Tünde in Romania
12 months long-term volunteering with kids
Hello, my name is Tünde and I am 24 years old. I just finished university, when I decided to take part in a volunteer project somewhere. So I started to look for opportunities. Last September I found a project working with kids in România Cluj-Napoca. I really wanted to work with children, that is why I sent my application to them. So my adventure started in November 2022 and I came back home in November 2023.
My hosting organization was the Asociatia Pahumi which organizes after school programs for children. Most of the time we were 10 volunteers from different countries like Spain, Romania, Germany, France. Our task was organizing activities for the children. We did English, craft, IT, sport and chess. During the summer we did summer camps where we created different fun activities for the kids. We often went to the forest nearby and played a lot of funny games or just stayed in Pahumi and did activities there.
After work and during our free time we organized some programs together like going to parties or escape rooms together or we just made board game nights at the apartment. I think I am lucky because I met a lot of different people from different countries and I could work with them, which was useful because I learned a lot about how I can work well with different people. Not to mention that, I could make some good friends especially with my flatmates. We became really good friends. And I hope I can meet with them as soon as possible.
If somebody asks me, if I would choose Cluj-Napoca and this project again, I would say yes because I learned a lot about myself and others. Not to mention that I improved a lot in English, communication and how to work in teams. After this year I became more independent and confident, because sometimes I had to deal with everyday life problems and I could do it alone.
For those who are thinking about doing a volunteer project somewhere I would say do it because they can learn a lot from it and they can travel and meet a lot of new people. All in all, it is a lifelong experience!
Hosting organisation:
Founded 3 years ago, the Pahumi Association was created with the aim of supporting the integration of children from vulnerable families into communities with children from more advantaged backgrounds, and the main objective is inclusion, uniformity of children's communities and overcoming social barriers. All activities take place in a sustainable environment, close to nature. The Pahumi Scholarship is the program that offers children from vulnerable, single-parent backgrounds or with difficult material situations, access to our Afterschool programs and Day Camps during the holidays. The program is designed to be inclusive. Most of the children come from the countryside, from the Feleacu commune area. For many years, generations after generations, the 8th grade children of the school in Feleacu either drop out of school or do not take their aptitude exam. The school is located a few km away from Cluj-Napoca but light years away in terms of the level of education. By investing in the education of rural children, we develop a stronger community based on solid values and capable of self-sustaining.
Education for Tomorrow volunteering project
Date: November 2022 -November 2023
Volunteer: Tünde Berkó
