“Don’t look so sad, I know it’s over

But life goes on and this ol’ world will keep on turning

Let’s just be glad we had some time to spend together

There’s no need to watch the bridges that we’re burning”

Dear SFERA,

I’ve participated in some of the events before; I even came to celebrate my 10th birthday as an “outsider,” but working for you has been a life-changing decision. It all started as a “temporary” second job that left some permanent marks on my heart. The last six months were such a grand challenge for me. Some of you will say it’s only an NGO, but trust me, things are very different from what they look like from the other side. So I guess you, reading this, are wondering what made the whole experience so unique?

THE PEOPLE

Entering the office every day was like entering the “world” in a small room. Starting with the USA, then Estonia, the Netherlands, Turkey, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and even Australia… Everyone was in their own world, doing the things they had to do. a professional relationship that transformed into a deeper, best friend-type relationship. Especially the last two months surrounded by Turkish people, learning their language and everything about their culture, music, and dances, it’s so hard for me to leave the office.

On the other hand, the best thing about working with them was the opportunity that they gave me to show you my city in the best way possible. From drinking the best Turkish tea, eating lahmacun, walking on Shirok Sokak, and attending some of my favorite bands in the clubs, to even going up in the mountains and exploring nature,

EVENTS and GOALS

Working at SFERA has taught me that hard work pays off. You just have to have goals and take small steps to achieve each one of them. For example, minimizing waste was the main goal this year for all of us. For me, this was a big success because it changed the way I live and made me more aware of how I interact with nature and the environment and what I do to keep them clean and nice. And oh, about the events: helping everyone to promote and sometimes even organizing them myself was the best thing. It was such a fulfilling experience for me.

THE STAFF

Kate, Milco, and Mende, thank you for accepting me as a part of the SFERA family. As mentioned before, the whole experience left permanent marks on my heart. I will always be grateful to you all for giving me the chance to increase my work skills and abilities and the chance to meet so many people. Thank you for challenging me and helping me become the best version of myself.

Till next time,

Jovana :))