EVS in Bitola: A Happy Experience!
Hello everyone! I'm Şakir. I would like to share with you my volunteering project that I completed in Macedonia, the beautiful country of the Balkans.
Macedonia has become a country where I love its nature, historical cities and helpful people. The attitude towards us was really good as we have many similar cultures with Macedonia and they mostly dominate Turkish TV serials.
Working with the children in the kindergarten during the program has been an incredible experience for me. Their energy, joy and curiosity motivated me every day and made my experience more exciting. Working with children meant not only teaching them but also learning from them. Contributing to their growth journey was one of my most valuable goals. Understanding that every child has a different learning style and approaching them appropriately has been an important responsibility for me.
Then we met volunteers from other organizations. In the meantime, we started the language course. With the language course provided to us, I learned to use the language of the country enough to live in daily life.
Their sincere, sincere, helpful and respectful attitude accelerated my adaptation to this place. I would like to especially mention and meet when you go to Bitola that the teachers in the kindergarten, dear Valentina and Kristina, are colleagues who will enchant any volunteer with their incredible sincere support.
Valentina and Kristina always made their passion for the teaching profession felt. They allowed children to explore freely, learn and develop their creativity. Valentina and Kristina managed to create an atmosphere of tolerance, respect and love in the classroom. They are people who make us look at humanity and the future with hope, are highly motivated and fill us with light. They are valuable people who shape the future and work to make the world a better place. Today, I feel lucky to have known Valentina and Kristina.
I want to talk a little bit about Bitola. I can definitely say it's home, I miss it incredibly right now. Bitola is a well-established city with thousands of years of history. People are extremely relaxed, everyone is enjoying themselves and no one is fussy. Shirok Street, the heart of Bitola, is a great meeting point. Everything you are looking for is on this street; places to eat and cafes where you can sit and watch the street in the evening. Gradski park is a very nice place for morning walks. I felt like I was in the forest with bird sounds and lots of trees.
Our mentor, Nikola, played an active role in organizing activities for young people. From the beginning of our project, he was always with us and guided us. By sharing his own experiences, he guided us to the success of our project. Thanks to his empathy, he understood the strengths of each volunteer and made an effort to best involve them in the project. It was a great privilege to work with him and he played a huge role in the success of our project.
My advice to those who read this blog post is to find the most suitable project for you and apply at the most convenient time for you. These opportunities come once in our lives. I emphasize for the second time that you choose your project well, because you go there with an expectation and you are expected. Since you have been selected, other applicants cannot be selected. You are there as an individual. At the same time, and most importantly, you represent your country, I advise friends to remember this.
When I look back, I see a lot of good memories, friendships, experiences that make me smile, and most importantly, a more confident Şakir. Many new people, many different places and beautiful adventures awaited me here. And I hope there are still places to see, people to meet, and things to discover…