NGO Support Volunteer Project in Romania - Miercurea Ciuc
Interested in being an NGO Support volunteer in Romania? International Volunteer HQ’s NGO Support project empowers volunteers to assist a local NGO which focuses on education in the community. Volunteers will gain real life experience of working with an NGO, use their existing skills, learn new ones and support an initiative aiming to build stronger local communities and helping people in need.
Highlights:
- Programs start every first and third Monday of the month
- Affordable fees from $360 for 1 week
- Includes accommodation, meals, airport pick up, orientation and 24/7 support
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Widen the reach of a local NGO focused on providing education in the community
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Discover Romania’s historic castles and towns
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Stay with other volunteers in charming Miercurea Ciuc
Who is this program suited to?
Key information
What to expect and how you'll make an impact
There is a great deal of behind-the-scenes work involved in accomplishing the goals of local NGOs in Romania. On the NGO Support project you will be part of a vibrant and innovative team working towards the goal of building stronger local communities and helping people in need.
As an NGO Support volunteer you will work with an NGO with a focus on education in the community. Duties are assigned based on the priority of the tasks at the time of your program and in accordance with your skills, interests, experience and volunteer duration. You’ll likely be helping to widen the NGO’s reach through:
- Marketing
- Social media management and content creation
- Photography
- Basic office administration
- Systems development
- Fundraising
- Record keeping
- Attending presentations
- Helping arrange, run and market events
Volunteers are able to use their existing skills and experience, learn new skills, and gain a greater understanding about the operational life of a grassroots NGO.
Why do NGO Support volunteering in Miercurea Ciuc with IVHQ?
When you volunteer with an NGO in Romania you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:
- Supporting the efforts of a local NGO in the community
- Using your existing skills and knowledge to help
- Learning about the NGO environment
- Gaining NGO experience
- Immersing yourself in Romanian culture
- Exploring Romania’s historic cities
Volunteer requirements
- Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to participate in this program and may be asked to provide additional documentation to the local team
- All volunteers aged 13+ are required to provide a criminal background check to IVHQ prior to departure. Those aged 13-17, if unable to obtain a criminal background check, can provide two character reference letters instead
- All volunteers are required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance
- All volunteers must speak fluent English.
- Fluency in Romanian or Hungarian is not a prerequisite for the IVHQ Romania volunteer program. However we recommend that volunteers take advantage of the very affordable language lessons offered exclusively to IVHQ volunteers by our partner staff in Romania. Volunteers find that taking these lessons help immensely with day-to-day volunteer work and communicating with local people. Volunteers interested in taking Romanian or Hungarian lessons can arrange these directly with the local staff once in Romania.
Romania photo gallery
”I spent 7 weeks as an NGO Support volunteer with IVHQ Romania. Volunteering abroad can come with a lot of questions. It is natural to be both excited, and nervous, about what you will be experiencing. I would, without a doubt, highly recommend volunteering with IVHQ Romania. In deciding which location and program was best for me, the IVHQ staff helped guide ...” read more
Corinne, American, 44
Read reviews from NGO Support volunteers in Miercurea Ciuc
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Location
IVHQ’s Romanian projects are based in and around Miercurea Ciuc - a town in the Harghita county of Romania. It lies in the Székely Land, an Hungarian-speaking region in eastern Transylvania. It has an interesting history, pretty European architecture spanning centuries, an annual music festival, a Catholic pilgrimage, and winter temperatures that reach -30°C or −22 °F, which makes it the perfect place for cold season sports like ice hockey and speed skating.
Arrival and orientation
The program orientation begins on the first and third Monday of each month, and volunteers need to arrive in Miercurea Ciuc the day before orientation. After you have registered for the program, please book your flight to arrive at Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP). Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee. Alternatively, you can arrive into Cluj Napoca Airport (CLJ) which will incur an additional pick up fee of 400 lei, $100. We recommend that volunteers under the age of 18 travel internationally with a notarized letter from their parents to support their documentation.
When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and transported to the volunteer accommodation. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the night prior to your start date. If you are traveling in Romania prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up from a pre-arranged location in Miercurea Ciuc the day before your program orientation. There are two options for orientation in Romania, a One-Day Orientation and an Orientation Week.
One-Day Orientation: This is a standard full-day induction on your selected start date that covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Romania. You’ll be provided with an introduction to Romania, meet the program staff and get an overview of procedures. You’ll learn about the history of Romania and Hungary, religion, festivals, customs and traditions, dress/clothing, safety issues, food, transportation and travel opportunities and go through details about your volunteer project and accommodation. The afternoon includes an introduction to the Hungarian language and a city tour of Miercurea Ciuc which is provided by local volunteers. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing.
Introduction Week: This takes place during the first week of your program. This orientation week has an extra cost of $300 and is very popular among IVHQ volunteers. It includes everything on the One-Day Orientation as well as Hungarian lessons, trips to a castle, a Franciscan monastery, local villages, salt mines, a giant statue of Jesus Christ, museums, mountains and mineral springs. You’ll have the weekend free to do as you please before your specific placement orientation the following Monday. We recommend all volunteers take advantage of this week as it’s a great way to help settle the culture shock you can face when arriving in Romania.
The Orientation Week begins on your selected start date and your volunteer work will start the following week. If you wish to participate in the One-week Orientation, you’ll need to tell your IVHQ Program Manager in advance. You need to book a place and pay for this week before your volunteer program starts.
Volunteer schedule example
Weekdays
Start times and daily workload depends on the project that you are volunteering on, with some beginning in the morning and some in the afternoon. A typical schedule is as follows:
| 8:00 AM | Volunteers prepare their own breakfast at the accommodation. |
| 9:00 AM | Travel to placement to join local placement staff and begin work on your project. |
| 1:00 - 2:00 PM | Lunch. Volunteers either eat lunch at a local restaurant or, in some cases, at their placement. |
| 3:00 - 5:00 PM | Afternoon placements usually end. Volunteers are free to return to the volunteer accommodation, plan for the following day’s activities or use their free time as they wish. |
| 7:00 PM | Volunteers prepare their dinner at the volunteer accommodation and have the remainder of the evening free. |
Weekends
Volunteers have the weekends free and there is no shortage of things to do in Harghita or further afield in Romania. Volunteers can fill their free time with local markets, adventure activities or simply exploring parts of Harghita. Romania is a popular tourist destination, offering beautiful nature and scenery, with great trekking, climbing, biking, rafting and kayaking opportunities. Volunteers who wish to take a long weekend to travel can enjoy beautiful limestone mountains and explore Old World Europe.
Volunteers staying for longer durations, or who wish to travel before or after their program, can visit areas further afield in Romania and neighboring countries such as Hungary and Bulgaria. Volunteers can make travel arrangements once in Miercurea Ciuc, with the advice and guidance of our local staff.
Accommodation and WiFi
Volunteers are accommodated predominantly in one of two neighboring volunteer apartments. The smaller apartment accommodates up to eight volunteers per room. The larger apartment with three bedrooms accommodates up to 19 volunteers. Rooms are always separated by gender.
The accommodation is based centrally and is a 10-minute walk to the local team’s office, close to many cafes and restaurants. Bedding is provided and towels are available on request.
An accommodation manager lives in a self-contained apartment onsite, and is responsible for purchasing the food for the accommodation. A cleaner is provided twice a week, however volunteers are required to keep their rooms and the common areas tidy. A washing machine is available for volunteers to keep their clothing and bedding fresh.
WiFi is available at the volunteer apartments, as well as at many cafes and restaurants in the area. To keep connected, you can also purchase a local SIM card with data for an unlocked mobile phone.
Volunteers can request a single room with access to communal bathrooms and kitchen, which is subject to availability. The cost for this accommodation upgrade is $50 per week and can be arranged with our local team once you have registered for the program.
Meals
Volunteers are provided with one cooked meal per day. This meal is provided either at a local restaurant or at your placement. Breakfast, dinner and weekend meals are self-prepared using supplies in the volunteer accommodation. Food is purchased on a regular basis by the accommodation manager, and volunteers can place specific food requests with him if they wish.
If you choose to eat away from the accommodation, you can typically expect the main meal of the day to be lunch with two courses. The first course is always a traditional soup which is followed by the second course of potato or rice dishes, chicken, pork, goulash or stews and pasta dishes. Bread is commonly served with all meals and as it’s often made with potatoes it can be quite heavy. Vegetarians can expect to be offered either cheese or mushroom dishes as a general norm at restaurants.
Pricing
Duration |
Program FeeDue 30 days before you start, or within 48 hours if you register inside of 30 days. Covers the cost of hosting you.
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|---|---|
| 1 week | $360 Equivalent to $52/day |
| 2 weeks | $570 Equivalent to $41/day |
| 3 weeks | $770 Equivalent to $37/day |
| 4 weeks | $960 Equivalent to $35/day |
| 5 weeks | $1,140 Equivalent to $33/day |
| 6 weeks | $1,320 Equivalent to $32/day |
| 8 weeks | $1,680 Equivalent to $30/day |
| 10 weeks | $2,040 Equivalent to $30/day |
| 12 weeks | $2,400 Equivalent to $29/day |
| 16 weeks | $3,080 Equivalent to $28/day |
| 20 weeks | $3,760 Equivalent to $27/day |
| 24 weeks | $4,440 Equivalent to $27/day |
- Accommodation
- Meals
- 24/7 in-country support
- In-country program orientation
- Pre-departure support from your Program Manager
- Airport pick-up
- Personalized preparation tools, guides and check lists
- Access to IVHQ’s preferred insurance and flights partners
- Certificate of International Volunteering
Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.
- All programs attract a Registration Fee of $299 in addition to the Program Fee. This covers all pre-departure support services.
- A 5% international banking fee is added at point of payment.
- Additional things to budget for include: Visa, flights, travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check, public transport to and from your placement each day and return to the airport when your program finishes.
- Recommended spending money: Volunteers in Romania generally find US$60 to be sufficient for weekly expenses including, transportation, water and miscellaneous spending.
Hungarian and Romanian language lessons
We recommend that volunteers take advantage of the very affordable Hungarian and Romanian lessons offered exclusively to IVHQ volunteers by local language teachers. These language courses are organized during your program orientation and are tailored to each volunteer’s current level of Hungarian or Romanian. We believe that taking these lessons can help you immensely with your day to day volunteer work and communicating with local people.
- Three hour intensive class - one person = US$25 (recommended for short term volunteers)
- One hour - one person = US$12.50
- One hour - five person group = US$4.50 per person
- Three hour intensive class - five person group = US$7 per person
Check what's required to visit Romania
Check out the widget below to find out what the Covid-19 restrictions and visa requirements are for Romania, based on your country of residence.
Safety and support
IVHQ follows best practice and industry-leading health and safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed and optimized as part of the B Corporation recertification.
- All volunteers encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training.
- All local teams trained on best practice volunteer management & First Aid.
- All IVHQ programs are required to adhere to IVHQ's Risk Management Policy.
- All volunteers have access to 24/7 in-country support from our local team.
Protecting against COVID-19:
Volunteers tested for COVID-19 within 72 hours of travel
Health & safety information provided during orientation
Strict disinfecting standards for programs & accomodation
Greater physical distance between volunteers
Essential country information
| Capital | Bucharest |
| Population | 20 Million |
| Languages | Romanian |
| Currency | Romanian Leu (RON) |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 |
Weather and climate
Romania has a temperate-continental climate with distinct seasons, cold winters and hot summers. Daytime temperatures in winter range from 0°C to 5°C and in the summers months 25°C to 30°C. The IVHQ Romania program is based in Transylvania where the average temperatures are a little more extreme than the average.
