Ebru’s journey as a kindergarten volunteer in Budapest

Hello everyone! I am Ebru. My journey as a volunteer has just started in Budapest and I believe it will mean so much to me starting from the beginning to the end. 

I have been searching for projects through various announcements since 2021 but this time after I decided to be very eager about finding one and joining, I started to check the website of the European Youth Portal consistently. You can find projects on many different topics and interests. But, to help shape my future accordingly, I wanted to build a connection between my characteristics, my profession, and the volunteering activity. So, I looked for projects that focused on the education part. 

I believe I saw a chance to improve myself in many different ways. From a professional point of view, I’m an English Teacher and I have experience in different learning environments back in my country. I wanted to observe similar environments, such as a kindergarten, in another country with a different culture and share my skills with them while we learn from each other. In my opinion, young learners are very open to new things, and their energy, happiness, colorfulness, and all the things there make me feel lucky. Being there helps you to learn by doing and this makes you improve your international communication skills, body language, and gestures. Apart from that, being involved with various cultures, learning a new language, traveling around, and meeting new people is also the best way to broaden our minds. These were the main motivations for me to apply for this project.

As a volunteer in the Kindergarten, we have an environment where we can be an active participant in Kid’s natural learning environment. We can play with them, support them in their daily activities and help them to improve their daily skills such as dressing up, cleaning, and setting the table. I can speak only English with the Kids they have a chance to become familiar with a new language and acquire new words naturally. Two weeks ago, I started to join their English lessons with their English teachers. They are so kind to let me read the stories to the kids. I also believe that I will have a chance to support the kids with various language activities.

Through volunteering, you are able to observe and experience many things in different environments. It’s a great opportunity for someone to realize that you can do much more than you think and to find your passion for life while you’re standing on your own feet. You’re not only contributing to the community but also yourself, all the experiences you have here help a lot to create a vision and dream more.

Ebru Duman