Riyam in Sighișoara

My name is Riyam, and I am from Syria. I began my European Solidarity Corps volunteering experience in Sighișoara, Romania, from 01/06/2025 till 01/12/2025. I joined immediately after graduating with a master’s degree in social work in Hungary. 

At that point, I wasn’t just looking for a new place to go, I was looking for a space where learning could continue, but in a more lived way.

After years of studying theories, systems, and frameworks, I felt a strong need to translate knowledge into practice. Volunteering felt like the most honest path toward that goal. It was not only about gaining experience for the labor market, but about understanding what social work really means when it meets real people, real emotions, and real imperfections.

What drew me deeply to this project was its focus on children and teenagers. I believe that young people are like fertile soil; what we plant in their hearts today will shape the future communities they will build tomorrow. At the same time, they give back just as much as they receive through their sincerity, creativity, and ability to hope without fear. Working with them reminded me why I chose this field in the first place.

I chose Romania for its rich history and its simple, warm, and welcoming culture.

I volunteered for five months, sharing this journey with around twenty volunteers from different countries. Before arriving, I felt a mix of excitement and fear. I didn’t know how I would adapt, how I would fit in, or what this experience would ask from me.

Living and working with twenty different personalities was intense and beautiful at the same time. It is strange and powerful how people can move from being completely strangers, connected only by a volunteering project, to becoming part of your personal story. Some volunteers were seven to ten years younger than me, yet I learned from them in ways I never expected.

Age stopped mattering; openness did.

My role in the project included planning, coordinating, and implementing educational activities for children and teenagers aged 7 to 18. We organized interactive sessions about community values, self-respect, and respect for others, using non-formal methods that encouraged critical thinking, creativity, and dialogue. These moments watching young people express themselves freely were deeply meaningful to me.

One of my final contributions was designing and leading an English learning club for elderly beginners. This experience reminded me that learning has no age and that courage sometimes simply means starting. Seeing adults challenge themselves in a supportive environment was truly inspiring.

We lived together as volunteers, sharing one house, and I shared my room with another volunteer. Community living came with challenges: different cultures, habits, communication styles, and emotional needs. There were moments of misunderstanding, exhaustion, and loneliness. But this project offered us something rare a non-judgmental space where mistakes were allowed, emotions were valid, and growth was possible.

During this time, a sentence became my personal — and shared — motto:
 

“It is okay, we are not machines.” 


We repeated it to ourselves and to each other. It became a reminder that slowing down, feeling overwhelmed, making mistakes, and needing support are all part of being human.

This environment was strongly supported by the two main organizers of the project, who consistently offered guidance, understanding, and emotional support. Knowing that someone was truly listening made a profound difference and created a sense of safety that allowed real learning to happen.

Outside of work, daily life was rich and grounding. 

I invested time in learning new skills, improving languages, playing the guitar, running regularly, spending time in the city center, cooking together with the other volunteers, watching movies, sharing conversations late into the night, and learning words from the many languages spoken around me. These simple moments built strong bonds and created a sense of belonging.

Most importantly, I learned a lot about myself.

I learned to listen to my inner voice more clearly, to express my differences freely and respectfully, and to accept differences in others without judgment. I became more comfortable with who I am.

Looking back, these five months were not just a volunteering experience they were a process of becoming more human, more aware, and more grounded. I am deeply grateful to the organization, the coordinators, and every person who shared this journey with me.