuinely productive for me and improved my craft skills considerably.

Time outside the Project in Madan

Although Madan is a relatively small town in Bulgaria, it embraced us immediately. The greenery everywhere, the calm of nature and the warmth of people made us feel we were living in a big family. So Madan was not only a place where I did a project but a town where I found peace.

In our free time we organised activities with the other volunteers, went on trips and enjoyed ourselves together. I also walked a great deal, read and did sport. Our days were full in every sense — a productive and peaceful period.

What This Experience Gave Me

Being my first volunteering experience made it far more meaningful. On one hand I met new people and gained the experience of living in a different culture; on the other I developed in taking responsibility, working in a team and creating towards a shared aim.

I also understood better that volunteering is not only taking part in an activity but contributing to a community, a cause and to people. The project gave me a great deal both socially and personally.

Final Word

Thank you very much to everyone who made my first volunteering experience unforgettable, above all KOZ-DER and the Children with Special Needs Association. Yes, this was a first for me — but it certainly will not be the last.

I would love everyone who feels ready to set off on this volunteering adventure.

The road is open — take it :)