Name: | Bahar Kurtbas |
Age: | 20 years old |
Nationality: | German |
3 Words to describe yourself: | Ambitious - Determined - Structured |
Tell us about your career so far. What did you do before you came to volunteer in Tapulanga?
"I finished my school. After that I worked until I came to the Philippines."
Why did you choose Tapulanga?
"I chose Tapulanga because I like the organization. I want to help people who live in poor conditions and have less access to education. I am interested in working with children and would like to support all children through my volunteer work."
Tell us about a typical day at work.
"My lessons start at 7:30 am. We start by dancing together with the students. Then we work on the worksheets. I work until 3:30 pm."
What do you look forward to in your 1 year of volunteer service?
"I am looking forward to all the experiences, moments and adventures that I will gather."
What do you find to be most challenging about your work? How do you deal with it?
"The children's language. Unfortunately, I don't always understand what they want to say and we can't communicate properly. I try to learn the language and understand what the children are trying to tell me or my colleagues translate it for me."
Who inspires you?
"The mindset of Filipinos and of course the Filipinos themselves. "
Tell us more about yourself!
What are you passionate about outside of work?
"Traveling and cooking"
What one Tagalog or Ilonggo word/phrase do you like to use?
"Salamat Gid"
Bonus Questions!
What’s one place you visited that you love the most and why?
"All the places in the Philippines are so beautiful and special. But I think I've enjoyed Malapascua and Apo Island the most so far. Apo island because of the diversity in the sea and nature. And Malapascua, because it is a very small island. The people and everything else is very special on this island. It’s very familiar. You can meet people from all over the world there."
If you could swap places with someone else for a day, who would it be?
"My sister 😉"
