Volunteering shadowing in Craiova, January 2021

The plurality and contradiction of architecture in Romania simply fascinates me.

My working experience there showed me how different things can be in your professional life, depending on who you cooperate with. On one hand, things there were more flexible and had this warm feeling of “home” and belonging. On the other hand, however, seeing the surprise of the other volunteers to the opportunities we have because of our organization was a quick reminder of how grateful we should be of the things we have. I suppose it all comes down to what we value the most, but keeping the idea of a coin’s two sides is definitely helpful towards a more gratefulness-inclusive path. 

My experience in the city was rather mixed. Craiova is not a big city, so there were naturally not a lot of things to do, particularly now, during the times of Corona, and especially compared to Timișoara or Athens, where I grew up in. Nevertheless, I enjoyed its city centre, no matter how small it was. What remained imprinted in my mind the most were the buildings and the Nicolae Romanescu park. The plurality and contradiction of architecture in Romania simply fascinates me. As for the park, I remember vividly the sound of crows crowing over my head constantly, flying around and taking their rest on the scads of trees. It was like the sky was alive, and as if I was transferred to another world briefly, away from the city and its hurried sounds. 

The last thing I want to mention is how warm and friendly the volunteers that welcomed us there were. I’m thankful for them inviting us to their home and making us a part of their everyday lives. I will remember how nice it felt playing cards with them and laughing, with a cup of fresh brewed coffee made by them for us. (Aigly) 

We got a brief sneak peek into how other volunteers work, by having the chance to collaborate on a joint project. Main takeaway – there are as many working methods as there are organisations in charge of them. And the size of the organisation being one of the most crucial factors. 

• By being part of a smaller organisation, on one hand – you’re going to experience a more individual, liberal approach in everything you do as a volunteer. You may not get as much resources, on the other hand – funding, experienced support team, connections.
• By being a part of a bigger organisation, it’s a 180 degree twist – you’ll get more resourcesyou’re your ideas to come to fruition, but the process is going to manifest itself in a much more controlled manner, because there’s already an existing structure in place, to make sure that the vastness of these existing opportunities don’t fall apart by an inconsiderate, poorly thought out step.

One of the better examples of “more power = more responsibility” principle working in real life.  

I find the thought to be interesting (as much as it is practically useful) because we tend not to evaluate our potential involvement with any establishment really, within these categories. Or at least, I didn’t. 🤷 (Daniels)

I wasn’t very excited about going to Craiova, but when I saw the city, it looked well developed and modern. In our first day, we went to the association’s office and it surprised me a bit the fact that it was a very small place compared to our office in Timisoara. Later, I met the project volunteers and realized how polite and open to improvement they are. When we started our meeting, we played a get–to–know game. After that, each volunteer made a presentation about what they did in their project. So, everyone knew who was doing what. After this informative meeting, we made the plan for the next day. What I noticed was how beautiful and effective the association and volunteers were doing, even if the possibilities were not the same compared to our association. To be honest, I was very impressed by seeing how great things people can do with limited means, and this has encouraged me.  

I was very impressed while touring the city. It was different than the city where I live. It has very tasty and interesting foods, especially in street corners.  

Our second day was mostly talking about the similarities and differences between projects, and our last day was planning. In the last day, we all held a joint live broadcast and answered questions about the ESC projects we were asked in this broadcast. I have never had a live broadcast experience before. This has been a unique experience for me. (Burak)