Voluntary Project Overview

Working in partnership with local Foundations, volunteers are targeting their efforts at some of the poorest and most vulnerable sections of society. These include orphaned and abandoned children and young adults who live in care homes in the absence of their own families.
The goal here is to provide amusement and support for these children, encouraging learning through play to help make the most of often-limited educational opportunities to improve their futures.
MondoChallenge volunteers help to support and relieve the pressure from stretched local staff, and can make a real difference to the everyday lives of the children through teaching, organising activities and providing fun, support and general human contact.
The projects are well organised so that volunteers can make a good contribution in a relatively short amount of time. Pre-departure briefings and continuous support by the locally based manager helps with preparation and enables volunteers to maximise their contribution as well as their own enjoyment.

The Volunteer Abroad Role

Volunteers can attach themselves to one or more of the homes, and are asked to act as mentors, teachers and friends to the children.  The homes are small, housing typically 8-10 children or teenagers, so there is a real opportunity to get to know the individuals very well, and to see progress in a relatively short amount of time.  The role is varied and might include tutoring of English and other subjects, helping with homework, care work, counselling, extra-curricular activities and arranging special events.

This is a great chance for a volunteer to bring their own interests to the lives of others, and to get experience of working with young people in a friendly, responsive and rewarding environment.

Other Volunteer Abroad opportunities

In addition to the care home programmes, volunteers have an opportunity to get involved with teaching English at local schools. This could include English, arts and crafts, sports and other activities.

Voluntary Programme Requirements/Eligibility Criteria

Previous teaching or social work experience is not usually necessary. More than anything, a flexible, open mind, an ability to live in a rural community, and an interest and sensitivity towards local cultural values are essential.

Volunteer Accommodation and Living arrangements

At the heart of Romania, Transylvania is bordered on three sides by the spectacular Carpathian Mountains, and famed for its fabled vampires and haunted castles! The area is one of the last reserves of Europe's traditional, rustic lifestyle. Its scenic and isolated villages are nestled into green valleys amongst breathtaking mountains. The communities are friendly and many of the people are shepherds relying for transport on horse-drawn carts.

Accommodation for volunteers is provided either in a home, with a family or in a simple guest house near the project sites.

What’s included in your Programme Fee?

• Project selection and placement - Our in-country teams work constantly to identify and select projects that are doing exemplary work in developing countries but need your skills and effort. Our staff are in dialogue with you to ensure that we choose a project that really needs you, where you will use your skills and contribute, because at MondoChallenge, we believe that a great volunteering experience is largely dependant on matching you with the right project
• Pre Departure Briefing - Before you leave, we will arrange for a pre departure briefing where we help you with small but extremely helpful details on your chosen destination. Things like: what to pack, local culture and customs, food, safety and precautions if any - simple things to make your life easier!
• Guidance for processing visa - MondoChallenge will arrange for any relevant documents and guide you through the visa process.
• Airport Pick Up - Arriving in a new city and not knowing where to go and how to go can be quite unnerving. A MondoChallenge representative will meet you at the airport and take you to your place of stay where you can put your feet up after a long flight.
• In country Orientation and Welcome Pack - When you arrive in the city, you will be given an orientation where you could meet other volunteers from MondoChallenge, know all about the city, how to find your way around, where to get SIM cards for the phone, small bits that you will need help sorting out in the first few days.
• In Country Support - Our local co-ordinators are there to guide you through out your stay. They will make sure that you are settled at your project, are comfortable with your accommodation and provide guidance on local culture and customs to ensure that you have a memorable and rewarding experience.
• Accommodation - In most cases you stay with a local host family. It gives you a taste of the daily life of a local. You will be sharing a room with another volunteer, however if you prefer to have a single room to yourself, this can be arranged but a cost supplement may apply. If you prefer totally independent accommodation, this may also be possible in certain areas at an additional cost and our Programme Managers will be able to assist you with this.
• Breakfast and Dinner - Local home cooked food, will be provided at the home stays. This gives you a chance to experience local dishes.

Not Included:

• International Flights
• Visa and Travel insurance Costs
• Vaccination
• Local Transport and Travel
• Personal Expenses

Project photos

Testimonials