- 4 November 2019
- Posted by: Team for Youth Association
- Category: Volunteering Stories
I would like to start my story from few words about myself. I was born in Minsk, Republic of Belarus. In 2017 I graduated from the university of economic specialization. Then for two years I had been working in economics in several organizations till at some point I didn’t understand that work hadn’t brought me any pleasure. Especially after working during the summer as a counselor in children camps. So, finally I decided to quit my job and at the same time I got the e-mail from Minsk Office of Initiatives Promotion with suggestion to take part in this volunteering project. So, I decided: “Why not?”
It is almost one month since I have come to Romania to participate in the project. Obviously the first days here were the most stressful for me: unknown places, unknown people and nobody who speak my native language. But this condition didn’t last long. On the first day other volunteers arranged the meeting dinner for me. It was very nice from their side. It was weekend and I didn’t know exactly what lies ahead for me.
Fortunately it turned out that almost all my duties are to arrange various activities for people (primarily children) with mental problems or physical disabilities. We play games together, make crafts and try to communicate with each other, even though children almost don’t speak English and we, volunteers – Romanian. But nevertheless children always feel if you are sincerely interested in them. They show you their good attitude and you always feel returned love from them, even if you don’t speak the same languages.
In my free time I try to travel and know more places in Romania. A magnificent country with numerous mountains, hills and forests, not to mention delicious cuisine. So, it doubtlessly deserves to be visited. Exactly here for the first time I have tried to use such way of travelling as Couchsurfing. And this experience was unforgettable.
Then one of the brightest moments – hiking in the mountains. Neither me nor my camera have enough possibility to describe that beauty! It was incredible! So, now it is just month left and I believe, there will be more travelling and openings for me.
But the main question – what is volunteering for me? What can it give me?
I will try to explain my own vision: So, volunteering… The main thing is that this domain is unpaid with money. But it is paid with other ways that are much more valuable. Volunteering for me is a good possibility to see who you are, to change your perspective, to see what you are capable of, what you are truly meant to do in your life.
During the project you also meet people from all over the world with their own background and culture. And it is a good opportunity to know more about the world you live in. It also helps you to understand how important it is to be cohesive, to cope with everything together with associates; that all people, regardless of their nationalities and cultures, are so similar!
This is a great opportunity to realize all your ideas. Doing volunteering you learn and grow as a person. You always experience something you haven’t experienced before. And what is important, you mustn’t be an expert in everything. I firmly believe every person might have skills that can be valuable. But as I think, the main reason to become a volunteer – of course- is possession of a desire to help people.
Helping others brings you high motivation and satisfaction. It reduces stress, you just forget about your own problems. It also shows, how glorious our life is!