Tag: romania

The first week of the Youth Centres UP 2 project (first team of international volunteers for 30 days), in which an unused heating building is turned into a centre for the youth of a neighbourhood within about a month, started with team building activities.
This was followed by a shallow transition to the actual work on the centre, which, if one disregards the two-meter-deep hole in the entrance area, is a good starting point. So, initially divided into three teams with their own areas of responsibility, but ultimately as one team, we set to work.

Within three days, we performed the following tasks:

• Cleaning the garden and the building
• Scraping the walls
• Removing holes from the walls, leveling them and preparing them for painting
• Cutting trees
• Redesigning and making furniture

In parallel, we made a constant effort to involve the community by ending each of the days at the future youth centre with a joint community engagement. We talked to as many people as possible and collected opinions and ideas in order to design the place according to the wishes of the neighbourhood.
So, in conclusion, all we can say is that if we have been able to learn and create so much in such a short time, we can only look forward to the coming period with joy!

Before I came to Romania, I thought that one year was too much, but now when I look back, six months have passed so quickly. Even when you move from one place to another in your city, many things change your life. Some of them are conscious, some of them not. So moving to another country is a challenge itself. Putting everything aside and starting a new life for one year it’s like intensive life school.

I am learning by experiencing living with people from different countries. When you get to know more people, you also discover what you are doing, true or wrong, good or bad.

A lot of things have changed in my life. First, I met new people, and some of them will stay special for me. Secondly, you can see yourself more precisely what have you done or what haven’t you done in your life.

We did a lot of different kinds of activities, from cleaning the space to organising activities, collecting signatures, or making videos. Maybe I didn’t give my best in some of the activities, but I had enjoyed them a lot. 

We had some difficult times like everyone during this period. It has taught me a lot: how to be more tolerant, more patient, but also more critical. If you can see or evaluate yourself objectively, you can get the results if it’s worth it or not spending time in another country with many people in the same house.

Last but not least

I wanted to be here because I didn’t have anything to do better and I do not regret it at all. On the contrary, I am glad I am here because I am in the middle of my ’20s and I have time to be part of this team. It’s an excellent experience because when I turn 30’s, I will not have time and motivation for this kind of activities.

Maybe Romania is unknown to many people but it was not the same for me. I have been here before; moreover, my father has been here for a long time ago.

Let’s see what time will decide for me. I already have passed my six months. I hope the next six months will be better than these. 😊

Sometimes, I wonder how something as simple as a single question can change your life that much.

-Shall we go? –Let’s go!

This is how my conversation with my friend Miriam ended the day we decided to go somewhere else to be volunteers.

I have always been a girl who has thought that we all “have´´ to follow a standard life path for my background and surroundings. Fortunately, or unfortunately, 2020 came to our lives to change them at all. It has given us bad days, and it was, in my case, a rollercoaster of feelings though, I have lived through moments that if it hadn’t been for the pandemic situation, I would not have probably.

There will always be people telling you it is not a good time to have this kind of experience due to the world situation but, on the contrary, it was the best one for me.

I started my professional career in events management and marketing (what I studied for) when the Covid-19 appeared. Then, I went back to my hometown for almost a year (I left it when I was 18). I have excellent memories of what I did and who I spent my days with “there is nothing like being home ;)´´

I guess at some point, we all have felt lost this weird year. That was when I realised I had to do something else (because nothing ventured, nothing gained).

I have had two other experiences abroad, and I have always had the feeling to do it again. I do not know what the future has to offer me, but I am sure that it was the right idea to come to Timisoara.

Firstly, everybody doubts what will happen when it comes to an abroad experience, and I was not far. If I am honest, my expectations were not high. I think it was because the selection process was speedy, and I was not aware of the reality yet (I got my flight ticket one week after the interview).

Flights to Timisoara

After a one-day trip (and a few goodbyes), I arrived in Timisoara ready to have one of the best experiences in my life.

I am willing to work, learn a lot from everything and everyone, discover a new country and new people I will live and work with, have fun, and, one of the things I value most, grow personally and professionally.

Every part of the project has exceeded my expectations so far, and I am looking forward to seeing what has to come.

I always remember a phrase which says: ‘You win some, you learn some’. In this case, my insight is you do both, though.

Several months have passed since we arrived in Romania to volunteer with the ESC project Youth Centres UP 2. Since then, the experience, which is still intense, has gone through different phases. We arrived in Timisoara without many expectations but with a great desire to give the best of ourselves. We found ourselves in a country of solidarity, open and full of young people wanting to change things. 

After a year of pandemic, in which fear and uncertainty paralysed us, being part of a youth movement in a country that has historically been as undervalued as Romania allows us to grow and see beyond.   

It is necessary to admit that it is difficult to imagine yourself in a project that requires solidarity and unity while going through a dark period like the pandemic. However, Romania has demonstrated to be a resilient country, where people always support each other when it comes to develop and improve. It is a real pleasure to work shoulder to shoulder with them as change-makers.  

Furthermore, Romania is a great country, diverse, with potential, and committed to young people -you just have to see the number of projects, activities, and events that are taking place now-, and we are lucky to be part of them. In addition to this, the number of local people involved and with whom you can share work, experiences, and time is unbelievable. The best way to get to know a country in depth is through its people. In this sense, we could not have been more fortunate.  

In addition, long-term projects with ESC allow you to live and work with people from other countries. They are also an excellent opportunity to learn and adapt yourself to different cultures. Although it sometimes seems a complex challenge, these experiences as volunteers let you grow and broaden your horizons. In our case, being change-makers encompasses all this.  

In the end, the best thing about volunteering is realizing that you are surrounded by people who were strangers at first, and they are now an essential part of the experience. At that moment, you wonder why you have not done it before. 

Esther, Miriam, and Burak

I’ve always had the feeling that I should do more for the world. I was always interested in helping other people, but until now, I’ve never had the time to think about it and try to research some ways to get into volunteering. I’ve known about Youth Portal for some years now, other organizations were sending me offers, but it never felt like this is the one I should choose. 

When I applied for YCU2, I knew that my current job contract would end soon, and I would be supposed to look for something new. But just finding a new job was not appealing to me. I was exhausted from the daily routine, the angry managers, and poorly thought targets. I wanted to do something special, to have a new start and, maybe, pursue the call of helping other people. 

One day while browsing the opportunities on the Youth Portal, I found the FITT’s logo. It immediately drew my attention to it. As a side thought, I will add that I have lived in Timisoara for three years previously as a student. I clicked on it and started to read the materials, description, then I got on their website to make sure that the project is active and it’s not like a very old post, and I would just spend my time on meaningless waiting for an answer and keeping the hope of hearing back from them. 

I clicked with the idea they were presenting and how they identified the purpose of the project. Growing up, my community lacked a place that would be a safe space for everyone, a source of information, a source of opportunities, and just somewhere to get away from school and other people. Then I started to imagine how I would be helpful to the project and how I can contribute to the project. Will I be motivated enough to help and bring my contribution to the community? 

I applied, and shortly after we had the interviews, and in a matter of a week, I was ready to get on the road. Then I realized that I would need a visa, and at this point, things started to get harder for my mental health and general wellbeing. Applying for the visa was quite a challenge. They always had some comments about my documents, so I had to go to the consulate 3 times for them to accept my application. After that, every day was a waiting roller-coaster, the worst 39 days. 

Afterward, as I got the visa on my hands, I started to pack, and a day later, I was already on my way to Timisoara. It was pretty nostalgic to see the old things and places that you don’t think you missed until you see them again: the trains, the people, the atmosphere, and just remembering the old memories hidden deep down. As I arrived, I was welcomed by the people I somehow knew from my past, and everyone was extremely welcoming and humble. I felt like I’m back home and not as an alien in a foreign country. 

I look forward to what the future has prepared for me in this project. I believe in the team taking care of the project and the volunteers who have already arrived. I think that together we’ll do great things for the local community.

2020 was so different than what we expected: shortly after coming to Timișoara (Romania) through the ‘Set the Tempo’ project, the pandemic started – and what happened next really challenged us. We stepped out of our comfort zone and adapted ourselves and our activity to the context. We’ve learnt a lot, tested different kinds of activities in order to make the youth get involved and we rediscovered ourselves and our potential. We managed to make it ‘till the end, keep the good stories and lessons, and most important, we’ve spent the winter holidays in a new, unexpected way.

Read our winter holidays’ stories below: 

I used to view Christmas through the lens of cynicism and point out the hypocrisy of the Christmas Spirit in relation to how people are for the rest of the year. While the observation isn’t entirely false, I’ve come to realise that we, instead, should be grateful not only for the opportunity to have days off from work, but also for the fact that Christmas serves as a reminder of values that we should try to cultivate also in our busy, everyday lives, when it is not the holiday. And when it is not the holiday especially. (Daniels, Latvia) 

As a Muslim person who has taken part into the Christmas celebration for the first time, it was a brand new experience that I had with my friends and people that I care about. 😀 Muslims don’t celebrate Christmas, but we have similar celebrations during the year. So I am used to family and friends gatherings and celebrations, but not with the gifts part. So when I found out that we have to buy gifts, I said to myself “ohhh sh*t”, not because I don’t like to buy gifts, but because my budget doesn’t allow me to do that, especially when I have a lot of special people around me that I want to give something to. Even if it is not that useful (as the cat pillow that I gave to Nadia and she showed that she liked it – only god knows if she did), I want to give them something that will make them remember me.  

Just imagine me giving Marietta a gift and forget about Aigly – I am sure that I will be their next morning topic in their Greek language. I tried my best to buy some gifts, and I know that I didn’t manage to give to everyone. But the good thing that I realised is how hard it is to be a Santa Claus. I understand why Santa is not giving gifts to all people: not because they are bad or they did something bad during the year, but because he runs out of budget, so he creates that bad people list as an excuse.  

At the same time, I was soo happy because I was expecting to receive a gift, and I got one. Just imagine this story if I didn’t get one – a lot of drama. The day that we got our gifts I was so happy, you cannot imagine: I have been looking for an hour under the tree till I found mine, I opened it and it was a perfume and a box of chocolate. It was so nice and I loved it so much, even if I was thinking at that moment if my smell really stinks. And of course, nothing works perfectly with me: the perfume was a woman perfume, just imagine. But still, I loved it and I took it as a sign – so thanks Santa, even if you missed my gender. In the end, I want to say that I had a lot of funny moments that I will share beside a woman perfume. (Ali, Tunisia) 

Life may be cold and hard, but we should take time to admire the dazzling charm that lies within it. 

This Christmas was complicated for me. Right out of a one–month quarantine and with a lot of personal issues to solve. I really wish I could have had the actual chance to live Christmas in my beloved Timisoara properly. But of course, we knew from the start of this outbreak of the virus that this would not be the case. I might have not gotten to see how families and young people traditionally and usually spend their Christmas and New Years’ Eve in Romania, but at least I got to spend them with beloved people, and as a bonus point, I got to go to the mountains and see snow! As the last few hours of this unique year were running away, the place around me, already slightly white, started becoming whiter and whiter. It’s as if the harsh wind blowing outside my window was relentlessly taking the last minutes away and giving soft snow crystals in return.  

I was really grateful for starting my new year with everything my eye could see around me being white. This is a view I do not usually have back in my country, and made my Christmas more special. The warm crackling sounds of the fireplace, the soft, calming silence of the whiteness around me, the spicy dryness of the wine used to settle our wishes for the new year and the awkward, with a slight suspicion of worry, but also with a content hopefulness smiles of our group were the first sensations imprinted in my mind for 2021. And the rest followed when I took a walk in the deserted white road by myself, enjoying the fresh freezing coldness of the atmosphere and the creepy yet peaceful lack of sounds that a thick layer of snow tends to attribute to its surroundings. 

I hope to keep the bright beautiful image of the glittering melancholy around me in my head for the time to come. My Romanian Christmas may not have been traditional or wild, but it definitely reminded me a truth of life I always need to hold closely: life may be cold and hard, but under the right ray of sunlight, we cannot help but notice and should take time to admire the dazzling charm that lies within it. (Aigly, Greece) 

If Corona had not been in here, the winter holidays would have been better and everything would be different, but still it was cool. It was the first time that I celebrated the New Year in a foreign country, and for this reason I had a chance to observe the Christmas and New Year season during my holiday. I am so happy being part of these. I saw sparkling streets and shops actually everywhere. All of them gave me energy. When I saw people with gleamy eyes, I realized that they were so excited for the New Year. I was sharing this feeling with them.  

In the first week of the holiday, I was just listening to myself. I was doing things that I like and rest. When the weather was good, I went walking around the Bega river. This city has a calming feature. The second week of the holiday I decided to trip to other cities: Cluj, Craiova and Braşov. The best part for me is train traveling, because of the amazing view. Romania has beautiful green areas. When I was passing the railway, I enjoyed the scenery at the same time I was listening to my favourite podcast series. My traveling was good. I am looking forward to my next trip. 😀 These cities and people too had the same sparkling places and feelings. I would like to see Romania without Covid during the Christmas and holiday season… Why not, maybe, next year, in 2022? (Ceren, Turkey) 

Winter is not a season, it’s a celebration.  

The colours that I find in winter give me extraordinarily feelings. The moment when I wake up and look from the window makes me feel relaxed.  

Besides these fantastic feelings, there is another huge reason that I love winter. This is because of the New Year and Christmas. This is the right time for everyone to gather and one more time to remember that the time is passing, and we have another opportunity to leave the bad vibes and enjoy and start from the beginning. This year, the New Year and Christmas were more special for me. This special feeling had two reasons: first time far from family and enjoying the time in a nice environment. 

This winter, the New Year brought a lot of amazing feelings for me. And the light of winter is going to make me want to keep, protect and build more and more. (Alisa, Armenia) 

The light of winter is the poetry of patience.  

Every time when the season is changing, the feelings are also changing. Sometimes they all look like the same changes, but the feeling that we have in the winter is a bit different: one of the lightest weathers that make everyone happy and fresh. This season has a Christmas and New Year, and this is the secret of its light. You will ask why? Because this lets everyone find what they want, to struggle for what they were waiting, to get new powers, and finally to search the feelings that they still need.  

It is a season that brings a lot of love and happiness, and that makes everyone feel that they need to hurry in order to enjoy the life. (Rachad, Lebanon) 

Another country and another tradition. I did not know how these holidays will go on for me. Uncertainty has passed when I understood that holiday spirit is following us no matter if we are home or not. While putting a star at the top of our Christmas tree I felt a small dose of family. Even though nothing and no one can replace them, it still had been close enough. I spent my time with my new friends, and in one warm and nice atmosphere. I guess that’s how every Christmas, even the one your country is not celebrating, should look like. I’m thankful for this experience and will miss it back home. (Milica, Serbia) 

During the pandemic and all restrictions related to it, it’s hard to enjoy winter holidays as they are. Normally, this time feels so magical, like something changes in the air. Usually, it really does. The smell of cinnamon and apples from hot wine and the sweet scent of hot chocolate are wandering around and at the same time bringing joy, excitement and warmth in people’s hearts. After all, Christmas is not just about food and free days. It’s about love, forgiveness and sense of the community. 

Well, this time it’s different. We didn’t have a chance to enjoy the celebration at the Christmas market, as well as we didn’t have a chance to share the joy of holidays with others. We didn’t get a chance for a lot of things.  

However, some magic did happen. Our youth centre had a collaboration with Lemon Shake, a small business of a guy with a hot chocolate stand. Every Saturday, we were coming in front of our Aradului youth centre and giving a cup of hot chocolate or hot lemonade (oh, that thing is really tasty) to everyone, who was passing by.  People of all ages, from small kids to old grandmas, had a wide smile after I was coming to them with a cup of hot chocolate and loud „Sărbatori fericite!” That feeling of making somebody’s day better was so pleasant, that I couldn’t stop being happy for the rest of the day. Although these winter holidays were not typical at all, I feel glad and grateful that we managed to bring some magic to the local community. (Katsia, Belarus) 

2020 stories, 2020 life, 2020 hope… 

Here I am. With my story, with my hope, and with my energy.  

It was a sunny and long way; it was a beautiful and meaningful day: I took my bag and my long way to the destination that I choose. A place where I had honest people with good vibes and positive minds, a place where the silence was giving me the desire to fly and to feel that I am wild and free. 

If Esenin would be with me, he would say – Все начинается со взгляда. Всегда and yes, dear Esenin, I agree with this philosophy.․․ Passing by beautiful places and historical castles, villages and cities I got my new motivation, my new energy and having all my favourite artists with me and my bag, I arrived. After 9 hours of driving, we arrived: I started my new year with my people, with new information about Romania and Romanians, about this historical country. 

In my beautiful Armenia, we are saying that with every new year, there is a new luck, there is a new chance. So cheers, my dears, cheers to your new dreams, new hopes and new stories and don’t forget to find what you love and to let it kill you. 

Իսկ որպես վերջաբան մի կարևոր մեջբերում այն հիշողությունից ,որը թղթին եմ հանձնել օդանավում 2019 թվականին Տիմիշուարայից  Հայաստան ետ վերադարձի ժամանակ։ 

ես ինձ կորցնում եմ ու գտնում եմ այստեղ, 

ամեն կորցնելուց այնպես եմ ցավում կարծես երբեք չեմ գտնելու ,  

ամեն գտնելիս այնպես ապրում կարծես երբեք չեմ կորցրել ։   

Arus Jan (Armenia) 
 

Hello, I am Burak and the purpose of my writing is to share my reason for applying to the ESC project and my journey with FITT with people who want to be participants in international projects. I hope you can find a way out of your difficulties after this article and you will never lose your hope.

Everyone has or will have some goals to achieve in life. We make many plans for these. We choose our circle of friends in line with our goals. Sometimes we dedicate ourselves to being a part of the society we are in and try to achieve our goals in this way. Other times we try to achieve this by trying to be different from our environment. Whichever path you choose, you can be successful, but we don’t proceed according to our own personality. If we choose to pretend to be someone different from who we are, then we lose. I lost a lot. Even when I thought I was winning, I was not aware of actually losing. Because I didn’t act like myself.

Searching for My Path

Like everyone else, I wanted to get a job after graduating from university. I applied to many places, but in the meantime, I had a lot of difficulties that made me listen to myself. While I was struggling with the problems I couldn’t get through for about 2-3 months, I was able to listen to what I actually wanted. I immediately realized how much I wanted to carry out projects in the international arena rather than a business life, and I was holding this in the deepest of my desires.

I think now that we should do the things we have desired to do, even though we have other goals, while we still can. Before it is too late. Therefore, I stopped looking for a job and, during this pandemic, I courageously started looking for international projects. I came across a 1-year project that the European Solidarity Program is funding in Romania. I already had a volunteering experience in Romania, but I preferred a different organization this time.

After examining the project in detail, I thought it would be a suitable project for me and I have done my application and filled out the form. Then, without wasting any time, the association named FITT sent me an email stating that they had received my application and wanted to interview me. I have never expected such a fast reply. I was actually surprised.  After we decided on the interview day, I made my preparation. Honestly, I thought I wouldn’t be accepted because I was so stressed at the interview. Generally, when someone says “interview”, I become nervous.

About 2 weeks later, I received an email saying that I was accepted in the project and all processes (visa application, information, etc.) were carried out with great care and speed. I have always seen myself as loyal to my job and following the deadline. It really surprised me that others showed the same care and attention to me. During my visa application, the embassy asked for different documents besides the required documents. They were not with me as I did not know about them, but FITT, with great professionalism and swiftness in providing the missing documents, prepared it and sent it to me. I felt like we were playing music with FITT’s staff in a big opera. Because no matter what job you do in your life, you cannot expect everyone to give the value you give to your business. However, FITT embraced my job as its own job and answered every question I had in mind.

Starting a Long-Term Experience in Romania

About 10-15 days later I received my visa and plane ticket. I was so excited. It was the first time I was going to have a 1-year project and I was going to live in a different country for a year. Moreover, in these pandemic conditions, while everyone’s life had changed radically, I decided to go on such a project. There was fear inside, but I had already made my decision.

I had a tiring journey and you cannot feel comfortable wearing masks for hours. It was almost night when I got off the plane, but I knew there would be someone to greet me. So it happened. We passed from the airport to the hotel. I stayed at the hotel for a while. Everything was pre-arranged for me. I didn’t need to ask anything, they did everything too much. They provided a schedule every week. Within the scope of these programs, they provided all kinds of information about the project and basic needs. We have completed the legal processes and implemented a work program that suits me together.

In addition to what I can contribute to the project, I have never worked with an association that is so interested in my own personal development.

I’m excited for the following months and I’m looking forward to beautiful and unique experiences with FITT. 🙂 🙂 🙂