Enjoy every moment.

 

This month went by so fast; I feel like it only lasted a week, it is now 2 months since I arrived in Romania. It may seem long but for me it is as if I arrived 2 weeks ago, I have done so many things during these 2 months. We finally had snow, we were like children, we made snowmen and snowball fights. To be honest, snow is beautiful when you stay at home warm. We welcomed a new Turkish volunteer in the apartment, after her forties we took a tour of the city together and had a good time together. New volunteers arrive regularly, and we meet them with pleasure to discover new cultures, to share moments, to laugh together.

Honestly, this first month I felt lucky.

 

Honestly, This first month I felt lucky. My coordinator and counselors are very helpful and friendly, and we have a good time talking about any topic and laughing during the meetings. 

They care about things for our well-being in the town, in our home, how to move around the area, what places to visit, teaching us things about the country and its culture. I can't complain we have time for ourselves and for volunteering. There are also plans for future activities that I would like to participate in. The truth is, I feel at home. I hope that the future months our stability does not change so much during these months.

This was my goal: to get out of my comfort zone

 

When I learned that I was taken on a volunteer mission in Romania, I was first very happy and then worried about going to a country I did not know at all. This was my goal: to get out of my comfort zone, to discover new people, cultures, new landscapes. When I landed in Cluj, I felt serene, arriving in Baia Mare everyone was very welcoming, I was able to meet other very nice volunteers too.

It has been 1 month now that I've been here, I could meet the children during the online classes, (because of the Covid the schools are closed) we talked about Christmas and the different traditions during the end of the year celebrations. I cannot wait for the schools to reopen so I can meet the children.

It is those things that make you feel like you're in the right place…

 

 

What do I take? How will my colleagues be? Will I like volunteering? These and many other questions were spinning in my head before landing in Romania.  

From the beginning I had good vibes, the house we arrived in was great, I felt always picked up by my coordinators and when they explained more details of the project in which I was going to participate more illusion made me stay here and be able to enjoy this experience.  

When you arrive, everything is new to you, new city, new country, new culture, people, language… You are looking forward to meeting the children you're going to do the project with, talking to them and doing different fun activities.  

Căutăm voluntar!

Cautam voluntar motivat, empatic si creativ, dornic sa lucreze cu adulti cu dizabilitati mentale intr-un stagiu de voluntariat in Portugalia. Proiectul ESC+YOU=CHANGE include un stagiu de voluntariat in perioada 1.10.2020-27.09.2021. Pentru mai multe informații, va rugam sa ne scrieti la centrulgreentin@yahoo.com.

La revedere, Romania! Hope to see you soon!

 During these ten months in Romania, I got the opportunity to travel to different countries and cities along with Romania, to develop new language skills, to meet incredible people from all around the world, and the most importantly felt valued enough to touch someone else’s life. You learn more about yourself while you are learning more about others. Volunteering is a relation that affects both sides. Until the end, you don’t even understand how much you are affected by it. Looking back now seems like the first day I came here was yesterday. I was trying to find the bus station in front of Cluj Airport with carrying more than 40 kilos of baggage, not knowing a word of Romanian to ask for help. 

11 weeks of Online Volunteering – dealing with COVID-19

We started the online volunteering on 17th March, eleven weeks ago. Neither of us thought it actually could bound us with the kids this deeply. We have prepared our activities every Monday, to become more efficient and raise awareness of the children and their capabilities. Afterwards, we had activities every Thursday and Friday. Due to differences in activities and not boring the children, we planned them according to demand, and we did two activities each day, respectively. It was also essential to provide their activities in order to create an interactive way of learning. 29th May is the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. Therefore, for the 11th week, we decided to have activities related to peace.