My name is Nazife and I am from Turkey. I joined the Humanitarian Aid Volunteering for Solidarity Activities program at the Ecumenical Humanitarian Organization (EHO) in Serbia as part of the European Solidarity Corps Humanitarian Aid project implemented by ADRA Czechia, where I have been volunteering for one year as an educational assistant.

Throughout this time, I led workshops with children and young people in schools,  asylum centers, and in the field while traveling to different cities across Serbia. Working with vulnerable and marginalized groups deeply influenced both my personal and professional development, strengthening my sense of responsibility, empathy, and social awareness, and showing me how even small actions can create meaningful positive change. It was especially rewarding to see some children speak Turkish and support us as interpreters during workshops, creating warm and genuine connections, while getting to know their cultures, languages, and life stories helped me better appreciate their resilience, strength, and hopes for the future. Living and working in a different country challenged me to adapt to new cultural norms and improve my communication skills despite language barriers, making me more patient, flexible, and confident in unfamiliar situations.

The respect and kindness shown by my colleagues at EHO and the people we met in the field created a warm and supportive environment that made this experience even more valuable, and I am very grateful to my sending organization ADRA and my host organization EHO for their continuous support and guidance.

This volunteering experience motivated me to continue working in humanitarian and social fields, and the skills and values I gained such as teamwork, intercultural understanding, and resilience will guide my future path.