A volunteers reflections in Romania

The experience that I am about to relate is one that I will cherish forever. It is one of the best things that ever happened to me. So, let’s get started…

It all began at my university, Hull, where I met Jackie, who is one of the founders of Care2Travel. Care2Travel is the name of the volunteering association which aims to support and promote responsible volunteering that will provide a real value within the community in Romania. It also provides tours and extra activities for the volunteers, in order to help them have a better understanding of the world and of the different cultures to which they are exposed to. The organization has all sorts of placement options for the volunteers. My choice was the Special Needs placement, as it is relates to my subject, which is psychology.

The night before I met Jackie, I had received an email from the university which let me know that an internship fair was taking place the next day. I started looking for all the options presented on that email and I came across the volunteering placement in Romania. I was beyond excited as Romania is my home country and I thought that this could be a fantastic opportunity for me. I remember seeing Jackie at the fair, as she was promoting Care2Travel, and going straight to her desk. It did not take long until I was convinced that I was going to apply for that internship. After I found out that I had been accepted, I could not stop thinking about it and was very impatient to start. 

Time passed and soon I was on the train, off to Miercurea Ciuc, Harghita county, the city where the placement was located. I was very excited because I was about to spend two weeks with volunteers from all over the world, in my home country, talking just in English. It was pretty fascinating, as I have never been to that part of the country before, even though I have lived in Romania until I started university. From the moment I arrived, I knew that I would like it. Two local volunteers, who were very kind and friendly, waited for me at the train station and guided me to the accommodation. When I arrived at the accommodation, most of the other volunteers were already there, so I got to know the majority of them right from the beginning. They were from all over the world, including the U.S.A., Australia, the U.K, Singapore and Colombia.

Many of them were from Hull University, which was good to hear, as I knew that we would have the chance to meet back in Hull and to see each other quite often. All of them were amazing people with different stories and backgrounds from whom I got learn a lot of new things. They were all eager to contribute to the local community and to experience new ways of life in a different country. I must say it was quite interesting for me to live two weeks with them and to explore Romania on a totally different scale. We managed to break down all the cultural stereotypes and to fully embrace this mix of cultures. Once all the volunteers arrived, we had a proper introduction with Peter, the director of the organization. Throughout the whole internship, he provided us with constant support, information and a very good leadership. He and Jackie were role models for me and I feel privileged that I had the chance to work with them. They have put so much effort into this organization in order for it to work, and I think that they are pretty successful in accomplishing their goals. 

So far, I have been writing about the volunteers and the association. In the next lines, I will describe my experience at the Special Needs placement, which was both challenging and rewarding at the same time. I remember when I first met the people I was supposed to help.  I was so nervous because I did not have a clear idea on how to approach them. They were people with mental disabilities and each one of them was different and special in his or her own way. Even though many of them had the same disability, such as autism, each acted differently and every person was unique. The aims of the centre, and therefore my tasks, were to teach those in need how to live independently, to offer support, to boost self-confidence, and to help them  with every day life skills, such as personal hygiene, preparing the table for meals, indoor and outdoor cleaning, and putting clothes on. Overall, I was expected to try to enhance their lives and to make a positive difference.

On my first day at the centre, I was placed to work in the third group (there are three in total). In a short period of time, I got to know all the group’s service users and I became very close to them. I was not the only volunteer there, as another girl was doing the same placement, so there were two of us working together in the same group. The group leader was a very nice lady who supported us during our time there. Some of the tasks that I had to perform included assisting individuals with activities, such as games or puzzles, for their cognitive development. Most of the time help was needed and I was more than willing to show them the right way. When individuals seeking help completed normal tasks, such as tying their shoe laces, they were very proud of themselves. It made me think that sometimes I take things for granted, and I forget that some people have to work a lot more than others in order to achieve the same things. All in all, the experience at the centre made me realize that I should appreciate the things in my life more and to be more grateful for what I have, because others have tougher lives and they still manage to smile and to be thankful for any achievement, big or small.

I will treasure these memories I’ve had forever and every service user will remain in my heart.

I have also included photos from our trips which took place during our days off. The other volunteers and I explored the picturesque surroundings of Harghita together and I loved every bit of it. As I previously mentioned, even though I am Romanian, I felt like a tourist and I was impressed by those breathtaking surroundings, because until then I had only heard about them. Now, I got the chance to visit these places with people from every corner of the world.

I will forever be thankful to Care2Travel for giving me this chance. This organization deserves all the respect it receives. I feel like I made a positive difference for both the community and myself, and I am very grateful for all the people that I have met and for all the memories that we made together. It was a fantastic and rewarding experience and I will advise anyone to take this opportunity.

Written by Oana Mateut
Volunteer in Romania