ESC Stories

Hello! My name is Lola, and I’m from France. I had the pleasure of participating in a volunteering project in Romania through the European Solidarity Corps program.

I first heard about the European Solidarity Corps during an internship I did for my studies, where I worked in the same office as a European information center. I was immediately interested. At that time, I still had one year left to complete my Master’s degree, so I decided to keep the information and use it when I was free to pursue new opportunities.

For my Master’s degree, I had the chance to do an internship abroad, which only strengthened my desire to keep traveling and find a new project in another country. After going to the other side of the world, I wanted to stay closer to home, so Europe was the best choice (also for administrative reasons). I easily created my European Solidarity Corps account and started looking for opportunities. I didn’t have a specific country or mission in mind, so I applied to various projects.

I was fortunate to receive a response from the A4ACTION project for a 6-month volunteering program (September 2023-March 2024), where I would be working in a youth center, organizing and implementing activities for about twenty children aged 7 to 10. I entered this project not knowing exactly what to expect since I had never experienced volunteering in another country before, especially working with children. I was both excited and scared. Another concern was the idea of spending my time with five other volunteers, not only working with them but also living with them. I don’t consider myself a very sociable person, so this worried me a lot. Additionally, I didn’t have many expectations about Romania, as my knowledge of the country was quite limited. The only thing I knew was that I wanted to see Dracula’s castle! With that in mind, I packed my bags, said goodbye to my family and friends, and took a plane to Bucharest on September 17 to start this new adventure.

At the beginning of the project, there were only three volunteers. I met Mimi (from Bulgaria/Spain) at the airport because we landed at almost the same time, making her the first person from the project I met. We then went to our new home, where we met Irina, who was in charge of the project, and Olga, another volunteer (from Greece). This marked the official start of the volunteering program!

Since it was a new project (there had only been a summer school before, but no afterschool program), we had to implement everything from scratch. For the first two weeks, we focused on the administrative tasks, like organizing a schedule and planning activities for the children. Finally, the children arrived! Considering we were only three volunteers instead of six, and none of us had much experience in this field, the beginning was truly a challenge. We felt a bit overwhelmed, but by working together, identifying our strengths, and refining our schedule at the youth center, we overcame the difficulties and managed to create something great!

We also received help from Irina and, later on, from a former local volunteer who became a full-time employee, Lili, which was a huge relief. We developed a schedule that worked well for both us and the children: we started with a conversation or activity in the morning, followed by lunch, quiet time (30 minutes of complete silence in the dark, which was as beneficial – if not more so – for the volunteers as it was for the kids), homework, arts & crafts, a game in the hall, and we ended the day with the “rocket,” a way to review the children’s behavior throughout the day. Once we had this organization in place, everything became much easier. I often felt more like a helper than a leader, as I prefer to work in the background, but I was fortunate to work with people who excelled as leaders, so we complemented each other perfectly. Additionally, doing creative activities with the children helped me become more creative myself!

The best part of this project for me was working with the other volunteers. We were very lucky because we got along perfectly, both at home and at work. What had been my main concern before coming turned out to be my favorite aspect of the experience. After spending half of the mission just the three of us, we welcomed three new volunteers in February. The new members brought a fresh dynamic to the group, and we all got along very well. I felt so comfortable in Romania that I decided to extend my stay by one month beyond the original plan, and I don’t regret my decision (though perhaps I wish I could have stayed even longer!).

In addition to our duties at the youth center, our responsibilities as international volunteers included participating in two events: the On Arrival Training (OAT) and the Mid Term Evaluation. The OAT was a week-long online meeting where we had the opportunity to meet volunteers from other projects in Romania. The Mid Term Evaluation was an in-person training that allowed us to connect with volunteers from all over Europe. These trainings were invaluable, as they made it easier to meet people and helped us build a network of volunteers throughout Romania.

When we talked with volunteers from other projects who also worked with children, we realized that they didn’t spend much time with the kids or didn’t stay with the same group consistently. I think having the same group of children every day was a significant advantage for us. We got to know them, learned about their interests, and watched them grow and evolve over time. Some children who were difficult at the beginning became calmer and more involved. It was truly an honor to witness this and to realize that perhaps we had made a positive impact on them. Although I initially struggled, this experience completely changed my approach to working with children, and I grew to love them. They were adorable!

As for the country itself, I loved Romania! For me, this was a crucial part of the project. When we leave our home country, we know what we are leaving behind, but we don’t know what we will find. What I found in Romania was a beautiful country, rich in tradition, with an amazing history, breathtaking landscapes, vibrant cities, and delicious food! I even had to learn how to make sarmale so I could enjoy it again at home. As I mentioned before, my only goal before coming here was to visit Dracula’s castle, which I managed to do (on Halloween night, no less). But the truth is, Romania is so much more than just Dracula’s castle. I visited other castles that were even more beautiful and iconic than Bran Castle and discovered things that will stay with me forever, along with my best memories.

One important value that volunteering with the ESC offers is the opportunity to develop tolerance. First, we arrive in a country with a different culture and need to adapt to it. There is no room for prejudice. At the center, we work with children from disadvantaged families, which means we must consider their backgrounds when interacting with them. Additionally, we live with volunteers from other countries, so we directly experience different cultures and ways of life, whether they are major or minor differences. For example, even something as basic as meal times can vary: as a French person, I usually eat relatively early (around 7:30 pm), whereas my Spanish counterparts would eat after 10 pm. At least this made it easier to share the kitchen! We also have to remember that, in some way, we represent our own country. So if we leave a bad impression, it might unfairly reflect on our country as well.

I am very proud to have participated in this project because it made me more confident in my ability to adapt to different tasks, live and share space with others, and create real connections and friendships with amazing people I would never have met otherwise.

I still don’t know what I will do in the future, but one thing is certain: I want to keep exploring the world. It is full of wonderful things waiting to be discovered, and I will be there to experience them. However, I also know that this experience gave me the chance to live something so intense and meaningful that I would recommend it to everyone. You gain cultural knowledge, develop professional competencies (such as organizing activities, taking care of children, and language skills), and grow personally (though not in height, I’m afraid it’s too late for that!). I am so grateful for this opportunity, and I hope to have more experiences like this one in the future. And who knows, maybe the little Romanian I learned will come in handy someday!

I think that’s all I have to say, so I’ll simply conclude by emphasizing that I will miss everyone I met here: the people I worked with, the people I lived with, and of course, the children. And I will miss Romania! So this is not a final goodbye, but rather a “see you later.”