Doorstep Stories: Meet Merve

Merve Sancak is originally from Turkey and has come to Sheffield via Oxford and Cambridge

What is your Migration Story?

I am a migrant here from Turkey on my 5th or 6th visa now. I came to study an MSc initially in 2010 and was never planning to stay longer than one year. I worked part-time after I finished the MSc for a few months at the university (at that time, master's students were allowed to stay for a year) but then went back to Turkey when I couldn't find a full-time job.

About year later, in 2013, I came for a PhD and never left. My parents' family also went to Turkey as immigrants from former Yugoslavia. I find it quite interesting, sometimes enriching but also sometimes challenging, to be a part of three different countries/cultures (although the former Yugoslavia part is also complicated as my parents are from two different countries, Serbia and Montenegro, but their common identity is being Muslim in the Balkans).’

How to get through lockdown

In addition to cooking, celebrating Ramadan and doing some online thaiboxing classes, Merve has been volunteering.

‘I have been volunteering for Food Works, which is a charity that saves the food that would be otherwise wasted. I was volunteering in their warehouse to stack things around and to prepare the food boxes, which are sold at a very low price plus donation. I have also been helping in the kitchen, where we cook very low cost and healthy food in the lockdown for those who cannot cook for any reason, such as because of self-isolating, care responsibilities or long working hours.’

Funny lockdown story?

I have two cats… and the younger cat, Leon, has learned to call me to play with him. He just comes to the garden door and meows at me to go out and when I open the door, he goes to the string which is in the garden and waits for me to come. He also joins me when exercises in the garden, like going under me when I do a plank and hoping that I will quit and play with him instead

Most looking forward to after lockdown?

Going to Turkey to spend a holiday with my family