https://svitac.org

Hello, my name is Samet Başkaya.
I am 23 years old, living in Eskişehir, Türkiye, and studying Bioengineering at Gebze Technical University. My ESC experience was 40 days in Brčko, Bosnia, as a volunteer. I would like to thank Mozaik Human Resources Development, Svitac, and the European Solidarity Corps for making it possible for me to take part in this volunteering project.

Playing with the children was a great pleasure for me. Spending time with them—playing games, drawing, painting, and trying to communicate—were valuable and enjoyable moments. Even though we did not speak the same language, the children were able to understand the love we showed them and express it back to us through body language—by hugging, drawing pictures that included us, or giving us gifts.

During my stay, I also had the chance to visit Brčko, Bijeljina, Tuzla, and Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. I improved my English and practiced German and BSC (the local languages) by conversing with other Turkish volunteers, local volunteers, and volunteers from Germany and Poland. I am now returning to my country after spending these 40 days in a productive and fulfilling way.

I would like to thank my local and international volunteer friends Dina, Eldar, Ada, Paula, Joanna, Đorđe, Aldin, and Helena for their kindness and friendliness; my fellow Turkish volunteers İsmail, Hacer, Seda, Fatih, Selim, and Ömer; my mentor Milos, who supported me with all my questions during this period; Svitac, for opening its doors to us; and ESC and Mozaik Human Resources Development, for making it possible for me to have these experiences.

facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/omladinska.svitac
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Svitac_BiH
Instagram: omladinska.svitac
YouTube: Svitac Firefly Bosnia

See you around,

Samet Başkaya, Svitac’s (Firefly in Bosnia’s) ESC volunteer July-August 2025

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