Reflecting on My Volunteering Journey: A Stoic Farewell to Romania

As I sit down to compose my final blog post, I am compelled to reflect on the stoic journey that has been my volunteering experience in Romania. Tomorrow marks the conclusion of a chapter defined by trials and triumphs, where moments of adversity have served as opportunities for growth and self-discovery.

My time in Romania has been a testament to the stoic principles of resilience, perseverance, and equanimity in the face of adversity. From the outset, I was met with the challenges inherent in navigating unfamiliar territory, from cultural nuances to language barriers. Yet, rather than succumb to despair, I embraced these challenges as opportunities for personal and intellectual growth.

Volunteering in the “Teaching and Care in After School Clubs 2.0” project presented its own set of challenges, testing my patience and fortitude on a daily basis. Balancing the diverse needs of the children, navigating interpersonal dynamics, and managing logistical hurdles required a stoic resolve and unwavering commitment to the task at hand. There were moments of doubt and frustration, where the weight of responsibility threatened to overwhelm me. Yet, through the practice of self-discipline and mindfulness, I found solace in the Stoic teachings that guided me through moments of turmoil.

In the midst of adversity, I discovered a profound sense of purpose and fulfillment in serving others. The resilience and joy exhibited by the children in the After-School Clubs served as a poignant reminder of the Stoic virtues of courage and resilience in the face of adversity. Their laughter, curiosity, and unwavering spirit inspired me to persevere in my efforts, despite the challenges that lay ahead.

Moreover, the camaraderie and support of fellow volunteers and project coordinators provided a source of strength and encouragement throughout the journey. Together, we weathered the storms of uncertainty and doubt, offering words of wisdom and encouragement to one another in times of need. Through the practice of mutual aid and solidarity, we transcended individual hardships to achieve collective success.

In addition to the profound reflections on my volunteering journey in Romania, I am excited to share news of my next adventure in service. As I prepare to bid farewell to Romania, I am honored to announce that I will be joining the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps upon the completion of my current mission.

Joining the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps represents the next chapter in my journey of service and self-discovery. Building upon the invaluable experiences and lessons learned during my time in Romania, I am eager to continue making a positive impact in the lives of others, both locally and globally.

Through my participation in the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps, I will have the opportunity to further cultivate the values of compassion, resilience, and solidarity that have guided me thus far. Whether responding to humanitarian crises, supporting community development projects, or providing assistance to vulnerable populations, I am committed to upholding the principles of humanitarianism and service to humanity.

As I embark on this new chapter, I am filled with a sense of purpose and gratitude for the opportunities that lie ahead. Though my time in Romania may be coming to an end, the memories, friendships, and lessons learned will forever shape my journey as a volunteer and a global citizen.

As I prepare to bid farewell to Romania and embark on this new adventure, I do so with a sense of optimism and anticipation for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. Though the path may be uncertain, I am confident that with the support of my fellow volunteers and the guiding principles of humanitarianism, I will continue to make a meaningful difference in the world.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported me along the way, from the children and fellow volunteers in Romania to the project coordinators and local community members who have welcomed me with open arms. Your encouragement, guidance, and camaraderie have been the driving force behind my journey, and I am profoundly grateful for each and every one of you.

As I bid farewell to Romania, I do so with a stoic resolve and a sense of gratitude for the journey that has led me here. Though the road may have been fraught with challenges, the memories, lessons, and friendships forged along the way will endure forever.

Until we meet again, Romania. And to the future that awaits, I eagerly say: ”Vale”.

~Argyrou Minas, MBiotech

Reflecting on Community Impact: A Journey of Transformation

As I find myself nearing the end of my volunteering journey in Romania, I am compelled to reflect on the profound impact our collective efforts have had on the local community. Looking back on the midway point of our journey, it’s remarkable to see how our presence has left a lasting impression on the lives of those we’ve had the privilege to serve.

At the heart of our mission lies the After-School Clubs, where children from diverse backgrounds come together to learn, play, and grow. Through educational activities, mentorship, and emotional support, we’ve created a nurturing environment where children feel valued and empowered to reach their full potential. Witnessing their growth and development over time has been nothing short of inspiring, reaffirming the transformative power of education and compassion.

Beyond the walls of the After-School Clubs, our impact has extended into the broader community, fostering connections and collaboration among local stakeholders. By forging partnerships with schools, community organizations, etc., we’ve been able to amplify our efforts and address broader societal challenges. Together, we’ve worked towards creating a more inclusive and resilient community where every individual has the opportunity to thrive.

While our journey has been marked by challenges and setbacks, it’s also been defined by moments of triumph and resilience. Each obstacle we’ve overcome has strengthened our resolve and deepened our commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of others. Together, we’ve proven that even in the face of adversity, hope and perseverance can prevail.

As I prepare to bid farewell to Romania, I do so with a profound sense of gratitude for the opportunity to be part of something greater than myself. The memories we’ve shared, the lives we’ve touched, and the bonds we’ve formed will forever hold a special place in my heart. Though our time together may be coming to an end, the impact of our collective efforts will endure, serving as a testament to the transformative power of community and compassion.

~Argyrou Minas, MBiotech

How we plan our activities for the kids

Hello everyone, it’s time to write a new blog post. For this time, I thought about writing about how we plan our activities for the children. Usually we have 1,5 to 2 hours in the early afternoon to plan the activities before going to the children in the late afternoon or evening.

Step 1: Time management. First we think about how much time we have with the children. This period ranges from 20 minutes to two hours. From this time depends how many activities and games need to be planned

Step 2: English level. Now we think about what level of English the children have and decide on a topic. If the children speak very little English, we try to cover a basic topic, for example, colors, numbers, hobbies, etc. If the children speak English a little better, we can think about more complex topics.

Handwritten notes

Step 3: Brainstorming. Now it’s really getting started. We start collecting ideas and make handwritten notes. In this part, our activities often get their interesting names when we translate the games that we know in our native language into English. Most of the time, we start with activities that require more English, and towards the end, when the children’s concentration and motivation decrease, we try to plan more games. 

Step 4: Preparation of the material. After we have agreed on activities, we prepare the material we need. One of our favorite things is used here. The laminator! By laminating our material, we can reuse it with other children, and I have to say, the children seem more motivated when we give them something laminated than a simple sheet of paper, plus it sometimes gets wrinkled and destroyed and can’t be reused.

Step 5: Carrying out the activities. When you do a new activity for the first time, you usually notice very quickly whether the children like and understand the activity or not. Of course, we also try to find activities that the children like, but sometimes there are cases where the activity does not go as planned. Then it’s important to be spontaneous and either change the activity so it works, or go back to another activity where you know it works.

Doing upcycling activities

Playing games

Step 6: Adjusting the activity. After doing the activity for the first time, we usually use the activity with other children. Sometimes it is necessary to adjust the activity a bit, as not all children have the same interests or speak English equally well. But this part is usually very fast, and after that, we can use the activity several times.

Step 7: Lesson plan. At the end of the week, we always create a lesson plan where we write down everything we have done during the week. There we list all the activities we have done and the material we needed; if there is a link to the activity, we add it too. This plan is very helpful if you want to remember the activities from the past and want to know what you have done so far.

Step 8: Organizing the material. When we have done the activity with all the children we wanted to do it with, we keep our material in a folder to have it in case we want to use it again in the future.

Now that I have explained how we plan our activities, a few more tips. One thing that helped us was that we did small surveys with the children. We gave each child a note with different topics, and they were allowed to underline the topics they were interested in. This made it easier for us to plan activities over the next few weeks, because we knew what topics the children were interested in and what they wanted to learn. Another tip is to exchange ideas with other volunteers. A meeting we had with the after-school volunteers was very helpful. We explained to each other what activities we did with the children and which ones worked well. Of course, we work with different groups of children, but it was still a very helpful meeting. It is also not bad to repeat the topics from time to time, because this is important so that the children can memorize the new vocabulary.

As some of you may know, I have a focus on the environment in my project, and therefore we also plan green activities. All of the things I described before apply to these activities, but especially with the younger children, we often do upcycling activities, and here are a few things to keep in mind. With the upcycling activities we try to make new things out of old things (toilet paper rolls, egg cartons, etc.). When you are planning these things, it is important to try them first to make sure that the activity is not too difficult, that you have enough material for all kids, and that the time is sufficient. 

In summary, however, I can say that with time, it becomes easier and easier to plan the activities for the children. You work better together as a team, and you get to know the children better and you are able to guess which things they might like and which they might not like better. And even if an activity doesn’t go the way you imagined it, you can learn from it, adjust the activity, and make it better next time.

– Paula

A MONTH FULL OF CHANGES AND FAREWELLS

With the arrival of spring, we have welcomed many new volunteers and said goodbye to others. I’ve never been a big fan of farewells, but with this experience I’m learning a lot to live in the moment and take farewells as something beautiful, because each person who has gone through this volunteering has left a part of themselves with us, and that’s something that I think is wonderful.

The arrival of new volunteers has given way to the emergence of new ideas and projects, Alexis (“silly sausage”) came for only two weeks but planted seeds (literally and metaphorically) everywhere she could. Among the seeds that are beginning to blossom is a new activity for the community about hosting campfire talks about organic gardening and other topics, as well as creating an intercultural environment where we can share and get closer to the community.

In addition, Marc has come back for three weeks, and I have been able to help him with his robotics club, which although it is not my favorite subject of knowledge, I am always willing to learn new things and participate in different activities.

On the other hand, the English club is becoming popular and the last few times we have had more than twenty people, which is impressive. It is giving us the opportunity to meet new people and make the English club more enjoyable and bearable.

This month I went to some of the foster care homes and schools that I had not been to before and I fell in love with the sweetness of some of the children. I’ve learned that many times the people who have the least are the ones who value things the most and thinking that I’m doing something positive for them makes me feel really good about myself. I have also faced the intercultural night, after having dedicated many hours of work to it, I can finally say that it is finished and that everything has gone very well. I cooked potato omelet and “tapas” with prosciutto, tomato and olive oil for the attendees to try some of my local food. And you can see that they liked it because there was absolutely nothing left.

But without a doubt my favorite activity is the art and mental health workshop that although it is a very powerful source of stress, because sometimes I am very critical of myself, it is definitely an activity that feels great every time I do it and I really feel that I am doing something positive and creating an impact in the community with it.

We’ll see what the next few months bring!

-Africa

Happy times, tears, letting go

Hello. Another month has passed and I have to write a blog post again. This time I’ve decided to write to you about what I’ve been up to in the last month and what great people I’ve met

We had the opportunity to go to the reading marathon at the library earlier this month. Everyone chose a small section they would like to read and volunteers translated most of what they wanted to read into their own language. I had an easy job in this aspect, as I didn’t have to translate my text into another language. We spent a little more time in the library than we should have, but it was not really that frustrating, it reminded me of my school days when we used to go to these events with the school every year.

In the meantime, we managed to go to Candice’s intercultural evening, where we learned a lot about France and the region where she lives. She was very skillful and her food was delicious, which she prepared for all the participants

However, for the last month, we have been mostly with the children. It’s a good feeling to meet different children every day and bring them joy. Yes, sometimes it is not easy to work with them and to give them a lot, but really, who is easy to give something important to? We are not easy cases either, adults… Sometimes we can behave like children, which is sometimes good and necessary, but sometimes not the best. The best thing for me in this story is that we are not only giving, not only giving happiness but also receiving. We get gratitude and love from them that you can never imagine. No one cares for us like they do. They always know when something is wrong, they always know when something is just perfect. I’m just proud of them for who they are and sometimes I wish I could learn a lot from them. I think I have a few more months to learn, and I’m definitely not going to forget about them when we’re done with our project.

And of course, let’s not forget our dear friends who visited us. First I will tell you about a visit. Two of our fellow ESC volunteers came to visit us. So we were able to spend a few days together, and on two evenings we made a campfire together and had a good chat. The second thing I want to tell you about is our new fellow volunteers. In the meantime, we got a couple of new volunteers who we had quite a good chat with (I say had because some of them went home after 2 weeks), and we still talk to this day. Alexis was everyone’s “grandmother” and a very loving woman. We got so much from her in the few days she was with us. It was with great sadness that we had to say goodbye to her, but I hope we will have the opportunity to meet again, and if not, we will definitely keep in touch in some form. Gus, who spends more time with us than Alexis, is a great guy. It’s true that sometimes he talks too fast and you can’t understand what he’s saying, but he’s got a great spirit too and we have a good time, spending time together. And I left another important meeting for the end. This month Rebecca’s sending organization visited us and we spent a few days with them. Like all the other meetings, this was very much appreciated, as I don’t speak much Italian yet, but I was able to use my knowledge a little and I was lucky enough to spend a full day with them in Brasov and at the Peleș Castle. I was very surprised when I was invited because it was Rebecca who they visited. And I thank them for all the words of appreciation they gave me, and also for the opportunity to help me go to Italy and spend 2 months there, volunteering.

And last but not least, I would like to thank Greta for the few months we have spent together, as she is leaving us and beginning her departure. Thank you Greta for all the unforgettable hockey games, conversations, and every minute we spent together. I’m sure I won’t forget you either.

-Nóra-

Little Italy (except that I’m the only Italian)

Hello dears, Rebecca here, welcome to this brand new blog post! Today our topic is: sharing my being Italian with the local community.

One thing you have to know about living abroad is that, no matter how ugly the place you’re coming from, suddenly you start seeing it with different eyes. But my home is not ugly at all, it’s really pretty and I’ve always loved it, so now I basically never shut up about it (you know, sharing is caring). I was already born a passionate person, but, God, nothing stops me when I find a good topic; so, when I realised that people here in Romania love Italy, I was over the moon. I had something to talk about that was actually interesting, good for me! So I opened an Italian Club, which I organise and host once every two weeks. As you hopefully remember, I work with kids in foster care homes, so, during my day, I don’t usually interact with people older than 20 years old, and I was kind of missing my older people. Because of this, the Italian club is perfect. I can interact with people that have passed their teenage years a while ago, and that are willing to listen to me chatter for one hour straight. You are probably asking yourself, at this point, if people are really willing to do that, and what the hell do you do at an Italian club. I’m more than happy to answer your unexpressed question. I don’t know about other Italian clubs, but at my Italian club we have fun. We meet for one hour and a half, in the evening, we eat (I usually try to bake, or other people bring food), we learn Italian and talk in Italian (because we’re pros) and we play. Not all of the people who attend the club know Italian, but I organise the activities and try to speak mostly in Italian, and then we translate together if someone doesn’t understand. It came out that it’s not that hard language, so at least on understanding we’re pretty good. Every time we decide a topic (like art, music, famous people, places to visit etc) and our conversation and activities have that theme. I usually prepare quizzes, drawing/ cards/ mimic games, but my favourite part is talking (obviously). I prepare some questions and give one each, then starting from there, we chat for a while; some people can even answer and talk in Italian and that warms my heart so much. I feel so flattered by the fact that someone wants to communicate with me in my language. 

I recently also had the opportunity to share my origins to a bigger group. Every volunteer here has, at one point, to present their country to the locals and whoever wants to join. We hold a one hour presentation in the library where we talk about different aspects of our country/region/city, have a quiz, and eat a typical food we cooked. My Intercultural night was about Italy and I cooked pizza (how original lmao). I talked about the differences between the North and the South (+ I inserted a little critic about the division of the country), the food, the popular culture (sagra, vendemmia, carnevale, palio etc), Tuscany and Florence. 

It was so fun to talk to around 40 people, helped by Dóra, the local volunteer who translated everything I said in Hungarian. I kinda of felt bad for her because I was more casually talking, without strictly sticking to the text I wrote, and she had to improvise to follow me sometimes, but she did a great job. I really had fun and I think it came out something enjoyable and interesting, so I’m glad. I even got to talk to some locals who wanted to chat afterwards and it was really really nice. 

I remember, when I was in Italy, it was like a fresh wind to meet someone from another country, it made me feel like I was traveling myself. Now I am the one who possibly brings a breeze somewhere. Cool. 

-Rebecca

The Joyful Journey: Working with Children in After-School Programmes

Embarking on the journey of working with children in after-school programmes is a delightful and impactful experience. As a volunteer, the opportunity to engage with young minds during this crucial period of growth and learning brings a unique set of rewards and challenges. In this exploration, we delve into the enriching aspects of working with children in after-school settings, celebrating the joyous moments that make this journey so special.

One of the key roles in working with children is fostering a supportive environment where they feel safe, valued, and encouraged to express themselves. After-school programmes become spaces where children can share their thoughts, ask questions, and explore their interests in a nurturing atmosphere. As a volunteer, contributing to the creation of this supportive environment is foundational to the positive impact you can make.

Children are natural explorers, and after-school programmes offer a canvas for unleashing their creativity and curiosity. Whether through arts and crafts, science experiments, or imaginative play, volunteers have the privilege of being catalysts for discovery. The joy that comes from witnessing a child’s eyes light up with curiosity is immeasurable and adds a vibrant dimension to the volunteering experience.

Beyond the realms of creativity, after-school programmes are also spaces for guiding academic growth. Volunteers play a crucial role in assisting with homework, providing additional support in challenging subjects, and instilling a love for learning. The journey involves not just imparting knowledge but also cultivating a positive attitude toward education, empowering children to approach learning with enthusiasm.

The bonds formed while working with children in after-school programmes are often enduring and impactful. Volunteers become mentors, friends, and role models, leaving a lasting impression on the young minds they engage with. These connections extend beyond the classroom, creating a sense of community and support that contributes to the holistic development of the children.

Working with children also presents its share of challenges, from managing different personalities to addressing conflicts. Patience becomes a valuable ally in navigating these challenges. As a volunteer, the journey involves not only facilitating positive experiences but also learning to adapt, understand diverse needs, and respond with patience and empathy.

The journey of working with children is marked by numerous small victories and milestones. Witnessing a child overcome a learning hurdle, gain confidence, or express themselves in new ways is cause for celebration. Volunteers find fulfillment in these moments of progress, realizing the impact they have on shaping the developmental trajectory of the children they work with.

After-school programmes offer a social space where children learn to interact, collaborate, and form friendships. Volunteers contribute to this aspect of the journey by promoting social skills and inclusivity. Whether through group activities, team projects, or inclusive games, the after-school environment becomes a microcosm of a supportive community where every child feels valued.

At the heart of the journey of working with children is the celebration of the joy in learning. Volunteers have the privilege of infusing excitement into the educational process, making lessons engaging and interactive. This joy becomes contagious, creating an atmosphere where both volunteers and children look forward to the after-school sessions as moments of shared exploration and discovery.

In the world of after-school programmes, working with children is not just a task; it’s a joyful journey of shared experiences, growth, and mutual inspiration. Volunteers become architects of a positive environment where children thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. The bonds formed, the challenges navigated, and the celebrations of progress all contribute to a tapestry of joyful moments that make working with children in after-school programmes a truly fulfilling and enriching endeavor.

~Argyrou Minas, MBiotech

Chicken week in Bucharest

Hello! Rebecca and Nóra here, welcome back to another blog post! Today we’ll tell you all about our experience in Bucharest doing the Mid-Term Evaluation with other people from all over Europe who are also volunteering in Romania. 

The Mid-Term Evaluation is a training that you do at half of your project and that lasts three days and helps you understand what you’re doing, why, and what to do after. Our training was in Bucharest, so on Sunday morning, the 18th of February, us and Africa took the train and prepared ourselves for the classic six hours that separates us from the capital. When we arrived, we checked in at the hotel where all of us volunteers were staying and then headed to the mall. It wasn’t the biggest mall in the city, but damn that was for sure bigger than any other mall we’ve ever been to before (it even had an ice rink and a climbing wall in it). We hung around for a while, then we went back to the hotel and met the first volunteers at dinner at the hotel. Do you want to know what we ate? Chicken. As the rest of the days, twice per day, in all forms and variation.

The next morning, after breakfast, the training officially started. We introduced ourselves, and played a game to start to know a bit about each other and start working as a team. For example, we were given tasks like putting together a dance where everyone had to include a typical dance step from their own country, which was fun. We were a really big group, almost 30 people with also the facilitators (Roxana, Alina and Adina, the people who organised the training and led us through it). The other volunteers came from more or less everywhere: from Georgia, Turkey, Spain, Egypt, Romania (of course, Transylvania), Germany, South Arabia, France, Greece, and Italy, of course again. And the age was also different, we went from 19 to 31 years old (I -Rebecca- was the second youngest one hehe).

So, the first day we got to introduce our projects, through a board that we created, and to listen to the other’s projects. It was so cool to see that more or less we were all working with kids, but all in different ways. There was who worked in after schools, who organised camps, who worked with scouts, who created workshops and so on. We talked about the sunny and cloudy aspects about our work and about what motivates us to keep doing it. Then we explored the mysterious and fundamental world of “well-being”; we tried to understand how to control our emotions and balance our life, in order for things to not become “too much” and for us to not be overwhelmed. Our favourite thing we did that day was an activity where we sat in two circles, one inside of the other one, and had always one person from the other circle sitting in front of us; we had three minutes to talk with that person about a question that we got asked, then we moved. We loved how we instantly started talking and sharing with no hesitation, even if we barely remembered each other’s names. 

At the end, we created a sort of mini book to document our volunteering in Romania. Mine (I’m Rebecca) it’s called “There’s love in middle fingers”, because some kids always middle finger us, but I want to believe that that is also a form of affection. And mine (I’m Nóra) it’s called “Milestone”, because the project with the kids in foster care homes is a bit my stone. 

At the end of the day, after dinner, almost all of us -not me, Rebecca-, about 26 volunteers, went to a place where we had a good chat and got to know each other better.

The second day we started by creating a graphic about our motivation from the beginning of the project until now. My (Rebecca) graphic was a line that didn’t particularly move up or down, but there were some graphics that could have easily been roller coasters. We shared in groups about what helps us when we lose our motivation and what we can try. Then, in groups of three, we had time to tell the others one challenge we have to face every day, and the others had to tell us how it can actually be an opportunity to learn or grow. We love positive thinking and attitude, it’s a life saver, so it was nice doing it in company for a while. And also it was really good to be able to discuss our challenges, because we saw that we were struggling with pretty much the same things but we had different perspectives about it. 

In the afternoon we had time to go outside (yeeeeeiiii), in the centre of Bucharest. Most of us sat down and answered some given questions, while the rest of us looked around the city and enjoyed this little free activity. Also, since I (Rebecca) was already in the centre, I took the occasion to see a friend of mine who was visiting from Florence. I cried when I saw her hahah; it can be a bit overwhelming sometimes to be in a different city, surrounded by new people, so seeing a familiar face had me relieved for a second. Also, I took the metro alone to come back to the hotel, and I was so proud of myself for a moment, because I managed to find my way back after being lost for a while. Meanwhile I (Nóra), with the others, took the wrong metro coming back and had to get off and change, because we were going in a completely wrong direction. 

The third, and last day we talked about the skills that we are acquiring during this volunteering period and how they can be useful for the future. We talked about the future, what to do after. We wrote down what we want to do on 5 big pieces of paper with 5 big topics: work, volunteering, learning, travelling and others. It was so cool to see our projects for the future; it made us feel like life offers you a lot, if you want to. 

Then we organised some sort of mini workshops, where anyone could join for half an hour. I (Rebecca) helped organise the meditation one, then took part in the board game one and theatre activities. Meanwhile I (Nóra) took part in the scout games activities, recipes for broke volunteers, and sign language workshop. It was so nice to exchange our knowledge about something and ideas to use in future through these short workshops. And, at this point, it was time to put an end to our training and be a bit sad together. At the very end we presented the little books that we made and said goodbye to our facilitators and some volunteers. 

The last night we went out with the other volunteers and had a party in the city.

We’d say the absolute best thing about this experience was the people that we got to know, hang out with, and talk. It amazed us how similar our experiences can be, and how refreshing (and yet scary) it can be to spend so much time in a short term with lots of new people. I (Rebecca) got to fight my social anxiety for a bit, but in the end, I felt confident enough with the others to have fun and even hang out at night together. We’re glad we met some fun and nice people, who are also experiencing what we do, even though coming from completely different backgrounds. The cultural exchange went crazy for a while, and by this we mean that we learned how to say “bastard” in four new different languages.

For me (Nóra) packing and saying goodbye was obviously hard, because I have to say that this team was the best I’ve ever met. It was hard to say goodbye to them, because it’s true that we’ll be able to see a few people again, but a lot of them will be going home in a few weeks. However, meeting them was worth the sadness. 

Okay goodbye, see you in the next blog post! 

-Rebecca and Nóra

Mid-Term Evaluation

This past week we had the opportunity to go to Bucharest with another group of volunteers to be part of the Mid-Term Training, which takes place in the middle of our project. It has been a very enriching experience, and it has allowed me to get to know the experiences of other volunteers in Romania, as well as to make new friends in different places in Romania and to have the opportunity to visit those places that if I had not met these volunteers I might not have visited.

The Mid-Term Evaluation training took place at the Hotel Yesterday for three days. All the volunteers stayed there, and we had breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

We arrived on Sunday afternoon, went to a shopping mall to accompany Nóra to buy some pants, then we bought a bubble tea and went to dinner at the hotel, where we met other volunteers, two of them were Spanish, but there was also a German and a Romanian. Three of them belonged to a scout organisation in Romania. The first day started with a class of tasks that we had to do together with all the volunteers in a limited time of one hour, at first it took a bit to organize ourselves, but finally we managed to do all the tasks in the required time. Later they talked to us about personal well-being, we defined what well-being is for us through brainstorming and we saw how stress levels and emotional saturation can affect personal well-being, our body and our nervous system. To close the topic of personal well-being, we did some breathing exercises all together that helped us to go relaxed to rest and disconnect. After the break we had to make a poster board to present our project to other volunteers. I saw some very cool projects and it was interesting to see the highlights and the hardest moments of the projects of the different volunteers as well as the different points of view of the volunteers who were part of the same project. To end the day, we played a game of questions that allowed us to get to know each other better and get closer to the experiences of other volunteers.

The second day began with a talk about a theory of motivation, we discovered thanks to a motivational test what our score is in achievement motivation, affiliation and power motivation. This exercise helped us to reflect on what things are the best sources of motivation for us and what resources we should use in case we need motivation. We were also able to reflect on our motivation curve throughout the project and see where we are now and our evolution over the months in Romania. Afterwards we got into groups of four to share our personal experiences and our problems and listen to the points of view of other volunteers regarding our concerns and possible solutions to them. It was quite helpful to vent and listen to outside views about the issues. We ended the day by going to the city with other volunteers to do a treasure hunt and tour the most emblematic sites of Bucharest.

The third and last day of the project was the most boring, we talked a lot about the Youthpass and learning objectives. We reflected on these goals and the small steps we need to take to achieve them. Then we learned a little Spanish sign language in a tool fair that we did with different activities, I personally was interested in sign language, so it was that one that I joined. Finally, we ended up giving feedback and reflecting on our experiences in Romania and taking some group photos.

In short, the Mid-Term Evaluation has been a great experience of self-knowledge and reflection on our volunteering processes, of sharing, creating and enjoying with other people in the same situation as me.

-África

Our first art and mental health workshop

Some time ago Alexandra and I had the idea of creating a workshop combining art and mental health, we didn’t know if it was going to be possible but finally, with the help and support of our organization we were able to make it happen.
The organization provided us with materials, place and time to make our idea possible.
We were working hard on it, first we had to brainstorm about how we wanted the workshop to develop, how long we wanted it to last, about what topic we were going to do it and where we were going to develop it.
Once the theme was chosen, which was personality and self-awareness, we divided the work, Alexandra focused more on the artistic part and I focused more on the mental health part.

I did an exhaustive search about personality theories and personality tests that were not too long and that we could carry out during the workshop. Finally I remembered Hans Eysenck, an English psychologist of German origin who created the PEN model and the EPQ-R test. This psychologist based his theory of personality on a genetic origin, being able to explain all personality based on three traits: neuroticism, psychoticism and extroversion. Although my opinions about this theory are that it lacks some things and for me personality cannot be explained only with these three traits, I found it good and simple enough to carry it out in the workshop, apart from the fact that the test had a manageable number of items.

The fact of presenting my knowledge in an understandable way for others and in a language different from mine was a challenge, I was working hard in the office and also at home to try to make myself understood and explain things in a simple and clear way for the participants.
I had some difficulty with finding the corrections of the test I wanted, since they are usually paid tests that are used in clinical psychology consultations and many times it is very difficult to find them for free on the internet. I had to create my own score correction sheet, in order to know the scores for each trait.

After a lot of work, the day of the workshop arrived, both Alex and I were very nervous. Many people came to the event and although we worked hard that day, we both agreed that it had been a success and that the satisfaction we felt was immense. In addition, the participation and support of the people who came was a great help, all of them gave us very constructive criticism and compliments that filled our hearts.
In short, this workshop has been an incredible experience of learning, facing fears and personal development that I would like to repeat.