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Childhood Dreams-1

Balıkesir, Turkiye

In partnership with

Kalben Association is a nonprofit organization established to protect and support the children under state care. It develops projects to ensure equal opportunities for these children and their peers and supports individuals who wish to become foster parents. It aims to create spaces for children to have fun and learn and to find permanent solutions to their emotional needs. Host organization web site: https://kalben.org.tr/kalben-cocuk-koyu/


Description of the Work

Gönüllü Hizmetler Derneği-Childhood Dreams program, organized for children between the ages of 10-14 with limited access, is a social content and child-themed workcamp. A volunteer team consisting of foreign and Turkish volunteers will run a 1-week camp program with under state care children. The program content, activities to be done with the children and the organization of the volunteer team will be planned by the Childhood Dreams camp leader. The camp has been running successfully since 2009 with the same theme.


Accommodation & Food

Accommodation will be in shared rooms in the children's village building, male and female volunteers stay in separate rooms. Meals will be prepared and served by the host organization.


Location & Leisure

Kalben Children's Village was established on Ekinlik Island in 2024. It will be possible to do activities such as swimming and walking tours on the island outside the program. You can find more information about the children’s village: https://youtu.be/yInIG2w7sWs?list=TLGG805HCxL6ZjEwNDAzMjAyNg


Host Organization

GHD (Gönüllü Hizmetler Dernegi / Voluntary Service Association of Turkiye) is organizing international and bilateral work camps since 1979. All camps are English speaking. GHD‘s work camps aim to create possibilities for volunteers of all ages (between 14 - 99) to meet volunteers from other cultures, learn about traditional way of life in Turkiye, improve their foreign language skills, and discover traditional Turkish hospitality and delicious Turkish food. Most of the camps are organized in small town or villages where are not touristy areas and where you can find the real side of the daily life.