🌱 Why Is Volunteering Important? | What Is ESC and Why Should You Experience It?

A Personal Journey, A Global Impact

🎯 Volunteering Is More Than Just Helping Others

Volunteering is not only about touching other people's lives — it's also about bringing meaning into your own life. A volunteer doesn’t just help others; they grow, take responsibility, and learn how to take care of themselves, even when sick or tired. They begin to foresee challenges and take proactive steps, learning to live with awareness and intention. For me, it was a turning point — my first journey abroad right after graduating university. Volunteering helped me step into adulthood in the truest sense.

Helping someone, offering support, sharing your time… From the outside, these may look like things you do for others, but in reality, volunteering sparks profound inner transformation. It’s a journey that begins with giving and leads to discovering yourself.

🧠 How Volunteering Shapes You as a Person

A volunteer learns to:

• Practice empathy,

• Develop patience and active listening,

• Not just express themselves, but truly understand others.

Because in that moment, the volunteer is present for someone else — listening, understanding, and being there with full attention. This deepens communication skills and nurtures a stronger human connection.

🌍 My Personal Experience: A Door to the World

Before I started volunteering, I realized I had been seeing the world only through the lens of my own reality — without even knowing it. I had volunteered in Turkey, yes, but once I began volunteering abroad, my entire perspective shifted.

I started to believe that anything in life is possible. For example, I used to think speaking three languages was incredibly hard. Now, I’ve been learning Italian for 107 days, and it feels completely natural.

Through immersion in different cultures and languages, I came to understand the beauty of communication. Even saying a single word in someone’s native language can make their face light up. Why? Because they feel, "This person hears me. This person wants to understand me."

That kind of connection is rare — it’s one of the purest forms of building a bridge between hearts.

🤝 What Is the European Solidarity Corps (ESC)?

ESC – European Solidarity Corps is a youth program supported by the European Union. It offers young people between 18 and 30 the opportunity to volunteer in projects across Europe that focus on creating social impact.

With ESC, volunteers:

• Can live and volunteer in another country for 2 to 12 months,

• Have their accommodation, travel, insurance, and pocket money fully covered,

• Work in areas they are passionate about, such as education, the environment, art, social services, or working with children.

What makes ESC different? It’s not just about doing volunteer work — it’s about active citizenship, cultural exchange, and personal transformation.

💡 What Does ESC Offer to Young People?

✅ Improved foreign language skills

✅ A wide network of international friendships

✅ Increased self-confidence, leadership, and communication skills

✅ Experience of living with and appreciating differences

✅ Discovery of new hobbies, interests, and worldviews

✅ Strong references for future career and academic opportunities

And maybe most importantly:💪 A stronger belief in oneself. Because stepping out of your home country to take an active role in another society takes courage, and that courage brings growth.

🍀 Volunteering Changes the World… But First, It Changes You

That’s why programs like ESC are not just projects — they are life schools. Volunteering is about changing the world with small but determined steps.

Sometimes, it means contributing to a child’s development. Sometimes, it’s planting a single tree. Sometimes, it’s simply being there — and that alone can make a difference.

🎒 If you're thinking about volunteering, know this: this path will give you more than you ever imagined. Gather your courage, pack your bag, and begin the journey. Because every journey is, in the end, a meaningful step toward yourself.