What inspired you to go abroad?
My spouse and I were looking for a way to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary!
Why did you choose Global Volunteers?
Global Volunteers was recommended by Dave’s mom, my mother-in-law, and by a co-worker from J&J's in St. Anthony, Minnesota.
What was your favorite part about Barlad?
My favorite part about being in Barlad, Romania was that we experienced life as it may have been 50 years ago here in the U.S. Additionally, we felt safe, and we could make a difference in the lives of others.
What made your experience abroad unique?
We were told that over 70 infants and children couldn't be raised by their parents because each had some type of medical anomaly. So, we enjoyed spending time with and entertaining over seven infants and children at the Municipal Hospital with our Global Volunteers team members!
How did local staff support you throughout your program?
The Romanian nurses didn't speak English, so we had to communicate via Google translate. However, by learning the basic language, we were able to navigate in the infant room in order to feed, change, and care for over seven infants and children in Barlad throughout our stay in May of 2017.
The Country Managers, answered most any question. In addition, they almost always got us to our work sites and back to the hotel each day. Our driver got us to our destinations on longer trips.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently?
I might have taken out cash at the ATM in the airport in Bucharest.
Describe a typical day in the life of your program.
Typically, after breakfast with our group, the country manager and/or a cab driver would drive is to our work site at the Municipal Hospital at about 9:00 a.m.. We worked straight from 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at which time we were brought back to the hotel to eat lunch with either of the country managers, along with our group. We would nap or had free time until about 2:00 p.m. after which we would be taken, again, to our work site until about 4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m..
The country manager would bring bananas almost each day, so we could prepare a snack for our infants and children by about 4:30 p.m.. By 5:30 p.m., we would meet our group for dinner at the hotel. One person from the group would volunteer to begin each discussion with an inspirational thought or saying. We would sometimes review the Romanian language or the events of our day before eating.
In the evening, we would walk, shop, or stop and look at the many Romanian Orthodox churches that stood about every 6-12 blocks apart. We went to bed by 9:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. in order to get a good night's sleep for the next day.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time?
We enjoyed walking with our Global Volunteers friends, eating out, seeing the town of Barlad. Each day, we walked to the market to buy fresh fruit or goodies to share with our teammates.
What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?
Our hotel was the Hotel Moldava which was probably built under Communism control in the 1950s. Our toilet was probably from the ‘50s. The water was not suitable for drinking, so we almost always kept extra water bottles on hand in order to brush our teeth or drink out of. We were given single beds.
The menu looked simple, as if it had been typed off of a typewriter from in the '70s. We were told the menu hadn't changed in years. For breakfast, our choices were granola (Museluxe) an omelet, black coffee, dried toast. Soups were made with either chicken or beef, vegetables, parsley.
And meat that was dipped in eggs and flour and cooked in oil was called schnitzel. Side dishes were Polenta, which was Cornmeal mush with sour cream and dill, or cucumbers with extra dill. The Bulgarian salad was considered to be the salad chefs made for Communist leaders who attended meetings in Bulgaria.
What is one thing every participant should know before participating in your program?
Previous volunteers recommended bringing a fleece jacket and a raincoat for April-June weather. Also, it was recommended we fill suitcases with donations of medications, diapers, wipes, clothing, school supplies, medical supplies, clothing, pajamas for older kids.
We recommend you take out cash at the ATM inside the airport before you leave the airport in Bucharest for a six-hour drive to Barlad. You will stop at McDonalds half way and may need cash.
VISA cash advances worked in Barlad, however we were told by someone at our bank that the Ukrainian government did not allow debit cards from outside of the area, so we could not get cash in Barlad. Also, American Express was not accepted in Barlad or maybe even in Bucharest. MasterCard or Lei were accepted for payment.
Now that you're home, how has your program abroad impacted your life?
I am so glad to have visited and spent time with infants and children in Barlad, Romania in order to help make their lives better.
Would you recommend Global Volunteers to others? Why?
Yes, I would highly recommend the Global Volunteers Orphanage Adventure and Service trip for most anyone with a nurturing approach towards infants, children, and families.