- Germany
- Present
Tell me something about yourself (studies, family, hobbies, dreams, etc.)
My name is Lorenzo. I am at the time 19 years old and will soon turn 20 in January. This year in June I finished school and got myself the qualification for studying at universities. At the moment I am working at Casa Providenței in Moldova as a volunteer. I have an older sister who is about to finish her studies and begin working soon. Both my parents and the rest of my family are from Romania, still, not all of us live there anymore. Me, my parents and my sister lives in Germany. We live there for more than 20 years. Some of my relatives also live with us in Germany, but most of them stayed in Romania and a couple of them went to France and Spain.
In my spare time, I mostly sat at the computer playing video games, watching YouTube, and rarely working with sophisticated programs like sound modifiers or picture editing. I also went to the gym as long as I had time for it until Covid came by.
Right now, I signed at the gym again and I started to read books. I still sit at the computer but decrease the time I spend at it. I aim for doing more productive things in the future, like learning French and riding a skateboard. Those are my goals for now and I hope I can achieve at least a couple of them before returning back to Germany.
When, how, and why did you decide to do a voluntary service?
The last few years of school have been very difficult. Not only because of the difficult educational material we had to learn, but also because Covid came around. The days were getting harder with each passing day as we came closer to the final exams. We had to learn a lot of things under complicated circumstances like online lessons or wearing masks all day during school when we had actual lessons. It was then that I realized that I couldn’t go on with that kind of work, which would have continued if I decided to study or learn a profession. I wanted something that got me out of that loop of constant pressure and stress, so I decided to travel to another country. As I searched for organizations that made such travel opportunities possible, I made my mind about what my work in a foreign country would actually be. I came to the conclusion that I wanted to work with older people. I really enjoy hearing about their lives and themselves, whilst comparing it to mine and seeing the shift in society, which things are better now and which were better in the past.
Why did you choose Moldova? Why Casa Providentei?
I didn’t choose Moldova on my own, it was recommended to me. My favorite countries to travel to, where France and England. But I saw Moldova as a better destination, for it is a country with much higher contrast to Germany than the others. I already knew how Moldova would look like because I often went to Romania, which it was a former part of. The living conditions there are very different from western countries, mostly poorer and lesser developed. So I decided to take the trip to Moldova and spend my year there because that is where I am much more needed than in France or England. After all, there were enough volunteers going to England and France.
Did you have cultural shock?
Not really. I had lived in Romania for a year and finished my second grade there. At that time I had a big cultural shock. But since then, I am used to the mentality and people. This made it easier for me to connect and accept my new home in Moldova.
Are there some new things you learned?
Since I arrived, the only skill I acquired was cooking. I may not cook the best food, but it’s good enough for me. Besides that, I learned or rather made more experiences, than I have ever in my entire life before.
What do you expect after the end of your volunteering?
I hope to achieve all my goals that I’ve set for myself this year, or at least getting closer to them. I strive to becoming a new person, dedicated, courageous, and unique.
How would you characterize Moldova in 3 words? And why?
Poor. Indifferent. Down-to-earth
Moldova is the poorest country in Europe and that’s noticeable. The people here have learned to deal with that. They have no urge for the most perfect and best things that exist. That’s why most of them are as down-to-earth as possible. Everyone knows what it means to work hard, in order to keep their family safe and satisfied. Of course there are exceptions, people that have a lot of money and think about themselves as superior. But these people are everywhere where money flows. Even in countries like Moldova.