Hello, I’m Özge. About a year and a half ago, I moved from Turkey to Berlin. Living in Berlin has been a fascinating experience for me, and with each passing day, I feel more at home here. Before, I lived in Istanbul, a city that reflects the harmony of cultures in Turkey. Now, I’m living in Berlin, a city that hosts cultures from all around the world. Having the opportunity to be surrounded by so many diverse people and cultures is an incredible privilege for me.
Of course, alongside all these amazing aspects, moving to a new country comes with its challenges, as anyone who decides to leave their home country for a new one can relate. For someone like me, who has a limited understanding of English and no knowledge of German when I first arrived, living in Germany was a difficult journey. On one hand, I was dealing with the emotional challenge of missing my family and friends; on the other, I was struggling to communicate because I could only express myself well in my native language. This was a truly difficult situation to navigate.
Despite attending German language courses for months, I still found it hard to express myself. I think my luck changed when I discovered “Give Something Back to Berlin” (GSBTB). About 7–8 months ago, a friend suggested attending the “Open Language Cafe,” and that’s how I got introduced to GSBTB. Since then, I’ve been participating in their activities regularly.
I’ve attended several of GSBTB’s events, including Open Kitchen, Open Language Cafe, and Frauensprachcafe. Among these, Frauensprachcafe has been the most meaningful to me. I can confidently say that I felt the most comfortable here in my language-learning journey. At Frauensprachcafe, I found more than just an opportunity to practice German—I also got to meet women who, like me, came here for various reasons and faced similar challenges. This experience helped me realize that I’m not alone and allowed me to gain strength by sharing my experiences. 
In the warm and supportive atmosphere of Frauen Sprachcafe, I became more confident day by day. The friendly environment encouraged me to speak German without the fear of making mistakes, which helped me regain the self-confidence I had initially lost. Everyone brings their own story, and together, we enrich each other with these stories.
It’s not just about language practice—the cultural exchange here has also left a deep impression on me. With topics changing each week, I had the opportunity to share my own culture while learning a lot about the cultures of my friends from different countries.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank GSBTB for providing this space and the volunteers who greet us with a smile every Thursday and make my Thursdays so much brighter. I’m so grateful for your efforts. Thank you for being there!
Our wellbeing and community initiatives like this are generously supported by a Here to Be Grant from the Lululemon Centre of Social Impact.