Within the scope of our foundation’s ESC-51 project, the volunteering mobility carried out in Bosnia and Herzegovina has evolved from being merely a humanitarian activity into a journey of empathy beyond borders, personal awareness, and a return to cultural roots for young participants.
As part of the European Solidarity Corps ESC-51 project conducted by Bülbülzade Foundation and supported by the Turkish National Agency, our young volunteers Nisa Nur Bayrak, Feride Nisa Tanaş, and Feyzanur Üstün—hosted by IFS EMMAUS in the cities of Doboj and Srebrenitsa in Bosnia and Herzegovina—are experiencing the deep peace of touching different lives. Taking part in numerous activities ranging from tailoring workshops to educational activities with children, from visits to the elderly to cultural interactions, the young volunteers state that they have built heartfelt connections that transcend language barriers.
MY SENSE OF EMPATHY AND PERSPECTIVE HAVE EXPANDED
The volunteers express that living within a different culture enriches their perspectives, while also bringing profound changes to their inner worlds as they contribute to social benefit. Nisa Nur Bayrak emphasizes that working with people whose language she does not speak has strengthened her sense of empathy. Having had the opportunity to contribute her experience in tailoring to the project, Bayrak explains what this experience means to her with the following words:
“Living and working together with people from a different culture whose language I do not know has expanded my sense of empathy and my perspective. The fact that my first volunteering project took place in Bosnia made this experience more meaningful and unforgettable for me.”
I HAVE BECOME A MORE SENSITIVE PERSON
Describing the process as a journey of self-discovery, Feride Nisa Tanaş states that along with the happiness of being able to help others, she has gained a strong sense of belonging. Noting that the ESC project has given her a sense of responsibility and a solution-oriented approach, Tanaş says:
“Especially feeling that I could be helpful to people made me very happy. Through this experience, I realized that my communication skills improved and that I could approach events in a more understanding and solution-oriented way. Touching different lives has made me a more sensitive person.”
IT TURNED INTO AN INVALUABLE EXPERIENCE
Drawing attention to the spiritual value of being in these lands as a Balkan immigrant, Feyzanur Üstün expresses her thoughts as follows:
“Seeing architectural works bearing traces of the past in the cities I visited, interacting with different cultures, and experiencing the multilayered structure of this geography was very educational and meaningful for me. As a Balkan immigrant, spending time in these lands, building connections with people, and feeling the traces of a shared past turned into an invaluable experience for me. I would like to thank our host IFS EMMAUS and Bülbülzade Foundation for providing us with this opportunity.”
Our volunteers continue to represent our foundation through the bridges of kindness they build in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while also strengthening the heartfelt ties between the Balkans and Türkiye through their own emotional experiences.
