Who We Are - The New Volunteers With Las Niñas del Tul

We have just arrived to Granada not so long ago, so for now we'll be writing in English, although we have already started our Spanish lessons too. In our first post, we'd like to introduce ourselves!

'Hola, me IIamo Kürşat’ and I am the one of new volunteers at Las Niñas del Tul. I have just moved to Granada to work for 10 months on a European Voluntary Service (EVS) project. I’m 22 years old and I’m from Turkey. I graduated from the department of Astronomy and Space Sciences. I also did my Erasmus in Stockholm University, Sweden for 5 months. After my graduation, I have already gained a right to study as a masters student in Astrophysics in my university. However I was tired by studying and other things in my life. I decided to take a break - and that’s why I am here. Being in Granada is so exciting!

To be a volunteer? It can change your life suddenly. My life was changed by EVS. I was introduced to EVS three years ago. I only wanted to be a local volunteer, improve my English and help some EVS volunteers at my hometown. Then it showed the way how I could find myself, my childhood dreams and how I could make them come true. They were about traveling and living in another country. I thought that EVS is the best way to go out of my country and explore.

By the way, I was a volunteer in my organization, called the Turkish Red Crescent, Izmir Branch, for 3 years. I worked with youth and youth policy. I participated in many activities and training courses to share the information about Erasmus+ (European opportunities). They were local and international. Now, I will share all my experiences with you in Granada during my EVS project.

Hi! My name is Hanna and I am a girl from Poland who a long time ago decided she will live in different parts of the world and that's what I'm doing now! I have a degree in leisure and tourism, however, I have never wanted to be stuck in one place so I work mainly as a travel writer but also do a lot of other jobs all over the world, the last one was teaching English in Vietnam!

Volunteering is a big role in my life as I did it in Poland as well as abroad. In my hometown, I have been involved in the EBU Foundation for around 10 years now. Thanks to them I've learned about the EVS volunteering program! And as I turned 30 years old already, it was the last call for me to apply. I did and I am here in Granada, which makes me super excited because I have never been to Spain before. Although, when I thought about it, I knew I want to visit Granada in the first place. Well, watch out what you're wishing for because you may get it! I'm here for 8 months, yay!

During this time I would like not only to learn more about Spain and Spanish people (and learn another language!) but also to share my experiences in volunteering, working and travelling in different parts of the world with other people. And who knows, maybe I'll love it so much that I'll just stay here? ;)

Hi, my name is Marci and I’m one of the three volunteers who have just arrived to Granada to work with Las Niñas del Tul. I’m 22 years old and I’m from Hungary, but I spent some of my childhood in Ireland and I went to university in the UK. There, I studied in the University of Cambridge and got a degree in archaeology – but this doesn’t really tell you that much about me... So who am I really?

Getting a degree in archaeology was kind of an accident. I really consider myself a photographer, because I run around all the time taking pictures to tell stories about places and people. Oh, and I also had a business out of it in the last 3 years, so it’s a bit more than a hobby. It is also tied to my love of travel and the mountains, as that is what I like to document most. I’m truly at home hiking up steep mountains, taking photos and exploring new places.

But what am I doing in Granada? I had participated in Erasmus+ exchange programs in Spain organized by Somos la Otra for three years in a row (2015-2017) and I fell in love with the way of life in Andalusia. Already at the end of the first exchange we were discussing with Dani the possibility of me doing an EVS here in the future and now the time has come to actually take up that opportunity and move to Granada for 10 months to work with Las del Tul.

My project is mainly centered around increasing the visibility of the work of Las Niñas del Tul, as well as EVS and Erasmus+ opportunities. I will also be developing my own projects related to photography and video, as well as potentially something outdoors and/or public speaking related. I’m super stoked to be here and I really look forward to the next 10 months’ adventure!