Rabia Aydın, who went to Portugal for a year as part of our European Solidarity Corps project, has returned home. Hosted by the Intercultural Association for All – IAFA in Barcelos, Rabia supported various projects focusing on children, youth, families, and people in need. Her main tasks included assisting with educational and recreational workshops, participating in language exchange sessions, and supporting social inclusion activities. Along with other international volunteers, she organized numerous cultural evenings and events where they shared Turkish traditions, cuisine, and music, proudly introducing Turkish culture to people from different countries. She also collaborated with senior education centers, organizing cultural exchange activities where participants learned traditional songs and games from each other and spent meaningful time together.

Rabia regularly participated in food distribution, dishwashing, and packing aid boxes according to people’s needs. Another meaningful initiative was a sustainability and recycling project: she collected used books and notebooks from local schools and residents, sent them for recycling, and donated the proceeds to support children in Mozambique.

Rabia also visited schools to organize interactive games and cultural events with high school students, helping them learn about diversity and inclusion. In addition, she participated in national celebrations and workshops – for example, making handmade peace ribbons and crafts for Portuguese Peace Day. Finally, she attended Portuguese language classes and participated in seminars and discussions with university students, which helped her improve both her communication skills and cultural awareness.

This experience changed Rabia in many ways. She learned to live abroad, work in a cross-cultural environment, and adapt. She improved her communication and teamwork skills. We are very grateful to Rabia for her valuable year of work in Portugal.