What is European Volunteering Service (EVS)? EVS gives you opportunity to spend 2-12 months in a EU country that you choose in a social service project. European Volunteering Service also includes
beginner level language education (%5) and open to all people between ages of 17-30. European Volunteering Service’s (EVS)aim is to support young people to join volunteering activities inside and outside of European Union. In scope of this action, young people participates non-profit free organization by themselves or by groups.
.Sezgi SEZGİN is founder member of DeM Medipol that was established in 2016. She is the chairman of executive board in 2016-2017/2017-2018 academic years. Sezgi did European Volunteering Service via Experiential Training Centre in Malaga/Spain between 05.07.2017-06.08.2017.
Sezgi had the opportunity to work in European Volunteering Service (EVS) that contains lots of themes. She worked with an association that has target group as kids and teaching English to those
kids, also sends aid to countries that is in need.
Three days of the week they discovered new communication methods by playing games and dancing with the kids in ages 6-13 in a summer camp. After EVS our volunteer shared her feelings and said that, ‘It was an unbelievable experience. When their effort in speaking English combined with my effort in speaking Spanish, the language –Spanglish- came out as people said.
On the other two days of the week, our volunteer worked in an establishment that collects aid and met lots of different people. She mentioned that listening their life stories was so special, especially it speeds up her to adaptation to the Spanish culture.
During the weekends, our volunteer mentioned that she enjoyed Malaga’s historical places, museums, sea, beaches and the sun. Besides Malaga Sezgi also went to the Granada and she said
that she was amazed with the history.
If you want to look Sezgi’s experience from her words take a look to the writing:
-During the first days of European Volunteering Service being away from Turkey, responsibility of working in a new area and my health problems created a hard situation for me. However, after being
well with my housemates, making plans together, their help in every issue, my colleagues’ understanding I adapted the place and everything turned into a fairy tale. Besides my experience in volunteering service, living in another country, trying to learn different language, and meeting people from different cultures and being friend with them was a big contribution to my personal development. After four weeks it was hard to leave them. However, my experiences caused new beginnings. For example I will continue my one month Spanish course in Turkey. It’s an opportunity that everyone should experience!-