If you asked me at the beginning what volunteering here looks like, I would probably say: activities, kids, energy, something fun and meaningful.
And I wouldn’t be wrong. But that’s only part of the picture.
Most of the time, it actually looks like us sitting together, trying to figure things out. Talking through ideas, adjusting plans, checking if we have everything we need. Sometimes it’s very clear, sometimes a bit messy – but it works.
During the week, everyone is busy with something. Some of us prepare activities, thinking about how to make them engaging and comfortable for the participants. Others work on photos and videos, trying to capture moments that actually feel real. And then there’s everything in between – helping, translating, supporting, stepping in when needed.
You don’t really stay in just one role. It all mixes.
“Planning, preparation, working together – it’s all connected.”
What I didn’t expect is how much happens before anything even starts. You think an activity is just a game or a workshop, but behind it there are conversations, small decisions, sometimes doubts. You try things, you adjust, you learn as you go.
And yes, communication takes time. Probably more than you imagine.
At the end of the week, we sit down together again. That’s when everything makes more sense. We talk about what worked, what didn’t, what felt good, what was difficult. And then we slowly build the next week from that.
Sometimes these meetings are simple. Sometimes they go deeper. We also talk about struggles, but not in a heavy way – more like trying to understand and move forward.
“I was surprised by how flexible everything is and how easily plans can change.”
That’s something you learn quickly here – things don’t always go as planned. And that’s okay. You adapt. You find another way. There’s almost always a plan B, even if you come up with it on the spot.
What makes it easier is the team.
There are many small moments when someone helps you without asking, or explains something again, or just stays there with you when things feel a bit overwhelming. And somehow, that’s enough to keep going.
“Support between each other is what makes everything work.”
There’s also a lot you don’t see unless you’re part of it. Editing photos late in the evening, finishing something small that still needs to be done, thinking about how to improve the next activity. It doesn’t stop when the day ends.
“I didn’t expect how much effort goes into making everything look simple.”
And maybe that’s the most honest part of this experience.
It’s not always easy. It’s not always perfectly organized. But it’s real.
You learn how to work with people, how to adapt, how to take responsibility. You get tired sometimes, but it feels worth it.
Because at some point, you realize – it’s not just about the activities.
It’s about everything that happens around them.
And the people you go through it with.
This is part of the Youth on a Mission project, an international volunteering experience supported by the European Solidarity Corps in Romania.
Article written by Ustyna Dzhereliuk.
Photos by Tetiana Ivankiv.
The project “Youth on a Mission” is co-funded by the European Union.
