If you’re currently trying to settle down into your new Turkey property and wishing there was an easier way to meet townsfolk. Well, there is! Spend time at local restaurants and entertainment spots, shop from local stores and market places and keep an eye out for local events.
There’s one way which is guaranteed to make friends quicker than any other though – and that’s to volunteer at a local charity. Not only will you feel great about yourself because you’re doing good deeds and not frittering away your time, but you’ll also be making a meaningful contribution to the local community.
Turkish Charities
Whatever particular group lies close to your heart ie whether it’s children, education, animals or small communities, there is sure to be a charity organisation or NGO that would gladly accept your volunteer time and skills.
The Turks are known for being very philanthropic, and that’s why there are plenty of charities or organisations that will accept volunteer help. Notable charities in Turkey include Caritas Turkey, the Mother Child Education Foundation, Turkish Animal Rescue and others.
These organisations focus on issues such as child education, community development and animal safety. With child support organisations, volunteers can be involved with schools, assisting with supplies and even organising entertainment outside of school hours. Vast regions of Turkey remain rural, and here are plenty of opportunities to work alongside organisations in developing communities.
Teaching English
If your time and budget allow, another way to contribute to the local community in a meaningful way while getting to know the locals, is to teach English on a voluntary basis. It will not be long before you are greeted on the streets of your small Turkish village by children and their parents alike. Turks are eager to learn English, and this is an excellent way for expats to find their way into a new village.
Assisting International Charities
Several international charities and NGOs have branches and local offices in Turkey where help and assistance may be needed. International organisations are based in Istanbul and Ankara, and you are likely to find offices of Doctors International or Concern Worldwide here. It may be a good idea to look into charity organisations back home, and ask them to make contact for you with a Turkish branch.
Charity and volunteer work have become a global language – show your support and you will be rewarded with a cultural experience which will leave you part of an international community forever, regardless of nationality or language.
So, whether you have bought property in Turkey or are still looking at property for sale in Fethiye, Kalkan and other coastal areas, then do contact Oceanwide Properties Turkey for help. Then, once you’ve settled and are ready to venture out in your new environment, take your volunteer spirit and good heart and find a local cause where you can dedicate time and effort – you will be allowed the opportunity to become part of your new Turkish community before you know it.
