I came to Romania/Bucharest to carry out volunteering activities. We carried out training activities with 60 volunteers from 5 countries in the city of Craiova with universal childhood education/activities that would last for 1 week, and then we were directed to Bucharest as a group of 12 people. Here, C.O.S.I (Civic Orientation and Social Integration) welcomed us and talked about the process of our program, what could be done, and our plans. And then we came to the Youth Center and had a meeting where we were informed about which projects we would carry out.
Then, I had the opportunity to make observations about what projects were going on here, and I saw that there were activities aimed at making the participants feel good and enabling them to communicate together through educational, entertaining activities. I think that the opportunities offered by the youth center, which has a peaceful environment, to the volunteers are sufficient, the front garden of the event is The areas reserved for the kitchen, offices, playroom, kitchen, everything is colorful and sufficient.
Some of us understood the deeper meaning of volunteering while engaging in various activities at the FNT Youth Center. For instance, a simple Arts and Crafts workshop managed to make us see the world differently. Yesterday, we tried to make bracelets and rings out of beads, manually putting them on a string, and countless methafors arose from such a simple task. I visualised every bead as an action of helping others, and, as more of them accumulated, they formed a “solidarity bracelet”, made with patience out of countless helping acts. One colleague told me that, as they were crafting a ring for their significant other, they realised that, even though every part of it is small and easy to slip off one’s hand, they still form a beautiful thing over time, when together, just like consistent activities of volunteering made by several people add up over time. A beneficiary told me that finding the perfect color for their bracelet is as hard as finding the most suitable type of volunteering activity to engage in, since they are so various and all of them seem a good choice. We compared the patience needed for crafting a bracelet with the pace and softness needed in volunteering activities with children. The bracelet was made despite the fact that some beads fell to the ground, just like solidarity is a reachable goal even though challenges might occur. Some crafting techniques are more difficult than others, as certain refugees’ situations and their management might require more attention than others. If the beads represent the volunteers of FNT, then the string is the staff of all the organisations that made this wonderful project possible. Thus, a simple crafting activity generated numerous interpretations and symbols, and made us realise how lucky we are to be part of such an inspiring environment. At the same time, we felt gratitude for this opportunity and the thought that there are people who can achieve such beautiful things makes us see the world with different eyes and gives us hope!
In conclusion, our volunteering journey in Romania is been an eye-opening and transformative experience. We are having the chance to mix volunteering and free time in Bucarest and in the places near the capital. One of the most amazing things of being in this kind of projects is learning from your pairs and having the chance to be in an intercultural environment all day long. From the collaborative training activities in Craiova to the insightful projects at the FNT Youth Center in Bucharest, we are learning the profound impact of collective effort and solidarity. The simple yet powerful symbolism derived from crafting bracelets and rings highlighted the beauty and significance of each small act of kindness and cooperation. These experiences have deepened our understanding of volunteering, showing us that even the smallest contributions can collectively create meaningful change. As we leave with a renewed sense of purpose and hope, we are reminded of the importance of solidarity and the incredible potential of working together to make a difference in the world.
It is definitely a worth living experience. If you are between 18 and 30 years old think about it, you wouldn’t regret at all.
Do you want more info? Here you have some links where you can find more info about volunteering and FNT youth center:
FNT YOUTH CENTER: https://rotineret.ro
Instagram FNT: https://www.instagram.com/youthcentre_fnt?igsh=c2hxZ2N6eWhncmF4
European Solidarity Corps: https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity_en