A Guide to Volunteering in Romania
Romania has has a difficult past under a Communist regime which ended in 1989 and there have been problems with poverty and infrastructure for decades.
Romania joined the EU in 2007 but this country is still developing and faces daily social and economic problems. This country has a population of around 22 million people and around 21% live in poverty.
Tourism is now playing a role in bringing more money and funding into the country and now Romania is very much looking forward to a brighter future but there are still issues with high unemployment and poor housing / living conditions. If you are thinking about joining a volunteering program abroad we highly recommend this destination.
This is the perfect opportunity if you fancy a gap year in Europe, a volunteer holiday or you would just like to visit Romania and do more than sightseeing.
Location of Projects
- Most projects are located in Brasov
- Bucharest is the capital city of Romania, served by two airports this cosmopolitan city will keep you busy with its multitude of cultural and recreational activities available
- Cluj-Napoca is the second most populous city in the country and is considered to be the unofficial capital of the Transylvania province
- Timisoara is the biggest urban centre in western Romania, with a strong historical and cultural background is considered by the locals to be not just a city but a state of mind
- Lasi is considered to be the cultural capital of Romania featuring an array of museums, memorials and theatres, as well as one of the main student campuses in the country
- Constanta is the largest port on the Black Sea and one of the main tourist attractions, highlighting a large variety of night clubs, open-air restaurants, casinos and cabarets
- There are also projects in rural areas like Transylvania where you can see the land which is made famous by Dracula
Types of Volunteer Programs in Romania
As a volunteer you can address specific issues while contributing to long-term development goals of a developing nation, there are a range of opportunities to give service and make a difference which include:
Community Development
Try your hand at helping people, you could improve living conditions and peoples prospects helping archaeology, media, journalism, medical, care placements, educational teaching programs, sports, drama and dance placements.
Local Romanian communities really benefit from having help, you could teach English or help improve educational standards helping children at schools which can do with help from international volunteers all year round.
As a community or educational volunteer in Romania you might be able to be creative and help with daily routines, you will wake up early and arrive at programs full of energy for the day ahead.
There is also the option to work with displaced ethnic groups currently living in Romania. Projects can also include helping displaced Hungarian and Czango ethnic groups who are among the poorest and most vulnerable sections of Romanian society.
Conservation & Wildlife Projects
A popular option is to help animals at wildlife sanctuaries in Romania. Wildlife conservation programs with brown bears is popular, there is a bear sanctuary near the spectacular Carpathian Mountains where you can help rescued and abused bears. Sometimes you will be creating initiatives to prevent poaching or you might be getting your hands dirty cleaning or feeding the animals.
How to Apply
You might be asked to pay a fee to participate on programs in Romania, this usually includes placements, accommodation, meals, airport transfers, orientation, training and in-country support. There are free opportunities if you apply with local charities and NGO's, to get a paid volunteer position you could take a TEFL course and teach English in Romania.
