Volunteering Stories: Perspective – by Lara

I believe that you stop growing when you stop asking questions. However, during my journey, I realized that a question can have a lot of answers or any answer at all. So, I decided to search for some in Romania.

Being 21 years old and a recent graduated the first question I asked myself was “What does the world expect from me?”

Here is the answer that I found: 25% of the people want me to apply for a master’s degree course, my bank account is asking for a job and my parents just want me to get off the sofa.

Besides that, I also observed that every person you will ask for advice will give you a totally different opinion on the matter. Everyone has different ways to see the world. They all have their own perspective. To me, a perspective it’s no more than “a particular way of viewing things that depends on one’s experience and personality.” And I guess I took it seriously and I started to want my own perspective of the world. The news on the media and the other stories were no longer enough. I wanted to feel and see with my own eyes. That was the answer that I was searching for.

It was a hard decision for someone who is so close to her family. But I had to see the things on a bigger picture: The best way to make them happy is to be happy. Clichê but true. And so, here I am. Letting my fears behind and starting to defend the things that I stand for.

The world describes Romania in 3 words: Drácula, thefts and Roma community. So, let’s be clear… 2 months passed, and I didn’t see Drácula, I was not robbed and all I saw was people. Just people.

Romania is about people who are hurt by their recent history. People that are somehow disappointed about how the government is managing the country. People who keep their traditions alive. People with dreams and hopes like everyone else. But it’s also about people who are forgotten.

Romania gave me a home and from that home, in one window, I can see the biggest road intersection in Baia Mare where I see people going to their job to sustain their families. From the other window on the other side of my home I can see men and women searching for food in the trash. Why does the perspective of people from the same country has to be so different?

I don’t know what’s my duty with these people or with this country. But one thing I know – I will not stop asking questions.

Lara Lima is from Portugal and she is volunteering in the ”CarnIVale” project (short CIV). Here in Baia Mare she will have activities in the upcoming months related to promoting non-formal education and discussing about themes such as: human rights, gender equality, inclusion of minorities, volunteering, intercultural learning and foreign languages. The project is supported by the European Union trough the Erasmus Plus program and implemented by Asociația Team for Youth Association in partnership with 5 other organisations from Italy, Poland, Spain, Portugal and France.