Summer volunteering programmes offer you the possibility to combine free time and travel, the discovery of new cultures with the opportunity of supporting local communities and humanitarian projects. Who can participate? Everyone, whether you are looking for alternatives to tourism, whether you are looking to interact with the locals whether you simply want to do something different or are curious about volunteering… Romania offers loads of opportunities for you to enjoy.
Depending on your country of origin and your financial possibilities, there are different programmes that will suit your needs: the choice is yours to make between summer work camps, short volunteering stints, organic farms, or NGO volunteering.
The internet provides several webpages where you can begin your research, whatever your origin.
www.integracionsocial.net/integracion-voluntariado-verano.html
www.projects-abroad.org/destinations/romania/
www.projects-abroad.org/destinations/romania/
The programs are quite varied from volunteering in orphanages, hospitals, vet clinics, to schools, and even some journalist and archaeology related volunteering. Most of these programs are counter cost with fees varying from one to two thousand euros per month. The fees normally contribute to cover accommodation, food, health insurance and visa procedures and in some cases transport.
Summer work camps
If you are looking to volunteer in a work camp, which is a great opportunity for young people to experience international volunteering, you can expect to spend about 2 or 3 weeks with ten to twenty five international volunteers. The aim of the experience? To help local communities by taking part in some organized activities. During work camps volunteers work from 4-6 hours and have the possibility to interact with local communities and volunteers from other countries. Normally, the accommodation and food are provided by the organization while volunteers pay for transport.
One well known Romanian NGO that organises work camps is Civil Service International (SCI Romania http://sci.ro/index.phtml). You can contact them through your local or national ICS office. If not, try Youth Action for Peace Romania, an organisation that has 14 working camps covering different topics in Transylvania, from building and painting houses to eco-activities (http://www.yap.ro/english/contact.htm).
Ecovolunteers
For those who love organic food and nature, why not volunteer at an organic farm, or an ecological project with the Center for Ecological Consultancy (www.cceg.ro), which runs several green projects in the Danube Delta and elsewhere in Romania. They are sometimes open to hosting volunteers. If not, try volunteering in exchange for your room and board at Cross Country Horse farm or in a truly local family farm through the BioFarm Program.
Long term volunteering
If what you are looking for is more than a holiday, and are looking for an experience that will last for 3 to 12 months, the best is to look for a Romanian NGO through the European Voluntary Service (Long or Short Term Evs ). Short Term EVS (ST-EVS) projects are non-formal intercultural learning experiences indicated for young people with little or no experience in travelling abroad. http://ec.europa.eu/youth/youth-in-action-programme/doc82_en.htm
There is also the possibility to contact the National Centre for Volunteering (Provobis) http://www.provobis.ro/contact/contact.php and ask for open possibilities of volunteering in Romania. They have created a Volunteering Centres network that involves the main Voluntary Centres from the different Romanian Regions and a rich database of volunteering opportunities.
My advice advice to young people wanting to volunteer in the summer? Be motivated and don’t have any expectations before you leave. Forget about what you have heard and what you think it will be like and take it as it comes. Don’t ever loose sight of your own personal mission.
