Volunteering in GEGED

I completed Ramadan. Ten years ago, ISIS was kidnapping people here. Now I lived here.
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My name is Julius, and in 2024, I’d had enough of the 9–5 grind—I quit. I needed a shock, something real. So I chose a long-term volunteering project in Gaziantep, eastern Turkey, near the Syrian border. It sounded wild, and it was. But it turned out to be the best decision of my life.

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I applied through social media and got accepted by GEGED, who had never hosted an Estonian before. With support from NYH and despite concerns from family and friends, I went. Culture shock for both parties? Absolutely. But after just one week, I was running English workshops for Arabic kids, Turkish students, and local adults. The work lasted from October to March, and the days were chaotic but full of meaning. The hospitality overwhelmed me. The house felt like an Arabic palace from a fairy tale. Schedules were loose, plans flexible—nothing like Estonia. But the chaos taught me peace. I spent weekends exploring ancient cities, learning Turkish and Arabic, and eating the world’s spiciest, cheapest food.
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And yes—I fasted through Ramadan. I experienced Islam, Christianity in retrospective, and a whole new way of life. I shared it all with volunteers from across the world. Special love goes to the Syrian people I met – I shared the happiness with them on 8 th December 2024, regaining the country’s freedom and independence from a previous dictatorship government.
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It’s hard to put into words the feeling I have inside and what this experience gave me. But if you’re craving a change, if you're stuck or scared—take the leap. Erasmus+ is a gift, its right here in front of you. Choose the unexpected. Shock yourself. It might just change everything.

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This Project was financed by European Commission’s European Solidarity Corps Programme.