Bowled over by Moldova: a volunteer’s experience

Until a few months ago, I have to admit that I’d barely even heard of Moldova.  To me, it was a name that only seemed to crop up in Eurovision or be vaguely referred to in the final rounds of general knowledge quiz shows.  And there is no way I could have told you where it is.

But, despite how little I knew about it, I went on a two week volunteering project during the summer with a charity called Mission Direct, where, as a small team, we built a house that would become a day-care centre for children and a refuge centre for teenage girls.

Obviously, this type of volunteer work is relatively common in developing countries, but the fact that this kind of work needed doing in Europe was what first intrigued me to go on the trip.  Faced with a brochure bursting with volunteer trips worldwide, as well as having officially caught the bug after my first voluntary experience in the Dominican Republic the previous summer, there were so many countries to tempt me.  In the end, though, it was the uniqueness of Moldova that drew me in.

The truth is that Moldova is Europe’s poorest country, with levels of poverty comparable to that of African nations.  The unemployment rate is shockingly high and it is a country crippled by debt.  Moldova was also a former part of the USSR and didn’t gain independence until 1991; for this reason a lot of community spirit has been destroyed by communism.

Before I went, I was warned that the people in general are quite reserved and unhappy. Whilst I was there, though, everyone seemed incredibly happy and grateful for what little they had.

The tourism industry in Moldova could be seen as limited, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing of interest.  With famous vineyards, a beautiful monastery and a historic market in the capital selling Soviet memorabilia, there is a lot to entice the average tourist.

To add to this, the scenery in Moldova is stunning; with field upon field of sunflowers and views that could be straight from Italy, it would be the perfect place for a walking holiday – and I got to experience all of this whilst still making a real difference.

I’m sure you’ve heard the clichés about volunteering trips before, but it really is an incredible experience. There is no other feeing like it and, realistically, you probably won’t get that many chances to build a house in your lifetime!

It is also the fact that you know you are making a real, physical difference to people’s lives that makes this so rewarding.  It was great helping out in a country which is otherwise relatively unknown and really needs help.

There are so many unique experiences I will take away from the trip, such as staying in an abandoned asylum for a few nights (not as scary as it sounds!) and using an outside shower which was often shared with a few frogs.

More important, though, is the amount of happiness we managed to bring to the children in the village where we were staying – in the afternoons we organised crafts and games with the children and they would play merrily for hours.

Even though Moldova might not be at the top of your travel bucket-list, I’d definitely recommend going.  Volunteering in Europe might not seem nearly as exciting as going across the world, but it’s certainly just as rewarding.  And it’s another destination to tick off your ‘off the beaten track’ list too!