Care & Community Volunteer Stories, Romania

Care & Community in Romania - Laura Parker University ended and we all asked ourselves, “What now?” Six months later, many of my friends had started jobs or returned to school, and I found myself still asking, “What now?” Throughout University I had enjoyed the opportunity to meet people from many different countries and to learn a lot about global politics and developing nations. This led me to desire to travel abroad as a volunteer and try to help in a hands on situation in one of these nations. A lot of my friends found themselves in similar situations with similar desires. I think many people have the idea in the back of their heads of wanting to provide assistance abroad in developing nations, but are never sure how to go about it. Once they know how, it is often too difficult because of financial reasons and other responsibilities back home.

Care & Community in Romania - Addison Fickas I arrived in Bucharest late at night exhausted, jetlagged, and harried after a day and a half of travel, struggling with my luggage and a bit lost in the heat of a Romanian summer. The hottest it gets back home in dreary Washington State is about 60 degrees. It was nearly two in the morning when I actually opened the door of my host house and met Nuti, my host mother, and Lorna, another volunteer I was to be sharing a room with for the next three months. Nuti spoke very little English, but Chris, a Projects Abroad staff member who picked me up from the airport, managed to translate the conversation and I was soon asleep in my bed.

Care & Community in Romania - Richard Edney On the 6th February, I arrived at Bucharesti Airport, România, to begin two months voluntary work in a state orphanage. I was soon greeted by a sea of faces at Arrivals, but quickly managed to pick out the board which read ‘Projects Abroad’. After introducing myself to Danielle (my care supervisor), we set off on the long three hour taxi journey to the medieval mountain town of Brasov, in central România.

Care & Community in Romania - Chris Wyatt On Wednesday the 8th of January I discovered a deceptively big country called Romania and a beautiful mountain town called Brasov. I had decided to do a care project as I thought it would be the most rewarding for me and Romania had been sold to me by one of my friend's mum who in fact is Romanian herself.

Care & Community in Romania - Jo Cope I arrived in Romania on a cold, snowy afternoon in March. I felt very nervous and wondered what I was doing leaving the comfort of my home to come to this strange looking place... I was only supposed to be in Romania for four weeks, but I ended up cancelling my flight home and returning after six weeks and then went back again within three weeks of getting home.