Today we were at the Youth Services and Sports center, in Kayseri. The director received us with great enthusiasm, and invited us for a short conversation about our cultural differences and personal beliefs about religion. I think this is the most common discussion topic, especially with foreigners, and especially during Ramadan.
Me and Miriam – the volunteer from Spain- on our way to the youth center
Me with Kevser Kaplan (EVS coordinator)
Mr. Murat Eskici (youth center director) and IYACA turkish volunteers (Büşra Akkaş and Bülent Yozgat)
Look at all of these awards. Wow!We expressed out interest for the activities they are holding there and the youth center director, Mr. Murat Eskici, was very kind and invited us to take part in some activities, in return for conversing and interviewing (in English) the athletes from the center.
Some children at their trainingAfter leaving Mr. Murat Eskici office, the youth leader of the Youth Center Syed Burhanuddin, gave us the tour of the center. Because it’s summer time, most the the young people that usually go there to take science courses, or ebru painting lessons, are in holiday. So the center was full of children around 10 years old, who were there to learn to read the Koran – The Quran literally meaning “the recitation” (also romanized Qurʾan or Koran) is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims believe to be a revelation from God (Arabic: الله, Allah).
Some pictures from the classes:
Here is one of the teachers, reading the Quran:
There were some children playing in the center’s yard:
Tell me what you think!