It was a tough decision to make: I knew nothing about the country, i had no experience or real passion in doing volunteer work, and most of all i had no idea what kind of life awaited me there. However, it was also such uncertainty and the exoticness that drew me in. I imagined a land where all the stereotypes i had of the middle-east existed, and imagined myself living amongst them for 3 months. It was a thought that exhilarated me.

As such, a couple of summers ago, I embarked on a journey to Izmir, Turkey. I was participating in a Traineeship organised by the student organisation, AIESEC, where I was to travel to the villages of the Turkish coastal city of Izmir to work as a volunteer teacher with the Turkish NGO, TEGV, teaching English and basic computer skills to the under-privileged kids there.

Izmir is located on the western-most tip of Turkey, and is its third largest city. The city is set around the Gulf of Izmir, and the most popular daily commute is by ferry to the commercial hubs of Konak, Kasiaka, and Alsancak.

Upon arrival there, i was immediately struck by how different the city was from what i was used to in Singapore. It was like i had been transported to a whole new world, with a completely different people, lifestyle, language, and culture. While i was a little worried about how i was going to adapt to life there, i was also feeling an irresistible sense of excitement at what i was going to experience and discover in the coming months.

In Izmir, i was met by an AIESEC volunteer, Alkan, who was later to become one of my best Turkish friends, and was brought to my arranged accommodation. I was taken to my home for the next 3 months – an AIESEC rented apartment in the Kașiyaka district. I was to share the apartment, fondly referred to as “International House”, with a group of international AIESECers who were in Izmir for AIESEC traineeships.

It was in International House that friendships were formed over home cooked meals and late night chats. It was through such bonding sessions that we learnt most about each other’s home countries and cultures.

In addition, to assimilate us to the Turkish way of life, we had regular interactions with local AIESEC members where we were invited to participate in their outings and school events. Each international trainee even had to take turns do a presentation about his or her home country to the entire AIESEC Izmir cohort. Such presentations were invariably entertaining and eduational, with each presentor taking pains to create a presentation to showcase his home country.

It was also with this group that we travelled Turkey, to discover a country full of history and beauty. In the short time that i was there, we travelled to the azure seas of the Agean, the historical ruins of Ephesus, the cotton hills of Pamukale, the fabled chimneys of Cappadoccia, and more.

Each location was an experience in itself. However, it was made even more memorable for the fact that we were a bunch of friends from all over the world, travelling in a country where we could barely speak a word of the language, and not just looking to learn more about the places we saw but also more about ourselves.

The teaching stint i had with TEGV was also an eye-opener for me. I was assigned to a TEGV run school in Bolcova, a rough residential district on the outskirts of the city. Here, i conducted lessons thrice a week for local students.

While there were challenges such as the language barrier, and cultural differences, the enthusiasm of the young children on meeting a foreigner in their village coupled with some improvised teaching methods helped make lessons enjoyable for students and teacher - rather than having English lessons in the classroom, we would have them on the field playing football, or at the open patch flying kites.

It was also from these young tots that i managed to pick up basic Turkish phrases which were a lifesaver on my travels across the country.

Working with kids from a completely different background and culture was a humbling yet satisfying experience. I come away from it knowing that i learnt more from the kids than i had to teach them.

I now look back at the summer i spent in Turkey with pride and satisfaction, and consider it to be one of the defining decisions of my student life; it was a decision which i consciously made to get out of my comfort zone, to explore the outside world. And that decision allowed me to challenge myself, learn things i never knew about myself, and certainly changed the way i saw life.

Such opportunities do not come along all the time, and i encourage students to grab such chances to travel, get out of your sheltered lives in Singapore, and see the world as it could change the way you see things and live your lives!

 

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About the author:
Clarence Goh participated in an AIESEC Development Traineeship with TEGV in Izmir, Turkey. He was a volunteer teacher at TEGV for 3 months, teaching under-privileged students in the City. He learnt many life lessons during his traineeship, and would strongly encourage you to participate in an AIESEC Traineeship! Contact the author at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for information on student life in Singapore, and on international student exchanges

About AIESEC:

AIESEC is the world’s largest student-run organization. Active in over 1700 universities across more than 107 countries and territories, our international platform enables young people to explore and develop their leadership potential for them to have a positive impact in society.