Kako si?  “how are you?” in Slovenian. That might also be all you need to know before coming here (well, maybe živjo too) so don’t set your language expectations too high, it is genuinely one of the hardest out there! And yet, here I am,  writing this post, which means my internship at Moja Mavrica has come to an end. And if you ask me how I am? Bittersweet. Because as much as I’m proud of everything, this chapter leaving a mark on me makes it hard to close. If you’re reading this, you’re about to learn what these 3 months looked like for me, in a general and somewhat emotional way.

As small as it might seem to others, coming to Slovenia and doing an internship was something really hard for last-year me, but I was ready to fight for it. Would my residence permit come through in time? Would the process be more complicated because I’m not an EU citizen? Would the organization help make things easier for me? Would the place I was going to be inclusive, diverse, and international? Would I be able to be open about myself and my identity? Could I find a place that truly values what I value? While these questions were spinning in my head, I stumbled across Moja Mavrica’s page and sat down that same day and started filming my application video in my room. And now, looking back from that moment to this one, I see a much stronger, grown, and self-assured Irem, and all of it is thanks to the experiences I had during these 3 months at Moja Mavrica.

I come from a country where I sometimes had to silence myself on topics I care about, and find freedom at Moja Mavrica. It is a place where I feel safe and transparent, where I believe I can turn my ideas and thoughts into reality, where every intern is genuinely supported to get the most out of the organization, a place where you will truly be in the field. I learned so much and gained incredible experiences: I had the opportunity to write and facilitate my own workshops, learned how to run focus groups, got very familiar with report writing and Excel, attended countless workshops (I will never forget the ones we did at Mladi Zmaji and the burek we ate with the girls afterwards!), learned how NGOs work, had the chance to interview an activist, and met so many different people from various organizations. And through it all, I got to dive into topics I deeply care about: activism, LGBTQ+, mental health, active citizenship and more. We even took it to the streets,  organizing street actions in Ljubljana tackling privilege and discrimination. I wrote an article and developed follow up activities on a topic I genuinely care about, and at every step, I felt Michelle’s and the whole team’s support behind me. Michelle’s “you did a great job” never faded, she always had our backs as interns. 

These 3 months had their ups as much as their downs, there were moments I felt overwhelmed, struggled with my health, and missed my friends back home in ways I wasn’t prepared for. (And as a certified sun lover, the Ljubljana clouds didn’t help either!) But I’m being fully honest when I say that all the hard parts became so much lighter the moment I went back to work and started creating with this team.

This internship grew me immensely as a person. I found the chance to be one hundred percent myself, and gained lots of new experiences along the way. I’m going to miss the work sessions with Michelle at the library, Teja and Iva suddenly appearing at events and Teja sneaking photos of us, Pritljice, and the way we could all come from different places yet find ourselves in the same room, fighting for the same reasons.

And lastly, if my supervisor Andriana is reading this, thank you so much. You put far more into me than you probably realize. Every meeting left me sitting with my thoughts, walking away with new perspectives and understanding myself a little better. Thank you for creating a safe space for me and for your support along the way.

These 3 months gave me more than I ever expected. Thank you, Moja Mavrica.