I have come to the end of my one-year volunteer adventure. And now it’s time to go home. Time really flies!

I read my writing for the first two weeks to see how it was in the beginning. Everything was so new. And I was hoping to have a useful and enjoyable year. I think my expectations were totally met. Although it was a bit challenging in the beginning, because I didn’t know any German and everything looked complex, I can say it was a game changer experience for me.

I feel grateful that I had a chance to work in Equaliz. Because Equaliz is a very beautiful and important place for young people. Thanks to the center, many young people know that they have a place where they can meet, play, have fun, get help, grow and get counseling about anything.

These features of Equaliz that I mentioned have also helped me a lot in my development. I feel more confident. When I first came, I was confused about what I wanted to do in the future. But now,  I am more relaxed and determined about it. Because during my time at Equaliz, I saw the working method here and encountered different types of work through this place. I believe that Equaliz definitely gave me a vision.

Apart from being lucky about work, I also really enjoyed living in Klagenfurt. With its nature, city center, easy going to other countries etc. this is the perfect place!  I met and made friends with many people from different countries here. This has definitely increased my understanding of cultures better and my tolerance for differences. Also, thanks to this project, I had the opportunity to go to Italy, France, Spain, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary and many places in Austria.

What more could I ask for! It has been a full year for me.

Thank you so much to my teammates Sarah, Rebeka, Aurelia, Alessandra, Mira, Rosi, Karin, Kathrin, Sabrina and Lisa who helped me get used to Equaliz, supported me and made my life here more valuable.

And a big thank you to everyone for always being nice to me at Equaliz. I’ll miss this place a lot.

Hilal

August, 2022