Karina Lacave: A Great Adventure with European Voluntary Service

Are you young? Do you want to discover new horizons, to open your soul and meet new people, helping the disadvantaged? Or to learn about yourself and the world around you?

If yes, you must take this opportunity and start Volunteering!

Before starting my EVS, I already participated in several intercultural exchanges. Then I decided to go abroad for a longer period of time, in order to improve my English and to gain experience, so I decided to join this project in Baia Mare, in Romania.

I left my home to come to Romania for the mission suggested by Team for Youth Association, which consisted, among other things, to give pleasure and joy to children who do not necessarily have it or simply are in need. Actually, I was working in a hospital, in an orphanage and in a center for Romanii children. I prepared for them all kind of activities, complex games, easy games, arts and crafts, dances… a little bit of observation, creativity and adaptation it’s enough to understand the expectations and needs of these children.

It’s true that, as far as I’m concerned, I left at the last minute for this EVS. I would have liked to know more about the beneficiaries of the project to be able to prepare and create more specific activities for them. But still, the children had a great time with me and we laughed a lot together.

During EVS, we obviously share with the beneficiaries of our project, but we also share enormously with the other volunteers.

We were working in an intercultural team and this is very helpful for the future. With or without the language barrier, working in a team always causes same kind of problems: misunderstandings, differences of opinions or in the ways of acting etc… but knowing how to address these problems is the actual solution. Make concessions, understand, accept… just learn to deal with differences and the unknown.

Then, after the work is finished, there is also the social life you need to find time for. I strongly believe that I was falling for the best roommates from Romania :). We shared recipes from our countries, we exchanged thoughts regarding the differences of culture, religion, politics, opinions, experiences and much more. Relationships are building, some stronger than others, confidence is growing and there you have it: humanity in its own glory!!!

Here, I actually understood that money, professional success, don’t make you “someone” in this world. These kind of discoveries make a person evolve and so, the mentality of humanity changes.

Going to volunteer is also about going on your own. This time allows you to step back, ask yourself the right questions and answer them more carefully. It is also about becoming mature and learning to take responsibilities, making your own choices. It’s about taking your life in your own hands and creating your own story.

I wish from the bottom of my heart that one day each of you can have the opportunity to live this experience… My project ended few months ago, but do you know what I am thinking about, at this particular moment?

Going back!!!

If we want the world to change, it’s important to know and understand the world in which we are living, and the best way to do this is to open our eyes, our arms, our mind and live!