Brandusa  started 5 months ago a new chapter of her life  by volunteering through Erasmus Plus Program at YWCA-YMCA Global  Norway.

The project is focused  raising awareness on global issues for justice and peace, and how to respond to them, in all through activities with children and teenagers and young peopl, visiting local youth and children groups, helping them to take part in our global Y  movement for example  through the Stop Poverty Campaign and helping  with the day to day tasks of local program activities and at the community center for young people (Forandringshuset Haugesund)

” On the first day I arrived i was welcomed by two of my colleagues. We went to the  office where all the colleagues prepared a warm welcome. My first weekend was dedicated to discover Oslo, I wandered as much as I could. I was curious to see the people, to observe their behavior and to enjoy the outdoors.

On my first day I met Jenny, the person I am working with, both of us we are sharing the tasks of an assistant manager, she is very friendly and generous. After the first two weeks I was in love with Oslo, it is a wonderful city. So many green areas, you feel like on a holiday in a mountain resort. I am getting along well also with the other volunteers from the office, I have already been in 2 summer camps where I have connected with Norwegian youth who are volunteering for the YMCA. I helped in organizing the Global Week 2019 , project coordinated by the former Romanian EVSer from last year – Irina Stroia.

This project was a camp where for a week participants from 17 countries learnt about SDGs – the Sustainable Development Goals created by UN- to reach global peace  and a better living on our Planet. We learnt about what we can do as individuals and also as a collective voice in order to transform our communities. Above all, we made friends and we can travel freely knowing that in all those 17 countries we have a places to stay and people to see.

My tasks at Y Global are strictly administrative, i help out with the documents need it for the visa applications for other participants , sometimes I represent the organization at some conferences and trainings.

Summer in Norway was very nice bu short, and surprisingly we had 30 degrees Celsius.

I am glad that through this project I can live in this country – this was a dream come true.Norway is a beautiful country but it is not for everybody.

For the moment I am trying to discover as much as I can and to enjoy the lower temperatures” – Brandusa Rotaru, Romanian International volunteer at Y Global, Norway.