Hi! My name is Ikram and I am originally from Morocco but I was raised in Spain. As an immigrant, I experienced first-hand the importance of intercultural dialogue, empowerment and participation from a young age. Ever since I was a teenager, I have been very involved in my local community, trying to help others - from neighbors who were not totally fluent in Spanish, to friends who were having a hard time with their studies.

My passion for diversity and intercultural exchange led me to study translation and interpretation. I am now able to speak four languages, and I have had the opportunity to live and discover different countries. After finishing my bachelor, I decided it was time for a shift in my education, and I moved to the field of international relations.

Three years ago, I had the opportunity to participate in a volunteer project with an NGO in Ankara and it was one of the best experiences in my life. I have no words to describe the amiability and hospitality of Turkish people, so I invite everyone to give it a chance and taste it firsthand. Back then I promised myself that I was going to come back to this beautiful country. And here I am again, in my second home.

I am absolutely convinced that volunteering is an opportunity for everyone to better understand the specificity and uniqueness of individual cultures and broaden their horizons, in a moment in which people engagement and participation are more crucial than ever. While recovering from the COVID-19 crisis, it’s fundamental to put people with special needs at the center of the recovery, so we can build a more humane and democratic world, and thus a better world, through education and tolerance.