Crossing Borders and Touching Lives

Hello, I am Tuğçenur SARIGÜNEY.

As a final-year student in the Psychology Department at Selçuk University, I was looking for an activity during the summer of 2026 where I could gain practical experience in my field while also taking an active role in multidisciplinary work. At that moment, KOZ-DER opened a completely new door for me. The steps I took through that door led me to Madan, Bulgaria. During the two-month Grandchildren For Rent Short-Term ESC project, I became more aware of both my own limits and the limitations around me. At the same time, I developed different ways of coping with them. This project reminded me of the existence of different lives and contributed greatly to both my identity and personality.

Slowing Down and Noticing in Madan

One of the first things that struck me when I arrived in Madan was the town’s unshakable calmness.In the complexity of big cities, where we often try to survive rather than truly live, we tend to lose ourselves. We forget how much we need the simple peace of nature. This awareness became one of the first and most valuable gifts Madan gave me. During these two months away from the complexity of metropolitan relationships, I had the chance to reflect on my inner world and values while also observing the everyday realities of the people around me. During this period, when I truly felt alive, I had the opportunity to question more deeply what life and living really mean. From the very first days, I understood that this process would help me grow in many ways. As part of our project, while responding to the needs of the local community, I also realised how closely our own needs and desires are connected, and how we sometimes make many things meaningless while trying to give meaning to our lives.

From Understanding People to Touching Society

As someone with a background in psychology, being in the field and trying to respond to the specific needs of people from different cultures was sometimes challenging. However, it also helped me internalise a very important perspective: people are not mass-produced patterns. Everyone’s needs and wishes are unique. Offering the same plate to everyone might be fairness, but it is not necessarily healing. True support is only possible when it meets the person exactly where they feel insufficient and only to the extent they can carry. No less, no more… While trying to understand this, we worked to support the daily and seasonal needs of many elderly people. We took active responsibilities in physical solidarity-based tasks such as preserving shared living spaces, cleaning weeds, chopping and organising firewood for winter. We also carried out many environmental and nature-related activities. At the same time, supporting elderly people in their daily lives and sharing conversations with them became the most emotionally meaningful part of the project. The individual bonds we built in the field became invaluable lessons for me in terms of empathetic communication, active listening and understanding human relationships.

A Shared Story of Different Worlds

Throughout the project, sharing the same house and the same purpose with Erasmus students from different cultural backgrounds naturally created a strong sense of unity and solidarity among us. The meals we prepared together, the matches we watched, the volleyball games we played and the long evening conversations carried us beyond Erasmus/ESC friendship and turned into real bonds. During my free days within the project, I also had the chance to explore different parts of Bulgaria and Europe, which helped me broaden my vision. In fact, throughout this whole process, as I crossed geographical borders on the map, I also crossed my own personal boundaries. I can see this much more clearly now, at the end of the project.

Rediscovering Myself

The two months I spent in Madan did not only leave me with beautiful memories. They also contributed greatly to my professional and personal development. During this process, I had the opportunity to observe and understand people’s needs and behaviours through the perspectives of different cultures. By working in a team with people from different cultures and disciplines, I improved my teamwork skills. Using English actively in daily life helped me strengthen my communication skills and become more confident in expressing myself. I also realised that when I step out of my comfort zone, I can adapt to many things much more easily than I had imagined. In short, these two months gave me the chance to get to know different people and cultures, while also discovering myself more closely. I am leaving not only with beautiful memories, but also with new experiences, lessons and meaningful gains that I have added to my life and to myself.

Goodbye and Thank You

As I leave Madan, I leave behind wonderful friendships, beautiful memories, learned lessons and a deep sense of peace in my heart. Some cities are simply visited and seen; others leave a mark on a person’s mind and heart. For me, Madan definitely belonged to the second group. I would like to sincerely thank the KOZ-DER family, who made this beautiful experience possible and opened this door for me; Halil ÖZKARACA, whose guidance and support I always felt throughout the process; our hosting organisation; and all my volunteer friends who shared this journey with me. I also want to thank everyone who somehow touched my path during this process, supported me, worked with me, talked with me and helped me create beautiful memories. This experience reminded me once again how even a short conversation, a small act of help or a shared moment can take up a very large place in a person’s memory. I believe that every person I met here, every experience I had and everything I learned will continue to accompany me on my future journey. Thank you all for giving me not only a new city, but also the chance to get to know different cultures, different people and, most importantly, myself more closely.

I am glad I was part of this journey.