European Solidarity Corps

Living Solidarity Locally. Learning Internationally. Growing Together.

With each new European Solidarity Corps group, a new story unfolds. And through each new story, we rediscover what solidarity means in practice, what interculturality looks like on the ground, and how much personal and community growth can happen in just a few months.

EIVA’s local volunteering project, funded through the European Solidarity Corps, brings young people from across Europe and beyond into the heart of Arad, Romania, where they become part of our organization’s everyday rhythm and impact.

Since 2015, we’ve welcomed over 100 volunteers that came to live, learn, and build together for short or long term of volunteering.

For many volunteers, it’s their first time living abroad or working with vulnerable groups. For others, it’s the next step in a longer path of self-discovery and civic engagement.

We focus on three core areas:

• Non-formal education for children and youth

• Community-based inclusion and intercultural understanding

• Visibility and communication to promote EU values and youth opportunities

Volunteers engage with diverse communities and learn by doing, from planning and facilitating, to adapting and reflecting. The learning goes both ways: children and youth discover new languages and cultures, and volunteers gain resilience, empathy, and perspective.

In 2023, we hosted a impactful group of volunteers from Ukraine, Turkey, and France.

We had:

Nadia, Valentin, Zoe, Lorine, Erin from France

Bugra and Bilge from Turkey

Anastasiia, Nastya from Ukrainee

They joined us with openness and courage. What made this group special was how authentically they captured their journey, writing weekly reflections, recording behind-the-scenes stories, and staying involved in every corner of EIVA’s work.

They were involved in:

• Weekly visits to special education school, Oaza association, Arad’s Highschool

• Arts and language games with children aged 3–12

• Helping with events at Lunca Mureșului Natural Park

• Office-based work: editing visuals, helping with social media, and preparing ESC presentations

• Leading intercultural meetings and connecting with Romanian youth

They did a BIG contribution to our city and our programs, and an honest documentation of what volunteering in Romania really looks and feels like.

In August 2024, a new group arrived. Some were returning faces. Others joined based on stories they heard from friends. One by one, they entered our space, with questions, expectations, and the usual mix of curiosity and nerves. And slowly, they made it their own.

This year’s team includes:

• Bahar, Buğra, and Ozan from Turkey

• Augustin from France

• Selena from Romania

• Andrii and Dima from Ukraine

Their schedule reflects the diversity of our partnerships:

• They support classes at CSEI Arad, working with children with disabilities through sports, language games, and themed activities (e.g., for Christmas or Easter)

• At Oaza, they engage children aged 6–12 in creativity and learning, from folding paper animals to practicing the alphabet

• They collaborate with kindergartens and high schools, bringing playful energy and informative workshops

The ESC volunteers are actively involved in several key institutions across Arad, where their presence supports educational and community goals through consistent, hands-on engagement:

And of course, they become part of the EIVA team: Volunteers are involved in a wide range of tasks that help shape and amplify the project’s impact. They contribute to dissemination activities, including writing social media captions, preparing newsletters, and filming or editing videos that document their journey.

One of the most enriching aspects of this project is the real, lived intercultural experience. Volunteers live and work with people whose backgrounds, habits, and values are different. But this difference is not a challenge, it’s a chance.

They share birthdays. They cook together. They travel together. They write reflections about Romanian culture, compare languages, and learn that « solidarity » is what holds them together when things feel unfamiliar.

“Working with people from different cultures helped me develop empathy, flexibility, and a different way of looking at life. This was a school of people.” – Bahar, 2024 Volunteer

By the end of their ESC experience, volunteers walk away with more than memories:

• Soft skills: communication, teamwork, initiative, emotional regulation

• Hard skills: workshop planning, public speaking, digital content creation

• Civic learning: understanding of inclusion, active citizenship, and community impact

• Personal growth: confidence, openness, and a clearer sense of direction

Through regular reflection and mentoring, they identify how their learning connects to their future goals—and how their actions made a difference.

Their Youthpass certificate is it’s a written story of their development, told by themselves, acknowledged by us.

Want to see what our volunteers are up to right now?

Follow us on Instagram @eiva.organization
(Instagram feed embedded here on the page)

You’ll find:

• Reels and stories created by the volunteers

• Scenes from classrooms, kindergartens, and outdoor events

• Candid moments, celebrations, and reflections

Are you 18–30? Curious about the world? Interested in helping out and learning a lot in return?

You can be part of the next ESC group in Arad.
🌐 Reach out to us through our Contact Page, or follow our updates for open calls.

For the youth. With the youth. Always learning. Always doing.