My Time in Mrachenik
Hey, I’m Hager, and I spent this summer volunteering with the European Solidarity Corps in the small
village of Mrachenik, Bulgaria. If I had to describe this experience in one sentence, I would say: it was a
journey where time stopped, and I finally started to look at the world slowly and deeply inside myself.
Before I left Egypt, my life was running fast. I was a mother, a project manager, always busy, always
moving from one task to the next. Leaving home meant leaving my daughter for a while, and that was
the hardest decision I have ever made. She is my biggest motivation and my greatest teacher. I told
myself that I was doing this not only for me, but also for her, so that one day she can see that her
mother chose to step out of her comfort zone, learn, and give back.
When I arrived in Mrachenik, the village welcomed me with its silence, fresh air, and endless green
hills. Coming from a big, noisy city, the quiet felt strange at first. Then, little by little, it became the
most beautiful sound. In Mrachenik, nobody was in a hurry. The days followed the sun and the
seasons, not the clock. And for the first time in a very long time, I stopped running.
In that stillness, something inside me woke up. I started to notice small things I used to pass by: the
light on the hills in the morning, the wind, the taste of a simple meal shared with others, the stories
behind people’s eyes. I spent long moments alone in nature, just breathing, thinking, and praying in my
own way. I began to reconnect with the spiritual part of me that daily life had pushed aside. I learned
to sit with my thoughts instead of escaping from them, and to listen to my heart more than to the
noise around me.
Living with volunteers from different countries and cultures taught me just as much. We shared a
house, a kitchen, and our daily lives. We cooked together, laughed together, argued, made up, and
held each other through homesick days. I learned to listen more and judge less, and I discovered that,
in the end, we all want the same things: to be understood, to belong, and to make a difference. I also
learned that meaningful work does not need a big title or a big salary; it only needs passion and an
open heart.
I became more patient and more confident in my ability to adapt. I found a strength I did not know I
had, especially on the days I missed my daughter the most.
After Mrachenik
Coming back, I realized the real change was not in the world around me but in the way I see it. I
returned to my daughter with a calmer heart and more presence. I can sit with her and simply enjoy
the moment, without my mind running somewhere else.
Back with my daughter after the program
I went back to university with new energy. The discussions about the Sustainable Development Goals
now feel personal to me, because I have lived what solidarity and community really mean.
And when I travelled to Italy with friends, I noticed that I was no longer rushing from place to place. I
was walking slowly, looking deeply, and truly living each moment, just as Mrachenik taught me.
With friends in Bari, seeing the world with new eyes
Thanks to the Smokinya team, to the people of Mrachenik, and to every volunteer who shared this
journey with me. Thank you for the conversations, the lessons, the laughter and, most of all, the
silence. You gave me the gift of time, and the chance to meet myself again.
I came here hoping to give something, and I left with far more than I ever imagined.
Mrachenik, you will always have a place in my heart.
All my love,
Hager
Want to learn about the benefits of our courses? Click here: https://smokinya.com/testimonials/
Should you have a question, contact us: info@smokinya.com.
This program is co-funded by the European Solidarity Corps program of the European Union.
Финансирано от Европейския съюз. Изразените възгледи и мнения обаче принадлежат изцяло на техния(ите) автор(и) и не отразяват непременно възгледите и мненията на Европейския съюз или на Европейската изпълнителна агенция за образование и култура (EACEA). За тях не носи отговорност нито Европейският съюз, нито EACEA.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
