Teaching English/Computer in Istanbul or Bursa

As an experienced English teacher, it meant a lot to me that Happiness Volunteers encouraged me to apply my knowledge and creativity with a team in creating and teaching a 10 day English workshop for the young refugees. The other teachers and management staff spoke English, Turkish and Arabic (I only speak English!) and together we stayed focused on our goal of supporting the refugees through English instruction- which can make such a difference in their future! Good staff communication and a class of 20 motivated students made teaching fun and rewarding to me and the students. Including lesson preparation time, the project took about 3-5 hours per day. A great and unexpected benefit of volunteering was the cultural and travel activities that Aya organized for us after the work was done- we visited mosques and museums, took boat rides on the Bosphorus Straight, and ate Turkish, Yemenese, Iraqi and Syrian cuisine!

Volunteering with the orphans organization was an incredibly enriching experience. I learned so much and had the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of the children. The sense of fulfillment and personal growth I gained from this experience is truly invaluable.

One of the most cherished memories from my time volunteering with the orphans organization was witnessing the genuine happiness and joy on the faces of the children. It's heartwarming to know that even a small effort can bring so much happiness to their lives.

experience with the orphan volunteering program. The opportunity to contribute to the lives of these children while also finding a sense of spirituality is truly remarkable. The program's focus on making a meaningful impact on the lives of orphans demonstrates
the world. Overall, your experience sounds like an enriching and rewarding journey that speaks volumes about the program's effectiveness and the value it brings to both volunteers and the children involved.Thanks to the leader of the volunteering team hopefully we will other programs in the future.

The last six weeks changed my life - I have learned so much about who I was, made some friends for life and a culture that is founded on love and care. Chios is so beautiful, with many hidden beaches and rich history, weekends were never dull. The teachers on my programme welcomed me like family, the children give you their attention and admiration so freely, and i just can’t wait to go somewhere with Happiness Volunteers again! The team were absolutely excellent! They responded to all my messages in extremely short time with great recommendations for food and travel. They checked in on us regularly and were extremely kind! The team in the kindergarten were so welcoming, kind, and made me an integral part of their team. The teachers were so willing and excited to be able to practice their English, as well as let me pass that knowledge onto the kids. The kids were so welcoming, and by the end they were teaching me so much more than I could ever teach them! I wish I could go back as by the time I left I felt like family, and was treated as such. I cried as I left and I look forward to going on another project with Happiness Volunteers ASAP!!

My favorite moments from this volunteer experience was talking to children and their dreams for the future. I got really attached to these kids, my last day I wished I could stay with them. These kids have motivated me to figure out what I want to do with my future, I used to be between a career in social matters or in the medical field but now being with them and seeing the struggles that many children go through has given me a million reasons what I want to do. If you're still hesitant about volunteering, just do it, and you will gain so much experience. It's an opportunity that many don't have and need to be at peace with themselves. Volunteering has a huge impact on you and it's for the best.

The entire volunteer experience was wonderful. Each day was filled with wonderful and heart-warming moments. The friendliness of all the staff was wonderful and they were very accommodating. Seeing the smiles from the children everyday and to be apart of any new accomplishment (even if it's only them learning a new sound or word) they achieve. There are no moments I could single out. The entire experience is something I will never forget. Something that I will always keep in my heart and mind to grow.

The guidance was perfect, the personal contact persons as well as the website.
The local team were also just fantastic, thank you so much! I felt very much welcomed and surrounded with all kind of support.
The entire experience is a mixture of all facets of the volunteer program: the destination, the project, the volunteer team, the local team, weekend trips & tours, travelling alone before / after the stay. The total impact is a very deep experience which I wouldn't get from any other job or vacation.
Great location, the house is very suitable for the kind of usage, the freshly cooked food was great!
The very positive feedback from the project participants gave me a strong self confidence doing new things I never did before.
You can't compare it with any vacation or job abroad. It is a 360° holistic and very emotional experience. It us a challenge to leave the comfort zone, but the outcome is worth it a 100 times. No other trip gives you authentic insights about a culture and a the topic of the chosen program. If you want to try out completely new circumstances, you can do this ideally with a volunteer project as it provides you a very safe framework.

I felt supported and was provided with all the information I needed. It is very hard to pick just one favorite moment as I loved the whole experience. I made great friends, we had great conversations, we traveled together, we eat together, we worked together, everything was so much more than I ever expected to be. I found my favorite quote and it inspired me to live by it: When you keep everything you lose. When you give, you keep everything forever. My advice is just do it, future you will thank you!