Community Garden Volunteer Project in Romania - Miercurea Ciuc
Have green fingers and want to be a Community Gardening volunteer in Romania? International Volunteer HQ’s Community Garden project enables volunteers to assist at a community garden and greenhouse that provides fruit and vegetables for people in need. Volunteers will gain agricultural experience, learn about traditional Romanian gardening practices and be able to explore and implement sustainable practices and ideas that could improve the garden’s productivity and impact.
Highlights:
- Programs start every first and third Monday of the month
- Affordable fees from $504 for 1 week
- Includes accommodation, meals, airport pick up, orientation and 24/7 support
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Produce organic and sustainable fruit and vegetables for people in need
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Explore the incredible castles and historic towns of Romania
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Stay with other volunteers in the charming city of Miercurea Ciuc
Key information
This program is ideal for:
What to expect and how you'll make an impact
Organic farming is increasingly being seen as the best way to produce fresh fruit and vegetables around the world. By avoiding the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, conventional agriculture can reduce its carbon footprint, become more sustainable and provide communities with better, more nutritious food.
As a Community Garden volunteer, you’ll have a crucial role in the upkeep of a community garden and greenhouse that provides gardening space for locals, especially those with large families, to grow their own fruit and vegetables while their children use the playground. These families often live in large multi-storied block houses and have little access to green spaces or childcare.
The specific tasks you’ll undertake will depend on the time of year and needs of the project, but can include helping with :
- Watering, planting and harvesting fruit and vegetables
- Creating eggshell powder and using wood ash to add nutrients back into the soil
- Maintaining and upgrading the rainwater collection system
- Compost maintenance
- Refurbishing the solar heat collector
- Lawnmowing and general grounds upkeep
It’s important you’re prepared to help out where the need is greatest at the time as this is how tasks are assigned. The project is closed from November to February, as the winter temperatures are too cold for meaningful volunteer work.
You’re encouraged to use innovation and sustainable practices to try out new techniques. As an example, previous volunteers have created an active composting system, installed a drip irrigation system and built a solar panel using recycled cans.
While you’re volunteering, you may also be able to spend time with other community causes, including local conservation-focused NGOs, in their efforts toward environmental preservation. This can include hay meadow mowing, river clean-ups as well as monitoring and protecting endangered flora and fauna. This kind of work usually comes in the form of one-off events, which the local team can facilitate with you.
Why do Community Gardening volunteering in Miercurea Ciuc with IVHQ?
When you volunteer in a community garden in Romania you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:
- Supporting a local initiative providing food for disadvantaged people
- Encouraging sustainable and environmentally gardening
- Learning about traditional Romanian agricultural practices
- Developing your communication skills
- Gaining sustainability and agricultural experience
- Immersing yourself in Romanian culture
- Exploring Romania’s historic cities
Volunteer requirements
- Volunteers under the age of 16 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.
Are you eligible to volunteer?
Submit a free application so we can confirm your eligibility and check availability for your preferred dates.
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Academic course credit
Gain course credit from your college or university and meet your academic requirements when completing a volunteer abroad program with International Volunteer HQ!
Learn about course credit”I had the most wonderful experience during my month volunteering in the Sustainable Agriculture program in Romania. IVHQ & the local team provided more than enough support for my trip. The program coordinator and the local team were exceedingly caring in making sure everybody has a rewarding and positive experience on their trip. I was able to connect an...” read more
Quinn, American, 24
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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. 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 introduction week has an extra cost of $540 (approximately $540) 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 Introduction 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 Introduction, 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 or in a volunteer house. The smaller apartment accommodates up to 8 volunteers of the same gender in 1 room whereas the larger apartment, with 3 bedrooms, accommodates up to 19 volunteers. During the summer you can expect to be sharing with 7-17 people if you are in the female apartment (distributed between 3 connecting rooms) and in the male apartment between 4-8 people. In all other months the number is usually between 3-6 people. The volunteer house is made up of 4 rooms and you can expect to share a room with one other person of the same gender.
The accommodation is based centrally and is within 10 - 15 minutes walking distance to the local team’s office, and steps away from numerous cafes and restaurants. Bedding is provided and towels are available on request. An Accommodation Manager lives in a self-contained apartment onsite, and he is responsible for purchasing the food for the accommodation, as well as all general maintenance issues. 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. If you have any specific requests in regards to your accommodation, please let your IVHQ Program Manager know, and our local team will do their best to arrange that for you.
WiFi is available at the volunteer apartments and volunteer house, 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.
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.
|
|---|---|
| 1 week | $504 Equivalent to $72/day |
| 2 weeks | $867 Equivalent to $62/day |
| 3 weeks | $1,134 Equivalent to $54/day |
| 4 weeks | $1,401 Equivalent to $50/day |
| 5 weeks | $1,664 Equivalent to $48/day |
| 6 weeks | $1,927 Equivalent to $46/day |
| 8 weeks | $2,453 Equivalent to $44/day |
| 10 weeks | $2,979 Equivalent to $43/day |
| 12 weeks | $3,491 Equivalent to $42/day |
| 16 weeks | $4,515 Equivalent to $40/day |
| 20 weeks | $5,521 Equivalent to $39/day |
| 24 weeks | $6,521 Equivalent to $39/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
- Discounts on language lessons
- Certificate of International Volunteer Service
Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.
- All programs attract a Registration Fee of US$329 (approximately $329) 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 private class = US$30 (recommended for short term volunteers)
- One hour private class = US$15
These language lessons can be booked directly through IVHQ once you have registered for the Romania program.
Check what's required to visit Romania
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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.
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.
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