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Joanna Cavill writes......about her experience while volunteering in Romania.I am writing this almost one month into my four month placement with Tanner Romania Mission. I am just about getting over the initial culture shock of being in Romania and settling down to everyday life. The village of Nicoresti, where the mission is located is very poor. It is impossible for me to imagine, coming from a comparitively affluent society, how hard life must be for the families who live here. On arrival I was immeditately struck by the lack of cars, street lights or pavements. Many people are solely dependent on the land for their income, and it is common for cow, chickens and goats to be wandering over the road. Although mains water and electricity have now arrived here, a lot of people can still be seen visiting the wells, and the village descends into an eerie darkness once the sun goes down. Despite all this the local people are curious of the volunteers and it is rare to walk past someone here without them greeting you in a friendly manner. The mission is the most wonderful place, and I feel truely priviledged to be part of something so amazing. The children are gorgeous, friendly, and although most speak some English, they are keen to encourage the volunteers to speak Romanian; my pronounciation is continously corrected! I am largely based in Casa Elisabeta, which mostly houses girls, although volunteers are encouraged to get to know the children in all the houses through a number of activities. The children and well cared for by the Romanian house staff. However, due to the amount of domestic work that they need to carry out, it is the volunteers who spend a lot of the day with children acting almost in the role of older brother or sister. I will try to describe my typical day here, although most days something new and different crops up. In the mornings, I work with a small group of both girls and boys in the newly built workshops where the children produce small items for sale. Lunch is the main meal of the day, and is the one time everyday that everyone in the house comes together. The food is always good and filling, although eating hot soup in boiling hot temperatures is something that I will never get used to! In the afternoons the volunteers organise what they want to do with the children. This can involve taking them on walks around the village to visit the other houses, singing and dancing, arts and crafts and just hanging out with them. Ths children are very happy to have the volunteers around, and proudly show new arrivals the house, and their posessions. There are also various other things that I have been involved in since my arrival. I have helped to cement a small extension that is currently being built. I have attended a weekend birthday party, which involved eating birthday cake and helping the children with playing ten pin bowling with a football and filled water bottles. I really didn't know what to expect when I was accepted to come to work in Romania. I thought that a Mission for children with disabilities would be a sad place to be. However, this has not been the case, as the happy and welcoming outlook of the children soon makes you forget about their disabilities and thethings that they are not able to do for themselves. Sandie and Bruce Tanner have ensured that the Mission is full of love and laughter at all times, and despite the harshness of life in the village, I do not regret coming here, and I know that I will be back again to visit the children that have become both my friends and family. Joanna Cavill UK |
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Honduras
Living with a Honduran family, and volunteering at projects in rural locations, volunteers will assist a community in need. > Read More
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