Social Work Spotlight - International Episode 27: Gülcan (Türkiye)

Episode Date: August 28, 2026

In this episode I speak with Gülcan, a social worker from Türkiye, currently living in Serbia. Gülcan has worked in migration and refugee support, child protection, and emergency and crisis settings, with field experience in humanitarian responses during the COVID-19 period, the Syrian refugee crisis, and the 2023 earthquake response in Türkiye. She has also worked with vulnerable children and women living in camps and other protection settings in both Türkiye and Serbia.Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:Gülcan’s LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gülcan-güzel-171739196/Sphere Standards training, especially for humanitarian and emergency response work - https://spherestandards.org/online-courses/UNICEF’s online learning platform *Agora* (free and certified online courses, including training on child protection, migration, and emergency response) - https://agora.unicef.org/European Solidarity Corps European Union humanitarian volunteering program - https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/young-people/volunteering-humanitarian-aid_en“The Swimmers” film, based on the true story of two Syrian sisters and their journey from war and displacement to finding a safe life in Europe - https://youtu.be/ObN4krVV20Y?si=YU5bMInrUMMMie_jThis episode's transcript can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KjPSYnopk5ApjKDNYn2YvGi09NLnGlfy_eB2bVHpe_E/edit?usp=sharingThanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

Before beginning, I wish to acknowledge the traditional owners of the countries of guests featured in this podcast and acknowledge their continuing connection to land, waters and community. I pay my respects to the First Nations people, the cultures and the elders, past, present and emerging. Hi, and welcome to Social Work Spotlight, where I showcase different areas of the profession each episode, with a 12-month focus on social workers around the world as of August 2025. I'm your host, Yasmin Lupus and today's guest is Guljan, a social worker from Turkey, currently living in Serbia. Guljan has worked in migration and refugee support, child protection and emergency and crisis settings, with field experience in humanitarian responses during the COVID-19 period, the Syrian refugee crisis

and the 2023 earthquake response in Turkey. She has also worked with vulnerable children and women living in camps and other protection settings in both Turkey and Serbia. Thank you, Gouldchan. Thank you so much for meeting with me today. I'm excited to speak with you about your experience of social work in Turkey and also now more recently in Serbia. Yeah. Thank you so much. Thank you so much, Yasmin, for your invite me in for this postcase. Actually, I'm so excited, but I'm really happy to be here and I want to share some experience for the other social worker who listen us. And I'm so happy. I'm a little bit nervous about my English and that I'm so, say, please excuse any language mistakes, but I will give you my best. Thank you so

much. Thank you for your invite me. It's my pleasure. I'd like to know, firstly, when did you start in social work? What drew you to the profession? Actually, I have a nice story about that because it's not my first professional. I started my career for a difficult field. I studied with Economy University in my country. And after I finished it, I worked with for about, I think four years, maybe more with different jobs. And mostly like about sales, financial account, something about economy. And after some time, I realized it was not the career I wanted for my future.

Because I wanted to work with people and do something more. meaningful something for life. I always volunteer for something. I always think about volunteering and join too much different NGO for people. And when I work with economy, something like economy, I say, no, it's not my, I don't want to spend my whole life with that. And after that, I start search something, how can I do? How can I continue with my life or my career? And I come back my home with my family, actually. And after that, it's my turning point. And I'm a point. It's my turning point. was when I work with hospital. I started work with a hospital, and this hospital is so nice because they show me a social worker how we work with people in the real life. And because in the

hospital my class, actually, I spotted people when they come in a hospital like older people or children, children without family, or sometimes women need help, some disabled children, for example, or people. They need help. And we help. We help. them during whole hospital process. When they arrived hospital, they start process for registration, for go to visit doctor and also for sometimes tests like MR, like bloody tests and something like that, until pharmacy, we are helped them for whole process. And after that, we are reported social work in the hospital and that I realized something is different. And I was very impressed with this because I never seen something like that. And after this experience, I decided to study for

social work and for university actually. And I prepared for the university exam again, because in the Turkey is so hard. I'm sure maybe all the country is same, but in the Turkey, so hard, you know, university exam. And after that, I passed an exam and I start studying for social work, and I've become a social work now, and now I am here. And I'm so happy for this, this. because now my whole life like about that my future plan and I'm so happy with my job and I love social work. I'm so happy for this decision. And what a great way to have been introduced to the field of social work through the hospital and I think it's so important because people going to hospital or having any sort of health problem. They're so vulnerable and scared and to have someone to support them through that process. Yes, this is really a hard time because when we are thinking about us, actually, when I go to hospital, I feel bad because it's like bad timing for people normally.

And if you are children or if you are, you don't have anybody, it will be harder. For example, also about translating something I help them for language because I'm also speaking Kurdish and Turkish English. And sometimes people need to help for just for us like basic help, but also for them is very important because hospital. process always is hard for all people. Yeah. So you went back and you studied social work. Was there any sort of translation, though, of knowledge or skills from the time you studied economics? Is there anything from that world that you could bring into this world? Yes, actually, how can I say? It was so hard, my economy for two different parts. Actually, the first part, economy gave me so strong analytical thinking for skills and also helped me for understanding

system, organize. How can we work in the real life? Because after we are finished university and directly we are work, it's different, but I already have experience for real life work. And that economy really helped me for that. And because when I start social work, I feeling like, okay, I'm students, but I also have experience. for life and that reason they too much helped me but other important part actually so when I start social work again it's my economy study of current course I already finished some class and they are transferred my previous four degree for I finished school and because I was finishing my study bit earlier about economy because I have I already finished some class from economy and then they transferred

it into my social work courses and I finished it a little bit early and I take time for earlier. Yes. Yeah, that's really good because I think so many people would be afraid to go back to study because they think, oh, I've been working and earning money and now I have to stop all that and it's a little bit scary. Yes, it's so important because time is important to all time and they help me for too much in economy actually.

That's really good. And how is the social work course structured in Turkey? You had internships or practical experience. Did you get to choose any of that because of your interests? Yes, of course. Where I'm from social work, I know what I want and this is good for me actually. And in the Turkey, like social work degree, we are take for four years, social work. And the first three years of study and theory generally, but like final year is so important.

for all students, for whole students, because we are mostly focused internship. Like in the first semester, we go to university, but also we are same time, we are go to one internship place. In the week, like I speak about the first September. In the week, two day or three day, we are go to internship place, and we are going to school for five days. And some intership place, for example, social service, social work service, child production service, or homeless youth, youth, service or hospital, which do you interest with them? Actually, too much. We have a chance.

And for example, I went for my first part. I went to Child Protection Service. And but the other second semester, this is more than important because we are almost fully in the field, full time in the field. We are just only go to school, all the university, just for example. In the day, like normal work, in five days, we are going to internship place for learn everything. And this system gives students it's very strong practical experience before finish school. Because this experience prepare you for work life, for real life when you start

working actually. Yes. I did my learn kind of internship in the nursing house for older people. And I work closely with older people and I see how can I work with nurses, with care worker and with team all of how can we together something. And I, After I finished my school, I started working in the STEMA organization, actually, because they give me offer for work. And it's so nice because I already knew the system. I knew staff. I know all older people.

I have good communication with them. And it was so nice for me for starting social work life for work life. And I think this internship system is very effective. And I'm happy in my country we have that, because it has. have students for be ready when school is finished it, be ready for job. Of course, not for everybody. Everybody don't take after finish it internship directly starting. But if you are one whole semester, go through somewhere, how can they work, we're understanding,

we teaching something. And for after that, when we are applied some job, they really help it for a future. And I'm so happy for this system and I had very nice internship. Yeah. And did you know, before you started that internship, did you think you wanted to work with older people or did that passion come as you were doing it? Actually, no, because when I start social work, I already think about maybe something about my life, I don't know. I already think about work with refuge and immigration. This is my goal because I already thinking when I finish it at the university, I will work with immigration or refuge people because. because Turkey is so important for a refuge. We are like bridge like for Europe and Middle Eastern. And we have border with Syria, Iraq, Iran of like some country have too much problem actually.

And also another important part is about my background, my personal experience with immigration. I come from border because my city name is Mardin in the Turkey. And I have border with Syria and Iraq at the same time. I grew up with multicultural environment because I also speak Kurdish and Turkish and I understand Arabic because we are always, all people live together and I, when I go to university and I always think about I will work with refugee people. But when, of course, school is different and I find one opportunity for older people and I'm so happy with that because I started my whole job with that was so nice experience for me actually and I'm happy for that. Yeah, I think working in a

nursing home is such a good learning experience because you have people from all different types of life. You have all different demographics and social opportunities and people who have had really interesting life experience where even, yes, working as a social worker, but while you were a student, it was probably really good opportunity just to sit with someone. and talk to them and build your confidence talking to people because they must have had some really interesting stories for you. Yes, and when they are sharing them experience with you, you are seeing four different perspectives about whole life

because they have too much experience and they share with you. And, you know, social services, they really like social service because, of course, they like a care worker or nursing or doctor. But, you know, when we are thinking about doctor and nursing, they are not happy because everything about health, about feels, maybe about something. But when they speak with social workers, I make for them like for well-being, for mental health activity and workshop and also I listen to them, problem and something like that. They are really happy work with social work.

And other important thing actually for me, I'm working in the pandemic, like COVID time in the elderly, in the nursing home. It was so hard time, really. It was so difficult time for everyone, for all. the world you see. But I live in Istanbul like this time and Istanbul is a very big city and it's COVID is very difficult time for all of people. And the pandemic situation when we are starting, too much people start finishing job. And so I was social worker in there and I take too much responsibility because it's so much documents, you know, when it's so bad time for all world. And when we are

working with older people, it's more than harder. We are. lost too much customer. I don't want to say customer, but I cannot find real words. Sorry. Residents. Yes, and it was so hard time, of course. But that reason, I learned too much thing about that. How can I be practic? How can I take care for them? How can I need more than quickly and something like that? Because this is like also emergency time. And it was so big experience for me about that. I'm so happy for I work with them. Yeah. So, How long were you working in the nursing home and how did you know that it was time to move on from there professionally? It's a nice question, actually.

When I started with internship for one semester and after that half year, maybe, we can say for half a month with intership time. And after that, I worked like almost two years. Totally two health years, something like that. I work with them. How can I move? How can I decide for move? Actually, after COVID again, because COVID, time it was so hard time when everything is like start being normal like normal normal because

as normal. Yes, like normal normal. Yes, people can see our family and something of course with not like face to face. Can it like a normal life and I start thinking about myself because I started thinking about my long career goals because when I'm come social work I told you I always think about I'm interested with migration and refusion and after. that I start thinking about that and I say, okay, for my whole life what I want. It was so nice time for me, but you know, someone's a very big city and life starts to be hard actually and after

COVID I feel so tired and something like that and I just focused myself for what I want and I back my continued development direction what I want and so I decided I need to turn back. I need to focus myself and after that I come back my stay and I start work with refusion and immigration in Turkey and especially after the Syrian crisis because it was of course this is crisis but it was nice opportunity for me because this is my goal and I can speak my language and I turn back my city actually and I start work with them and it was so nice for me of course I learned too much thing and after that some

emergency report, which I think you heard like three years ago in the Turkey, we had an earthquake in the Turkey and also one part Syria. Yeah. And after that, during this time, I start work with them and the field because I always work in the field, but this time it's like a very hard time and it's very emergency time because. And after that, I start feeling something about social work. A social worker is so important in the emergency and its crisis situation because people really needed this position for how can people help them and they need people for question for just how can they continue with life and yes i actually in the turkey we act for 11 different cities after earth cook and i work in the first month when emergency time i live in the tent and after that after that after

After six months, I live in the container like prefabric homes with people in the field, with together, because it's emergency time. If you are near people in need, it's more than important because time, it's not like normal time again, because we must be quickly for everything. We must make something, it's very fast because we never know what can we do. It's after one hour. And that reason, I always say for all social work, person in the field so important in emergency in crisis situation is so important social work

being there. This is my opinion and this is my experience actually. Yeah. So you thought you were returning home that really you were put in a situation where you were kind of displaced as well. You were having to live in a makeshift environment and it's not the same obviously you have a home to return to, but it was probably helpful in you understanding how difficult life might be for someone who didn't have that stability of a roof over their head, knowing where their meals are going to come from, and just that sort of thing. It sounds as though a really interesting learning environment for you. Yes, yes. And it was too much, it's very important in the emergency time because we are like, we must help, not just help, we are professional.

We are not helpful. We are not like super person. We are professional. But it's so important. They need us because they don't know how can they do. Just for example, for them, just one question, but we can help them. It's very quickly. And we can change everything.

It's very quickly. Just we are like one place for them ask us something like that. When I work in the emergency time, I work in one NGO and a non-government organization. and we have contact with government also, and we have contact with other NGO, and we can make plans together very quickly. And we are also stay in the same place with them in the same places. And that's the reason they can very quickly call us and find us for work with them. And that reason is important.

We are stay with them in there. Yeah, that makes sense. And were there many other social workers that were in that team with you? Or was it people from all different professional backgrounds? Actually, yes. Our team, for example, I can say my experience. Our team are like social workers, a psychologist and lawyer, because too much people, yes, lost too much rights, too much thing and lawyer.

And also sometimes with engineer because in the emergency time, for example, we needed toilets for them. And also we are needed pre-fabric hosts and we needed engineer for them. and we needed a nurse, like all team. And this is important thing. We are all there, all time, have a contact. This is important because emergency time we cannot do alone. It's impossible, impossible.

No one can do this alone, this work in the crisis or emergency time. That's such a perfect example of how everyone needs to work together towards the same goal. Yeah, this is nice, really. And how long were you in that situation where you didn't have stable accommodation you were trying to support these people? In the tent, when it's really first step emergency time, in the tent I live in one month and after that I live in six months, and totally seven months. I live in the field and after that I go to like center like a little bit normal situation, normal location, but after that I start visiting 11 city effect after

EarthCube because now I start with assessments because like after seven months something is like changing of course and we are start assessment how can we are go to feature with less problem actually because we are start search school for children for example because first part when we are starting because EarthC was in the February in first part we are find like a tent and close and food and something like first step emergency. And second time we start building like toilets and shower room and something like that. And like after six months, like first emergency,

second emergency part is which we start a search school for children, hospital, how can disability people, lost, for example, lost some tests, how can we find it? And the woman, pregnant woman, how can we help them? six months I try to visit always I sometimes I didn't remember I sleep with which city actually but yes but it was nice because I'm so satisfied with all of work and now everything is okay in Turkey but we never know one day in Africa one day in any other way all time can be happen and that's important for social work like emergency location or

crisis always can be, can be, and we can be ready always for them, yes. Yeah, and that would have been so good to build your confidence and to help you see very clearly the difference that social work can make in that situation. And where did you move to from there? You had the seven months that were quite unstable, helping to rebuild these people's lives, and then you had the time in the individual cities that were affected. Where did you go from there? What did you do next?

After my project, it's finished, actually. After that, something has changed for me. It's not changing because it's so hard time. It's a very challenging part. We are working with them. And I start thinking about how can I continue with this? And I start thinking about that. How can I continue?

And I focus it a little bit myself because, before Earth Cook, I already have planned for go to English course because it's never enough my English like now. But after Earth's, I say, okay, maybe because I couldn't go anywhere after Earth's time. But when after one half year, I start turn back myself because I say, if I'm not good, I cannot help anybody. This is my goal, actually. With this thinking, I start to go to myself. and I went to Malta for learning English. I went to Malta for English courses for six months. But when I went to Malta,

I also was volunteering to a different organization for Caritas in Malta and for one other organization, local organization, Blue Education, this name is we call Blue Education. And in the same time, I went to English course and I also be volunteering for them. and because I always try and learn the other different countries, how can they work with social work, the different country. Actually, it's like your program, and I'm so happy when you are inviting for that.

You are already made this. I try so, how can most social workers work in this job? What can they do for this job? And I start thinking about internationals, and I say maybe for my future, I start thinking about, okay, I have expertise. in my country but now I am learned English and if I learn English why not be for international experience and after Malta I start thinking about some international experience and now I'm in Serbia and I finished the one program in the Serbia with immigration and refugee children and also

with the Roman community and now I have international experience and I'm so happy for that yes yeah So you were in Malta for six months and then you moved to Serbia. What have you been doing in Serbia since? Actually, I come back my country before, but after that I started search some international opportunity actually. And I find one program. Actually, I want to recommend maybe for your listening. I want the advice. This program names, like this is a European Solidarity Corps, like EBS, international,

but it's like humanitarian aid part. This is a little bit different. I will share with you, link. Yeah, this program is so interesting because this is like humanitarian volunteering program. And it's professional. You must be professional because you can apply until 35 years old. And you must be professional some experience about that. They make you online training.

And after that you can go for face-to-face training in Germany, Spain, France, or one more Italy, for different, for the Europe country. You can go face-to-face training for five days. And after that, they give you one like ID, something like that. And you are joining one program. And some NGOs also have in this program. And you can find each other, like Serbia organization find me. And I may interview with them, but this also host organization.

And we have one more. The center organization is Czech Republic. It's from the European Union part. Because Turkey and Serbia is not European Union, but Czech is European Union. We are made together three different organizations together. And I'm volunteering for Czech Republic also. And I'm volunteering for Serbia organization. Sandal organization, host organization and me.

And this project is like give me this opportunity for I take one international experience. And I want to say your listener, maybe if someone who wants to make some international experience, they can apply this program because when they are coming, they have some organization and host organization. They don't need anything because organization pay for them like rent and also communication paying and something like that, all of things. And they make salary, but it's not like salary, like professional, because. because you are health volunteer, half professional. Yes, but it was very nice experience for international and for some people want to go to a different country, want to see how can the other country work with this program.

And I will share with you a link and they can apply, of course. Thank you, yes, please. I think it's so important to be able to step into that world and without that support, it would be so difficult for people to know what visa to apply for or how to get started or where is the good place to live or how do I support myself while I'm looking for the next professional step. So it's almost like you've got a bit of a cushion, like something soft to land on while you look for that next step.

Yes. And it's also the other nice part. For example, if you know Spanish, you can choose some part work with Spanish. or if you know French or Arabic, something like you can choice about your skills. You can choose. It was so nice. And this program, you can make two months until 12 months. If you want to go to like four months, for example, or two months until 12 months,

you can make this volunteering, professional volunteering for this program. Okay. So now that you're in this program, what kind of work are you looking for? what type of social work interests you for this next step of your career? For my next step, yes. Actually, I want to continue for international because now I want to continue work with Refuge and Immigration Children actually. And I want with my experience, help me for future, not like just my country.

I want understanding social work in the different contexts, how can they work and how can continue with better, improve about my career. And I focused this. And I want, for example, I'm so interested with Germany now, actually, because Germany have too much refuge camp, I know. And this other part, I know Turkish and Kurdish. And maybe then they help me about that.

And I want to continue my career with international social work. Yeah. That's so great. And I think you've definitely got a good foundation. You've taken the right first steps to make that happen. I hope. I hope. What would you say is the most enjoyable or maybe the most rewarding part of the work that you've done already in your career? I'm chose this profession. I'm so satisfied for my general with my work, all of.

But it's the most satisfying part for me when I'm working in the emergency and crisis time. And that reason for, yes, for COVID time, I work with older people for Syrian crisis. I work with the refuge and migration. And for after earthquake part, I work with people affected. This is so important for me because it's very meaningful for me when I see this impact directly. That's the reason I liked it. Yes, it's difficult moments, but I feel it's everything when I work with them. And I enjoy most in my work.

And what are some of those difficult moments you've encountered, whether it's about social work in Turkey specifically or any of the other types of work. Yes, maybe I can give you the same answer actually because when we are working, the emergency part, it's okay, we can see this impact directly, but also the most challenging part for my career because this emergency situation, everything changed very quickly. It's very quickly. Sometimes you have to make important decision in the short time.

short time and it's work with uncertain condition. It's very important and this is not easy and another challenge we are working with people from different cultures, different language and especially like migration and also the other people

because people want everything very quickly and you can also meet people who have recently experience have trauma and loss and all displacement this can be emotional and so difficult at times and it's really difficult in times.

This is the most challenging part, I think. And for me, for more other things, it's like emergency work. It's so important. We have its nice teamwork. It's really important because when we have good colleagues in the emergency part, everything can easier. Because I told you before, nobody can do this work alone in this part. And if you have good team, if you have good colleagues,

you can make everything. It's very nice. It's a lot of work. You don't have, it's really, really harder. It's really harder because nothing is normal. You must take too much responsibility, obligation about that. And yes, I can give you the same question for satisfying and for most challenging. It's same answer for me, actually.

That's so interesting. I think it's the first person who said the same thing for both questions, but it makes sense when you explain that that's the reason you got into, work is you wanted to support people at their worst time. And yes, it's challenging, but it's also rewarding. You can do so many things and make such a difference in your work. Yes. You mentioned working as a team and how important that has been for you, but you're also working, even when you were in Turkey, you weren't at home. You weren't with your family. You weren't with your people. So does this kind of work or experience get lonely for you at all?

Or do you feel like you have good people around you to help? I do want to say I feel like good people because I always professional. I think about being professional. But in the Turkey, we are so emotional person in the Turkey. I work in this field a very long time. And when I come back home, for example, my family, my aunt, something like it, They told me, you are very good people, you are very carety people, something like that. No, this is my professional job.

I don't want people think about that. I don't want people think about for social workers, like helpful people, something like that. This is our job. We must be professional. Of course, I feel too much in my side, but this is about me. This is not about job. This is not about work. because I don't want to see people look social work, professional,

some like charity work. It's not charity, it's professional work. And we are make too much thing for this. We are taking nice study. We are make too much think like that. And this is not very basic thing about that. Yeah, that makes sense. What kind of support do you need personally and professionally

to do this hard work? because you're always doing so many things, you're volunteering, you're working. Do you have the time just to recharge and build your energy and how do you do that? It is so important, Yasmin, because actually during the earthquake time, I lost some friends. I have same cases, but also I heard too much trauma, too much story in this part. And also after Syrian crisis, not just the earthquake time. After a Syrian crisis, I heard too much hard story from women especially, from women and children. But I feel lucky about that because when I work after Earthquake time, my organization also prived a psychological support for staff.

This is so nice because we were working in the very difficult conditions. And sometimes you are feeling excited too because we are also women and you see too much things. I feel lucky about that for my organization, help them. I think maybe I learned in this all of things. I learned that asking for sport is not a weakness. We must ask sport for all of us. It is so important to doing this for our healthy, our well-being, our everything, because yes, we are professional, but how can we are managed?

We need help also, psychological, mental. And I don't know. I always say my colleague, something like that, when we are asked for sport, it's not weakness, it's not bad, it's not, we must, for we are continue, we must. That reason after my coordinator asked me for continue second project, I say, no, I cannot. Because I need myself, actually. I need break. I need a break of time for myself, for I is refreshing again and can continue. Because when we are working the emergency part, when we are working in the crisis, after that, we must make break for continue refreshing, will be better for us and for them for job.

Because, yes, our job is we are professional, but we are not like work in the fabric. We are work with people. We are working with persons. And that reason we need ourselves before them. And after that, we can continue with people. This is my opinion about that. Yeah.

It can be so hard to know when to ask for help or even who to ask for help from those. So I think it's going to be different in every situation that you work. Yes, I agree totally. Because it's different. When you think about that, we say we are not hero because we are just people work. That's it. And when we are needed help, when we start thinking something different inside, we must stop it.

Maybe that's why artificial intelligence would have a hard time taking our jobs. because we're not robots, we are human, and that's what makes us good at the work that we're doing. Yes, yes. And sometimes you are found very hard case. I heard some trauma. I cannot manage this. And I ask my colleague like psychologist. I ask them because she or he doesn't matter have a psychological experience.

I'm not psychological. I'm social worker just like that. And sometimes for human rights or children rights, women. I ask my colleague lawyer because it's not my professional. I just can be bridge for them, both of them. And that's the reason I always speak about teamwork. It's so important for emergency of the situation. If people were interested in knowing a bit more about the type of work you're doing,

and you already mentioned the EDS or even just social work in Turkey or the type of work you do, is there any reading? or watching or listening that you would recommend for them? Of course, I can share something from I have experience because most of learning, I learn in the field actually general. Of course, I learn theory in the school. It's so important we are learning, everything, but it's practical and the field is more than important for we are learning.

And for people who want to work in the emergency or crisis sitting, I can say they can. One important training for humanitarian education, for emergency after crisis, this maybe you know this name is sphere standard training. Sphere standard. Maybe a word of pronunciation is not good, but sphere standard training. It's so important for humanitarian and for crisis and emergency parts training. We can find all of our class in school we see, like for the disability, for elderly, for

immigration, for everything, for women, right, also. And this is for emergency and emergency part situation. I will share with you a link also. This is free. They can apply. In online, they can take also certificate. This is for emergency and humanitarian I can recommend. And also for about European Solidarity course, if some people want, take international experience.

And one other actually I want to say who are interested with child protection or with children's something like that. UNICEF online learning platform, we call Agora, maybe you know, I don't know. And this is, they can join all training and they can free a certificate again. They maybe for some social worker listening, you like they are still students. After for future career, they can take some certificate because all of about our jobs. And for there, some people interest with child protection, for example, they can include training and they can, it will be so nice, Agora UNICEF. I will share with you link also again.

Yeah, thank you, and I can put those in the show notes. Yes, and I want to share one, my personal recommendation, actually, advice. I don't know, maybe you are watching one, a movie, this name is The Swimmers, based on the true story for two Syrian sisters. Okay. So they have the story about their way from war and displacement to, find safe life in Europe. And it's so a real story and it's a little deeply human story about migration and survival.

And they can watch the swimmers, this name is. Thank you. I'm going to look that up. I definitely am interested. And that reason, she's name is Yusra Mardini. She's Olympic swimmers for Syria. But after Syria crisis, she cannot. And she helped people.

It's so nice story and after that in the Olympic competition, they are start open one team for refugee team, Olympic Refuge Team. This is a very nice story. When people watching, they will understand. And this is really, if some people interest with refusion, migration, crisis, something like that. I just want advice like that. Yeah, thank you. I'm always looking for new media.

I'm wondering if you've seen a film called Lynn. It's a Scottish drama film. It came out in the year of COVID, and I think because of that, maybe not many people know about it, but it centres on four asylum seekers, the main of whom is from Syria, and they have to stay on a remote island in Scotland and take cultural awareness classes,

which is, it's advertised as a comedy film, but I think the purpose of the film and the messaging is really important. And yes, there are a lot of elements of comedy, but the reality is that these people are waiting for processing of their refugee claims. And it kind of centers around these people who are in limbo. And they're trying to figure out what they're going to do. And is this all worth it?

And where do I go if I can't go back to my home and what is my identity? And yeah, for me, it was a really beautiful touching. really well done, really well-written film that is based on a lot of this reality for people who are displaced. So I'm glad that you've seen it. Good. It's very help us for real understanding because movie, book, it's very nice when we are reading, when we are watching, we are free because like that. And yes, I'm so interested with that. Is there anything, Gouljan, that we haven't discussed, that you are interested in talking about, maybe is there any question that you wished I had asked or anything else that you wanted to say about your work or your experience?

I don't know. Maybe I share too much thing with you. I don't know, Yasmin, about I'm so happy and I'm so proud with you make this program really. When you invite me, I directly search your profile. Yes, thanks, technology. I directly search your profile and I see you make this program with some people. for India, some people from Portugal, some people for whole world, and I'm so lucky you are finding me for that. Thank you so much. Thank you for your, give me this opportunity and for all

of your question, actually. I'm so pleasure to share my experience with you and with social worker, maybe for future social workers, maybe some people who are listening to different contexts all of. I'm really enjoyed with this conversation. I hope it was helpful to your listener, something like that. And I'm so happy from different country people and I see different perspective. Thank you so much again. That's it. I'm so grateful to you and for you being so brave to speak with me for an hour in English when it's something you're not as confident with. But I definitely think that people will want to know about your experience and especially the fact that you came to social work from a different place, from a different profession. It shows people that

there are skills and knowledge that are translatable from different fields that are relevant to social work and you were able to use that knowledge and that passion to support people through their hospital journeys and that inspired you to go back to university. But once you went to the social work course at university that really got you excited and you could see that there were a lot of potential pathways and some avenues to get into the profession from different places and then in your roles you've had to work as a team and I'm glad that you mentioned that in supporting everyone that you've come in contact with from the nursing home and from the asylum seekers and young people even, that unless you work as a team,

things either they're not going to happen at all or they don't happen in a way that is most beneficial to the people that you're trying to support. And having the experience to support people through a natural disaster, it's obviously something that you never want to have to be involved in, but it's something that you made the most of and you used that experience to gain valuable insight and think, okay, why is social work relevant here and what can I take from this into my next experience, which is then why you moved to Malta and you thought, I'll learn English and I'll volunteer and I'll gain really valuable experience doing that. And the other thing I think I've

pulled from what you're saying is you, as a person and as a professional, you have a lot of adaptability. you've had opportunities that come your way and you've said, yes, I'll try that. Yes, I think I can do that. But what's really important and I think I can learn a lot from that is knowing when to say no. So you've said yes to a lot of opportunities, but you've also said, this other opportunity is not the right time or I'm not the right person or maybe I'll come back to it one day, but now is not doing service to me. and it's not in service to other people if it's not the right time. So as you said, asking for help is not a weakness. It's showing that you have a very good awareness of what you need and how you best work. So, yeah, that's what I'm getting from what you're saying.

I hope that's a good representation. But, yeah, I'm again just so grateful that you could share all of that. And I know you weren't confident with your English, but I think you've been able to make yourself understood perfectly. and hopefully it will continue to expire other people. Thank you so much, Piasmine. I'm so happy for my way and I will continue. Now I'm in Serbia.

I learned how can Serbian people work in here, a Serbian social worker. In my country, I work with a camp in the refuge camp, but also in Serbia I see different refuge camp. It's different country, different experience, but it's mean generally, look at different contexts, But main goals always it's the same.

Sporting people and improving their well-being. That's it. Yes. In Serbia, I saw two different camps like Middle Eastern camping and Ukrainian camping. And in my country also, I see different camps. And I work with the Roman community in here for my first time for work with the Roman community. But I can say again, main goal is always the same. Just supporting people and improving their well-being and go your way.

That's it. This is my goal for my whole life. And thank you so much for everything, Jasmine. Thanks for joining me this week. If you would like to continue this discussion or ask anything of either myself or Goujan, please visit my anchor page at anchor.fm slash social work spotlight. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram and Blue Sky, or you can email SW Spotlight Podcast at gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you. Next episode's guest is Vesner from North Macedonia. with more than 20 years of professional experience, beginning with volunteering in civil society organizations, supporting people at social risk, where she discovered her passion for this profession. Throughout her career, she has worked with different groups, currently focusing on early childhood

care, while also actively involved with international projects, non-formal education, and professional training as a lecturer and educator. I release a new episode every two weeks. Please subscribe to my podcast so you'll notify. when this next episode is available. See you then.