Unica Radio Raccontiamo la città che cambia
Meet Gizem, a 26-year-old from Istanbul, Turkey. She volunteered with disadvantaged children and teenagers while studying for her bachelor’s degree at the University of Ankara
Gizem’s journey into volunteering began with a student club founded by her fellow students. Within this club, she discovered a world of exciting projects. She started by dedicating her time to individuals with mental disabilities, visiting their schools and organizing activities to encourage socialization. Later, she joined a program enriching students, children, and religious communities in areas with limited cultural access. Gizem and her team visited these communities, sharing knowledge and culture. One project aimed to challenge gender stereotypes through various activities, such as featuring female pilots and male dancers, sparking meaningful discussions. In her last volunteering, Gizem worked with economically disadvantaged high school students who had never visited bars, swam, or seen the coast. To support the organization and sustain these activities, Gizem and the other volunteers would, for example, sell the fruits and vegetables they grew at local markets.
An experience beyond expectations
Gizem initially started to volunteer to have new interactions and be confronted to new environments in which she usually wouldn’t be. With time, she discovered the many benefits that volunteering brought to herself and to others. The true impact of Gizem’s volunteering experiences went far beyond the activities themselves; it brought about a profound transformation in her worldview. She witnessed that kids started to be more polite to each other after only a few days of activities and that some teenagers started to open up about different lifestyles. These young participants began to see the world differently, with some expressing their aspirations to continue volunteering as adults. This exchange of learning was mutually transformative, reshaping the perspectives of both the young participants and the volunteers themselves. Tune in to the podcast to delve deeper into Gizem’s inspiring volunteering journey!
