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Share on FaceBookThe Global Volunteer Network currently has volunteer opportunities available through our partner organization in Romania. Volunteers have the opportunity to join a Christian Mission which cares for disabled orphans. There are four group homes, and volunteers will work with orphans aged from teenage to young adults. They have suffered so much at a young age, but with your help they will see a brighter future.
Program Location
The group homes are located in Galati district which is about 150 miles from Bucharest (a 3 1/2 hour drive by car). You will be advised on how to get there from the airport.
Each home is run like a family unit, where volunteers will act as a mother, father, brother, or sister. There are opportunities to teach, counsel and help with feeding, cooking and cleaning, depending on your skills and experiences. There is a huge focus on the disabled young adults having FUN, being happy and enjoying the rest of their lives. This is in real contrast to the devastating conditions they have experienced as children in the state run institutions.
The minimum age for this program is 21. If this excludes you then you may be interested in our other orphanage programs in Nepal, Kenya, or Vietnam, or in one of the other programs listed above.
About Romania
Full Name: Romania Area: 237,500 sq km (91,700 sq mi)
Population: 22.3 million
Capital city: Bucharest (pop 2 million)
People: Romanians (90%), Hungarians (7%), Roma (Gypsies) (2%), Germans, Ukrainians
Language: Romanian, Hungarian (in Transylvania)
Religion: Romanian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Government: Republic
Major industries: Agriculture, manufacturing
Major trading partners: EU (esp. Germany, Italy, France), USA, Turkey
© Copyright 2008 Lonely Planet Publications. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Romania Fact Sheet
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The country was part of the Roman Empire during ancient times, and its name means land of the Romans.1
Romania is a home to a variety of ethnic groups: Romanians 89.5%, Hungarian 6.6%, Roma 2.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, Turkish 0.2%, other 0.4% (2002)2
The communist development programme implemented between the 1950’s and the 1970’s emphasised urbanisation and industrial modernisation.3
The economic crisis that began in 1970 and worsened in the 1980’s led to a sharp decline in the standard of living and impoverished social groups began to appear.4
In 1994, poverty affected between 22% and 39.3%, rising to 44% by 2000. Extreme poverty also doubled over this period.5
During his 24 years in power, Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu sought to spread communism by increasing the communist population of Romania to 30 million by the year 2000.6
In an attempt to achieve his vision, Ceausescu banned abortion and the use of contraceptives and instituted a law which decreed that each family must have at least five children.7
Families who could not support there children gave them up to state care, which led to some 100,000 to 300,000 children living in state run orphanages, in horrific conditions.8
In March, 2003, the U.S. State Department reported a "pattern of trafficking" involving orphans in Moldova.9
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe estimates that 200,000 individuals are trafficked annually from Eastern Europe, a significant proportion being children.10
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Program Requirements
As a volunteer on the project you must:
- Be between 21 and 60
- Be from NZ, Australia, North or South America, UK, Europe, Japan, China, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, or South Africa
- Have no major health problems
- Be willing to work in a Christian mission
- This program can only accept female volunteers
- Because of the nature of the work, all volunteers are required to obtain a doctor's certificate and a police report.
The Application Process
Your application process is free and seamless, and if you are successful we will provide you with a choice of application fee payment options that include a secure online service. We also are one of the few organisations that allow you to transfer your application fee to another program at no extra cost.
Communication & Support:
Throughout the process, we are committed to working with you to answer any of your questions or concerns. During your placement we are also available as a form of support to you as a volunteer and will email you while in country to discuss how the program is going.
Program Schedule
You can start the program on any date during the year.
There is a minimum volunteer time of 6 weeks and a maximum of 3 months.
Apply Now
Program Cost
A US$350 application fee (fully transferable) will secure your place on the program, with your program fee due for payment eight weeks before you begin your placement. You only pay your application fee once and then you can access any of GVN's volunteer programs over the next 5 years.
Your application fee includes the following benefits:
- Personal Staff Support
- Your Program Guide
- Your Fundraising Guide and Software
- Access to Your Own Online Journal
- Online Video - Preparing For Your Trip
- Opportunities for Discounts on Airfares
Once your application fee is paid the remainder of the cost for your time in the program is:
- Cost for 6 weeks - US $1037
- Cost for 7 weeks - US $1187
- Cost for 8 weeks - US $1337
- Cost for 9 weeks - US $1487
- Cost for 10 weeks - US $1637
- Cost for 12 weeks - US $1937
The in-country fee covers administrative charge, training, accommodation and meals during training and placement, and supervision.
You will also need to meet the costs of your flights, visa, shots, travel insurance, police check, corresponding airport departure tax, transportation to and from the airport, and personal expenses.
Apply NowWe have compiled a list of frequently asked questions which we receive at the GVN inbox. This is a great place to start if you have questions about Global Volunteer Network and our placement process. This information should answer the majority of questions you may have.
Can you tell me more about your partner in Romania?
What kind of volunteer work is available?
What age do I have to be to volunteer?
When will I know specific details on the placement?
Do I need to speak Romanian to become a volunteer?
When do I need to arrive in Romania?
What are the living arrangements when volunteering?
How many volunteers are there in the group homes at the same time?
Are we able to do any sightseeing while volunteering?
What hours am I expected to take part in the program?
What resources are available for the program?
What clothing is appropriate for the program?
Are there more expenses once I arrive?
Who organizes my visa for my volunteer placement?
Is there any time of the year when I can’t volunteer?
What is the climate like in Romania?
What immunizations/vaccines will I need?
Can I bring my family, including children, to this program with me?
How safe is it to volunteer in Romania?
How does GVN choose volunteers for this program?
Do I have to be from New Zealand to volunteer through Global Volunteer Network?
Can vegetarians be catered for in this program?
Question not covered here?
Please check the generic FAQ, and if still unanswered, please ask us a question here. (We aim to answer all email within 48 hours).
Don't just take our word for it, hear what previous volunteers have to say out the program.
Volunteer Diaries
We would like to thank these volunteers for taking the time to write about some of their experiences in Romania.Claire Bignal
Clair O'Hara
James White
Joanna Cavill
Vicky Mills
Volunteer Feedback
When I left for Romania, my heart was full of anticipation. I didn’t know what to expect and probably wouldn’t have been prepared if someone had told me. There are certain experiences in life that speak to your soul in a way no other experience could. For me, being with the children in Romania was one of them.
I had signed up for a six week stay. It was a very different and challenging experience for me because I had never worked with children that were that severely disabled before, and yet, the Lord spoke to my heart in such a clear way through these children.
Each child had his/her own personality. Some were fussier than others, some were domicile and cooperative, some were as sweet as the sun on a Sunday afternoon. The children were no different than any other children I had come in contact with except for the ways in which they responded to me, the other volunteers, and workers. These children, except for Danny, could not formulate words to say “I love you,” “look at me,” “watch what I am doing,” “I am sad today,” etc; however, their eyes, smiles, tears, and laughter told you all you needed to know.
During my time there, I formed a special connection to one of the boys, Alex. I think it was his love of life that drew me to him. He liked being apart of the group. He always wanted to be around the noise and activity of the other children. He would get this huge smile on his face when an upbeat song came on the radio. We would dance with him in his wheelchair and his smile would stretch across his face as if it would never end…and then, when the song and dancing ended he would make a moan because he just wanted to keep dancing.
Alex and the other children became a part of who I was. They taught me about the true joys in life and how simple pleasures are really the only true pleasures in life. In many ways, the experience re-frames the way you view life.
- Alyssa
As I was boarding a plane back home to Australia from the USA, (after having a few months of travel once I’d left Romania) I couldn’t help but feel that I should be getting on plane in the opposite direction, back to my home in Nicoresti, Romania.
After spending 2 months there, I can honestly say it feels like that’s where home now really is for me.The amazing people living within the homes have the ability to steal your hearts, making you never want to leave!
The organisation consists of 4 homes spread across the tiny little remote Romanian village. With endless sunflower fields and stunning country side as your surroundings, this place is defiantly a sight for sore eyes! Each home is occupied by 10 or so residents who have various physical and mental disabilities and require constant care and assistance.
A typical day would include helping with cleaning, cooking and gardening; however the main task is to just be a friend and companion to all the residents. Even if it just means sitting and reading a book with them or something as simple as playing a card game, they will be so grateful. And… if you get out some coloured pencils and paper it’s like all their christmas’ have come at once!
Working 9am until 5pm five days a week in your assigned home is just not long enough to spend with the residents and I dreaded each day when the clock would strike 5pm, so it is lucky that each house is in walking distance from the volunteer apartment which means u can visit any the homes when ever u want to (and the food that the house mother’s prepare is delicious, so making a trip there for dinner is always a winner!)
By meeting these people I have been fortunate enough to see what true joy and happiness is all about, which I think is particularly hard to find in the more developed countries.
The residents make you feel so welcomed and valued making you enjoy every second of everyday.
I can’t wait to go back.
- Sarah
You’re working with adults with mental and physical disabilities. They have the mind of children but they are adults. It is a tiresome, hard, and emotionally draining job. BUT they are beautiful inside and out and your entire life will be changed after one day with them. Your perspective on life and humanity will be rocked, but it’s all worth it; it’s all for the good. Who you are as a person changes. If you go, it’s unavoidable the impact they have on you. I spent 2 weeks with them- that’s it. Yet I still see their faces through the day in my busy western life. I still hear their voices mid-conversation with friends at coffee. I can never shake the impact they had on me and I don’t want to.
- Lexie
Articles
Getting Attached to Romania
This article was first published in magazine. When Kirk Olsen stepped off of the bus in the small town of Galati in Romania, it was like stepping back in time. There were horse-drawn carts moseying down the road....
