KUGA, in the Eyes of an International

When I first saw the announcement for Global Aid’s applications, I knew that this is exactly what I want to be part of and I instantly applied. After filling the application and going through the interview, which I did not do so well in because I was nervous and barely expressed my passion for this. Unfortunately, I got rejected. It made me sad, but I knew what I had to fix, and I knew that I cannot give up that easily. Believing in myself and in the passion I have, I applied again the next year. I filled the application genuinely showing my enthusiasm and energy and went through the interview confidently putting my mission to succeed Infront of me.

I got accepted and getting accepted into KUGA felt like an achievement, a major step into the path I planned to build myself. First meeting with KUGA’s team was great, it felt nice to be in a place where everyone shared the same energy and vision. Meeting with all the members and getting to know them, made me glad that I had applied for a second time. The team was very welcoming, and it felt like I belong. I felt even more welcomed when our meetings were conducted in English, unlike most clubs/ student organizations that prefer to use Turkish in university.

Meeting every week with the team made me develop bonds with a lot of the members and even form friendships. That kind of bond built a stronger structure and functioning mechanism for KUGA. We had a great team spirit. I even learnt some Turkish.

An experience I will always remember is going to Gaziantep to do our project Let’s Be United, first time going to Gaziantep and the first time to go on field for a project. We worked so hard to make this project work and we did so well in the end. It felt nice having this new experience in a new city with good food and good people. In addition, most importantly, the fact that we were making an impact, changing someone’s life, felt great.

Seeking a university degree aboard after coming from a hometown full of crisis was a privilege and deciding to be part of Global Aid definitely has a personal motive. Being welcomed and feeling like I belonged, being part of something I’ve always wanted to be part of, GlobalAid is the start of a lot of things I aim for. Learning and working in a nurturing environment, with a team of deep vision and ambition has impacted me personally and professionally. I have always seen and heard of people who make a difference, but finally being those people feels amazing.

Nadeen Aburamadan