Solidarity in Romania

Buna,

My name is Tobias and I did my European Solidarity Corps project for six months in Bucharest Romania. It was clear to me from the beginning that I wanted to go abroad after my graduation to gain new experiences and memories. Through a tip from an old schoolmate, I came to the ESC portal, registered, uploaded all the documents, applied and got a positive reply. Together with five other volunteers, I worked for an organisation that promotes more tolerance in life. 

My working day started at 10:30 and usually ended at 16:00. We all went to work together, armed with laptops we researched many topics which we regularly published in an article on our social media channels.

We worked closely with the local youth centre and schools where we were raising awareness and organising events. I learned a lot of new things about social media, facilitation and communication. Above all, my English skills became stronger. I was constantly learning new words. 

After our working days, we dedicated ourselves. We went out regularly and explored the city together. Among other things, we organised cooking and film evenings together. We travelled around Romania a lot, made new friends and had a lot of fun. My highlight was when a Romanian friend invited us over and her mum taught us how to cook sarmale - a traditional Romanian dish. They were so delicious that our bellies almost exploded.

I got to know Romanian culture at its best and quickly fell in love with it. A country with so many positive surprises. 

As there were six of us living in a flat, communication was a challenge for me at the beginning. I also had to adapt to new things, such as the environment and surroundings. With mutual help from each other, everything fell into place quickly. 

I recommend going abroad for a few months with the ESC to all my friends. It's an experience I wouldn't want to miss. I can only encourage everyone to go beyond their comfort zone and just sign up and scroll through the ads. The world belongs to the brave! I wish every new volunteer the best!

Updated on Föstudagur, 15/03/2024