The program was once again preceded by several months of preparation, during which the students collected the financial resources necessary for the activities through charity fairs, school events and other fundraising initiatives. Thanks to their diligent work, everything they accomplished during the past week could be realized.

A meeting of generations

The volunteer week began on Friday, April 10, at the St. Elisabeth Elderly Home in Oradea. The Dutch students, together with enthusiastic local Caritas volunteers, weeded, whitewashed tree trunks, replanted flowers and raked in the garden, beautifying the surroundings for the elderly residents.

Later, during a special moment, one of the students, Milan, gave an impromptu piano performance on the home’s upright piano, interpreting a Hungarian Rhapsody by Franz Liszt, while his peers presented handmade gifts to the residents, including those confined to bed. The young people also enthusiastically participated in the elderly residents’ exercise session. This music-based physical activity, usually held two or three times a week to help preserve mobility, became even more cheerful thanks to their participation. There was also time for the volunteers to take some of the more adventurous residents for a walk in the nearby park—pushing some in wheelchairs, while others were accompanied arm in arm in the pleasant sunshine.

In the afternoon, the volunteers picked up brushes and protective clothing and visited the Oradea house of the Bread of Life Community, where they repainted the outdoor playground of the kindergarten operating there. With hard work, they sanded and repainted swings, climbing frames, play structures, as well as the wrought-iron gate and the chapel doors, bringing new color to this special community house guided by prayer and service to those in need.

Easter at the homeless shelter

On April 11, on the occasion of Orthodox Easter, the volunteers brought sandwiches and hygiene packages to the homeless shelter in Oradea to brighten the holiday of its residents. The students not only prepared the sandwiches themselves but also collected the contents of the hygiene packages at their school.

As a result, they were able to distribute tailored packages to the male and female residents. While men received packages containing toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, shower gel and shampoo, women received hygiene kits supplemented with skincare products, sanitary pads and tampons—items that help them maintain their dignity despite their vulnerable situation.

The young volunteers also spoke with the homeless residents. Some of them were able to communicate in English because they had previously worked abroad, while for the others communication was assisted by an interpreter. They asked the residents about their past, their families, and especially about the circumstances that had led them to lose the roof over their heads.

Despite their differences, several recurring themes and patterns appeared again and again in the life stories they heard, such as childhood spent in orphanages, broken marriages, and inability to work due to addiction or illness.

“Life is good here. We live peacefully, and the director helps us in whatever he can. Only one thing does not let me rest. In the orphanage where I grew up, we always had to live according to strict rules. We were told when to wake up, when to eat, when to go to bed, when and what we were allowed to do. I always longed to be independent, but now in my old age I have ended up in a place where life is regulated in the same way. But I do not complain, because they really treat us very well. I just hoped that by the end of my life I could be more independent,” said one of the residents.

Relaxation after work

To ease the emotional weight of the conversations, the students ended the day with a special experience. They watched the sunset and the city’s night lights from Calvaria Hill in Oradea. Earlier that day, they had also visited the local aquapark, and even found time to finish painting the railings at the St. Elisabeth Elderly Home, which they had not been able to complete the previous day.

On the rest day of the volunteer week, Sunday, the Dutch students went on an excursion to Runcului Gorge and Vărciorog Waterfall. Although the ankle-deep snow posed a challenge for them, the pleasantly warm weather and their good mood helped them along the slopes of the Apuseni Mountains. Along the way, they laughed heartily at one another and at themselves, often falling into the snow. However, when they reached their destination and could look down into the astonishing red depths of the gorge, they admired the beauty of nature with open mouths and remarked that the sight was worth every effort.

Visit to home-care patients

Although the hike had been tiring, the next day the young people were not idle. On Monday, April 13, they visited patients receiving care at home, under the guidance of healthcare assistant Alexandra Kovács. The foreign students brought generous food packages and toiletries to the beneficiaries, and with the help of an interpreter they spoke with them, listened to their life stories, and learned how important the service provided by Caritas Catolica is—often invisible to the outside world—even for patients who have family members to help them, not to mention those who are alone and for whom nurses and social workers represent the only connection to the outside world.

New football goals inaugurated in Săcueni

The Child Jesus Home in Săcueni was once again an unmissable stop of the international volunteer week, not only because it is one of the Dutch students’ favorite destinations, but also because they could finally inaugurate together the two outdoor football goals that Caritas Catolica had purchased for the children’s home as a result of their fundraising the previous year.

The meeting began with a short introductory conversation and gift-giving. Rens, one of the volunteer students, brought child-sized football jerseys for the young players of Săcueni, and packages of Mozart chocolate balls donated by Caritas Vienna and delivered through the Austrian deacon Peter Zidar were also handed over.

The time spent together was once again carefree and joyful. In addition to a friendly football match, they played board games, frisbee, darts, made temporary tattoos for each other, but above all laughed a lot and got to know one another. The group, joined by local Caritas volunteers from Oradea, spent another unforgettable afternoon in the family-like community of the children in Săcueni, expressing their gratitude to the Saint Francis Foundation of Deva for making these meetings possible year after year.

Exercise and music with the elderly

On Tuesday, April 14, the volunteer week continued at the St. Martin Elderly Home in Oradea. The young people presented handmade floral arrangements to the 35 elderly residents. Under the guidance of director Andrea Paur and social worker Vivien Sîrca, they visited every room, spoke with the residents, including bedridden patients, who greatly appreciated the small gestures and the youthful presence of the volunteers.

Encouraged by the joy of the encounter, many residents felt inspired to take part in the group exercise session held in the garden in the gentle sunshine, together with the Dutch students. The music-based exercise session was led by physiotherapist Judit Orbán. The activity exercised not only the limbs but also the diaphragm, especially during ball-throwing, where the elderly often proved more playful than the teenagers sitting among them.

The fun was followed by more serious work. Some of the young people planted flowers and pruned trees in the garden, while others prepared jam rolls and “Fanta cake” for the elderly. The gathering was crowned by an impromptu piano concert by Milan. The Dutch boy first began playing alone in the community room emptied after lunch, but the beautiful music soon gathered an audience of elderly residents, who rewarded the performance with enthusiastic applause.

Distribution of non-perishable food packages

On Tuesday afternoon, the volunteers visited the slum area near the landfill in Episcopia Bihor, where they distributed non-perishable food packages to families living in improvised dwellings without water and electricity. In the constantly changing community, the Caritas volunteers were once again confronted with a distressing sight. With their packages—richly filled with products that could bring joy to both families and children—they brought a little light into the lives of those they found at home during their visit.

Following the landfill action, they also visited several families near Oradea who are registered beneficiaries of Caritas. Special thanks are due to the SOEB foundation from the Netherlands for donating the non-perishable food for this purpose. On Wednesday, April 15, the young people delivered food packages to families and elderly individuals in Otomani, guided by Mayor Béla Horváth.

Games in the afterschool program in Tășnad

The final stop of the international volunteer week was Tășnad, where the Dutch students organized playful activities with disadvantaged children participating in the local Caritas afterschool program.

The gathering began with a shared lunch, which provided an excellent opportunity for bonding. They served food to one another, laughed together, and already at the table began playing rock-paper-scissors and rhythmic clapping games, which the children happily taught the older students. The fact that they did not speak the same language did not pose any barrier at all.

After lunch, the play continued even more intensively. Some of the children learned to play the piano from Milan, while others played board games, made washable tattoos, played football, practiced target throwing, or chased soap bubbles in the yard using automatic bubble guns donated by the Dutch group. The younger children did not want to leave the arms of the Dutch girls throughout the afternoon, and in the carefree atmosphere even those who were usually more withdrawn opened up.

Although the activity ended too soon, during the farewell the Dutch students promised that they would return next year with similar programs.

“I had a very interesting week. I have always wanted to help as a volunteer. It was good to find this opportunity. This week, however, was intense and full of experiences. It was at the same time joyful and touching, funny and very serious. It was good to be with the elderly, and I also enjoyed talking with the young people. I was saddened to see how many problems there are. But it felt good to see that even a smile or a hug can help. And not just a little. The Dutch team consisted of fantastic people. It was a great experience to go through this week together with them. I would like to continue volunteering. It is a good feeling. Not everyone is as fortunate as I am. But I hope that my help matters.”

The volunteer week concluded with a pizza party and an award ceremony, during which not only the Dutch students and their accompanying teachers were recognized, but also the most active local volunteers of Caritas Catolica. All participants expressed their gratitude and were deeply moved, and they also stated that they would like to repeat the activities next year with the same dedication.