Hello everyone!
My name is Tugba, I’m 23 years old, from Turkey. I graduated from Law School two years ago. Then I finished my internship and became a lawyer last year. But I wasn’t ready to work as a lawyer. Something was missing in my life. Then I started to search for an EVS project which is meaningful for me. I was very excited when I found KEKS’s Youth Win project. Because this project has offered opportunities for me to explore my dreams while helping young people who want to follow their own dreams. I knew that it was the true project for me when I applied for it.
My EVS adventure started in the end of March. I moved thousands of miles away from my home. In the beginning I was very excited but I settled down easily and felt at home away from home. Settling a new life in a new place is always promising and full of hopes. Especially if it’s another side of the world with a completely different culture, climate and mindset.
My first days in Sweden passed quickly. I learned more about KEKS quality system for youth work and my project tasks. The first week was Easter week and the youth center in Kålltorp had a film project for Easter Holiday. I went there with Dario the other KEKS EVS volunteer to help the youth leader and I also understood how a youth center works. Me and 10 young people worked together and we wrote a scenario together and learned about cameras, effects, green screen, filming and editing. We worked as two groups and we made our own movies. The young people was very engaged in this project. They came everyday and worked interestedly. After all this we watched our movies and applauded ourselves. This was very fun and good experience for me. The young people seemed very enjoyed and I was very enjoyed as well.
Meanwhile I’ve started to go to Swedish lessons twice a week. Trying to speak some Swedish and making more connection with Swedish culture makes me feel very happy. I think it’s a good start to conversation say something Swedish.Like “Hejsan, Hur mår du? Jag mår bra. Tack så mycket!” when I meet new people. And I’m still working on it. 🙂
One of the my project task is: “Offer support to youngsters and youth workers interested in writing and implementing own projects.” In accordance with this task we’ve visited some youth centers to support young people who wants to write their own project. The first youth center that I visited was Vårvinden Fritidsgård. We met a youngster who wants to write his own project and go to Italy to do youth exchange with his friends. And we made a presentation about Youth Exchange and EVS. We talked about opportunities of Youth Exchange and ways to writing a project. And we will continue to support them in every step of their project.
I also spoke in front of people about the Youth Center visits at the Eurodesk meeting. There were 50 National Agency staff from 20 different Europe countries. After our presentation we guided them for their activities in Göteborg, and showed some Swedish traditional things like Fika, Midsummer Frog Dance (Små Grodorna). And we did this dance together.It vas very funny.
In the second week of April, in Stockholm, there was the on-arrival training for 20 EVS volunteers from different Europe countries. We met in Stockholm and learned about our rights and responsibilities, Youthpass and non-formal education methods. We had a lot of different discussions, debates, outdoor activities, workshops for four days. This was a very special training for me. It was a memorable wonderful experience to see and get to know different people that are somehow in a similar situation as me. I met new friends here and we are still in touch.
After on-arrival training, I explored the Stockholm city. It has very beautiful architecture and It is full of life. Especially I loved beautiful nature of Djurgården. Like every good thing, it finished and I turned back to Göteborg.
After the training we went back to work. Me and Sara went to two different youth centers Rinkeby and Akalla in Stockholm. We made a presentation about a Youth Exchange in Izmir, Turkey. And asked the youngsters about their ideas for the project. We are planning a Youth Exchange project with my sending organisation Ege Pedal Sport Club Association in Izmir. We visited these youth centers a few times later and started to writing the project. They will hopefully go to Izmir next summer and they are very excited already.
April was kind of busy month, full of work, events and travel. But also we had a busy schedule in May. A study visit hosted by KEKS within the YouthWin project. We guided visitors from the InterCity youth member organisations. We visited together youth centers in Göteborg, Öckerö and Mölndal. And learned about Swedish youth work, quality development and roles of KEKS. At the same time they shared some informations about their own youth work systems and youth centers. Participants from different countries discussed about their experiences and analyzed them. It was a very important event for develop the youth work.
There are lots of things to experience and write. That’s all for now. Hej då!