Sera YILDIZ

I am Sera Yıldız. Taking a short break from my working life, I set out on a volunteering journey where I chose to support others before myself. Between 13.12.2025 and 11.02.2026 I worked with disadvantaged young people and children on a European Solidarity Corps project in Romania. It let me support them and also get to know myself better.

Mornings with the Children

In the mornings we delivered food donations, provided by partner organisations and donors, to pupils in need at the village school. Afterwards we ran creative activities with the children, joined their games and tried to bring a little joy into their day.

Sharing in the happiness of children who were shy when they first saw us and then slowly opened up and became our friends meant a great deal to me. Being the reason for their smile each day reminded me how meaningful our work was. I came to understand better how much a seemingly small piece of contact can mean to a child.

Afternoons at the Youth Centre

In the afternoons we went to the youth centre to spend time with young people. Our aim there was not only to run activities. What we really wanted was to create a safe space where they could step away from the difficulties of daily life, feel comfortable and simply be themselves without comparison.

We let them taste dishes from our own kitchen, taught them new games and joined theirs. While trying to teach English we also tried to learn Romanian from them. What we did might not have looked like much, but it was enough to make them feel good. Leaving the centre tired but useful at the end of the day was one of the best parts of the project for me.

A Period of Cultural Growth

The experience gave me a great deal not only socially but culturally. I used my free time to see new places. Starting from Craiova, where I was based, I had the chance to visit Bucharest, Brașov and Transylvania. Later I also got to see Paris.

Everywhere I went I met new people, observed different ways of living and experienced other cultures. Those journeys widened my perspective and helped me know myself better. Being in different places also makes it easier to look at yourself from the outside, and I had the chance to rethink many things about myself.

The Mark Volunteering Left

The project was far more than a temporary experience. It affected how I stand towards life, transformed me and left deep marks on the kind of person I want to be. I saw how big a difference even a small contribution can make in someone’s life.

I learned that volunteering is not only helping; it is building empathy, sharing, growing together and touching another person’s life sincerely. I noticed that life becomes more beautiful the more useful you are to others. So I realised I want volunteering to always have an important place in my life.

Thank You

Thank you to the KOZ-DER family for guiding me towards this meaningful experience and supporting me at every step. Thanks to them, volunteering has begun to become not just an experience but a way of living.

This will stay with me as an experience I will never forget and one that will always inspire me.