Director's Message
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Sheila Crowley,Peace Corps Romania Country Director |
Serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer is perhaps one of the most rewarding and transformational experiences of a lifetime. Cultural immersion, a global perspective, new friendships, the opportunity to serve your country, to serve others and to affect change are many of the things that you will gain. What you will give is your time, your talents, your skills, your patience, your understanding, your flexibility, your creativity, your perspective and your perservance.
Choosing to be a Peace Corps Volunteer is a big commitment and responsibility. You are accepting to live and work in another culture, to use a different language, to adapt to different rules and regulations. You have a job to do and our expectations for your service are high. You are an ambassador for your country, a representative of Peace Corps and all that implies. While exciting and exhilatering most of the time, it is not without its challenges and frustrations.
Peace Corps Romania has some unique challenges. Oftentimes you are confronted with circumstance beyond your control and must learn to adjust. Romania is a post-communist EU member country - the challenges here are more psychological than physical. Peace Corps' optimistic philosphy and collaborative approach are often incongruent with the past history of this country. Many question the relevance of Peace Corps in this type of environment. Because our national partners are an educated, capable and skilled workforce, Peace Corps is not being asked to help Romania meet its basic needs, which is what many volunteers envision when the join Peace Corps. We are however being asked to partner and collaborate with teachers; to contribute and to share new ideas, to offer a different perspective, to be "cultural animators." Relevancy is subjective, but as a cross-cultural, peace building organization, Peace Corps remains relevant around the world and that includes Romania.
Peace Corps Romania will continue to evolve to meet the needs of our hosts, which currently includes a more focused approach to teaching English Education in rural and underserved communities. Our volunteers play an integral part on the world development stage; by illustrating the impact and effect of cultural exchange, by building bridges of understanding- a fundamental basis of peace- and by helping build and enhance the capacity and skills of interested Romanians.
Multumesc Mult!
Your commitment to serve is appreciated! Keep up the good work!
"THE TOUGHEST JOB YOU WILL EVER LOVE."