Portraits of volunteers (10)

Meeting. Appreciating, loving each other (or not!). Sharing this incredible adventure that is our EVS in Moldova. And returning enriched by all these meetings.

I decided to keep a mark of all these faces through a collection of  portraits and interviews which echos my own questionings. Family portrait.

Suzanne, 19 years old, Belgium (Liere), 10 month EVS

Can you explain what you were doing before Moldova?

I just finished high school.

Why did you decide to do an EVS, especially in Moldova?

In fact, I wanted to do that since I was maybe 13 years old: go abroad after high school. Two years ago, I looked up for possibilities. First, I wanted to do AFS, and study year again but in another country, but then I thought I would be bored to go again to school. And I realized EVS was ideal because it's different than what I was doing, plus it's financially good. I looked up for projects and found one that seemed interesting in Moldova. I thought why not Moldova, I don't know anything about it, but it can be very interesting because it's very different. And mysterious.

What was your project in Moldova ?

My project was called "Associaţia motivaţie din Moldova": it's an association that works with youth, children and young adults with disabilities, especially physical disabilities. They have different programs during the year, in which I help.

What will you do when you will be back? Has this EVS changed something in your plans for the future?

First, I'll have some holidays. Then, I'll start studying at university, probably civil engineering if I realize that it's my thing. Otherwise I'll change to something better: you never know in advance what it will be, and if you'll like it.

What are your dreams for your future?

I just want to stay as happy as I am now. I want to travel a lot, that's really a big thing in my life. I'm interested in the all world, so I'll travel as much as I can. Hopefully, I find a good job to be able to travel a lot. Travel with my job could also be nice. I can't say I have exact dreams: my dreams come when they get real. Before, my dream was to do an EVS and it became true.

What will you remember from this experience ?

I will remember a lot. I will remember that I really had a good project, which is not the case for everybody. I will always remember the association and I will also keep in touch with them because I become their international coordinating volunteer, meaning I will try to organize some projects with other volunteers, or find extra support.

I will definitely remember the other volunteers and the great year I had with my flat mates. The travels and all the great fun we had. I'll look at this year positively because I learned a lot. I have to say that it was the best year in my life. It's sad that it's ending, but it's also normal otherwise you get used to it, which is not a real future. 

Portraits of volunteers (12)

Cliquez-ici pour lire la traduction en français.

Meeting. Appreciating, loving each other (or not!). Sharing this incredible adventure that is our EVS in Moldova. And returning enriched by all these meetings.

I decided to keep a mark of all these faces through a collection of portraits and interviews which echos my own questionings. Family portrait.

Pia, 20 years old, Germany (Geldern), 11 month Weltwärst

Can you explain what you were doing before Moldova?


I just finished school.

Why did you decide to do an EVS, and why especially in Moldova?

There were many reasons. One was to have an experience abroad. I also wanted to do something practical after school and before university, and see if I like to work with kids, because I was thinking about becoming a teacher. Then I wanted to learn a new language because I was always bad at it and I think that it's easier to live in a country and learn the language there.

Why Moldova? Because I wanted to discover Eastern Europe. It belongs to my continent, it is close but I don't know a lot about it. And because we have a lot of immigrants coming from here, I see people from this region everywhere I go in daily life and it's very good to know more about their culture. Then I chose especially Moldova because of the project.

What was your project in Moldova?


I worked in an animation centre. At the beginning it was pretty odd, as we didn't have much stuff to do. We were too free to do stuff, and with the language, it wasn't easy. Finally I managed to organize English classes with the kids: generally twice a week for each small group of kids. Otherwise, I did other things with kids like games, cards, handy crafts… Just spending time with them and exchange.

What will you do when you will be back? Has this EVS changed something in your plans for the future?

I don't know. I always knew what I wanted to do, but after this year, plans have changed. I try to keep every options open. I would like to do something with art therapy but I can't start this year, so maybe I will wait for next year.

What are your dreams for your future?

I don't know, I want to stay spontaneous. And then, it's a typical cliché but, become happy and satisfied.

What will you remember from this experience?

I will remember that I learned a lot about myself, more than I expected. I will remember that people in Moldova are really nice and open to foreigners. They have really good traditions, but there is also a lot of work to do about politics, attitudes, about the identity of the country: I think it's on a good way.

It was an experience I don´t want to miss, but everyone should come here and experience Moldova for him or herself. I will advertise for Moldova.

Interview recorded in Chisinau on June 29th, 2011.

Portraits of volunteers (11)

Cliquez-ici pour lire la traduction en français.

Meeting. Appreciating, loving each other (or not!). Sharing this incredible adventure that is our EVS in Moldova. And come back enriched by all these meetings.

I decided to keep a mark of all these faces through a collection of portraits and interviews which echos my own questionings. Family portrait.

Samira, 20 years old, Germany (Baden Baden), 11 month Weltwärst 

Can you explain me what you were doing before Moldova?
I just finished High school.

Why did you decide to do a voluntary service and why in Moldova?

It's a long story. I've always wanted to go abroad and I really loved French when I was at school. So I first applied for Tunisia, but I couldn't find any project. So finally, last summer I participated to a work camp in Bosnia-Herzegovina for three weeks. I really liked it and I realized that Eastern Europe is interesting. Then I started to search and found Moldova, where they speak Romanian, which I thought was good because I learned Italian and French in school.

What was your project in Moldova?

I've been working in an orphanage, but not a real orphanage: it's called "casa de plasament", where live children from difficult situations who stay there for around one year. Twenty children are living in this house, and they do everything together, like a family. My first task was to accompany children to the school on the morning, to help with different tasks in the centre, and then pick them up at school. And because they go to five different schools, it was a lot of work, a lot of walking. In the afternoon, I helped children with their homework, or did other things with them.

What will you do when you will be back? This experience changed something about your plans for the future?

I applied for university and want to study social work. This idea came during the year: first I thought I will study something with languages because I liked it a lot at school, but now I realize that I want to work concretely, I don't want to study so much, I want to do something more practical and also work with children. I think that it gives you a lot back, and also it gives you the feeling to do something more concrete, instead of just translating some books, or anything else. After this year, I'm quite sure with my choices.

What are your dreams for your future?

I still want to travel. I want to do an Erasmus, or an EVS, maybe in Romania or Turkey. Maybe I can't live a long time in the same place, I get tired about living all the time in the same place. With Chisinau, in one hand I really like to live here, but in the other hand, there are so many other places to discover. It's such a chance that we can travel!

What will you remember from this experience?

I will remember all the people. I appreciated so many things… I liked the markets for example, the fact that you only buy fruits and vegetables from here during the right season. To have a cold long winter was an interesting experience.

I will remember all the villages in Moldova, where it's beautiful, and where people are very hospitable. What else? I don't know, there are so many things. I will remember a lot and I will miss the people, my host family, everyone.