This month, as previously mentioned, we received Anna, a young French volunteer who is doing her civic service in Satu Mare.
Hello, today we meet Anna, a young volunteer in civic service at Emmaus Satu Mare. How are you?
I am very well, thank you Sammy, and you?
I’m fine! I’ll let you introduce yourself.
My name is Anna, I come from Brittany, I am currently in Iasi doing an exchange and I am doing a civic service in Satu Mare.
Tell us everything, why did you choose this project, why did you come to Romania for this new adventure?
I wanted to have an experience in the social field and I was hesitating between the civic service or the EVS (European Voluntary Service). In the end, I was interested in the project of integration of young adults, in an Eastern country that I did not know at all. And I would like to continue my studies as an educational counsellor, which fits in well with my project.
Have you had similar experiences before?
I have been in charge of adapted stays for disabled people, in the Vendée.
What are your activities at Emmaus Satu Mare? What is your daily routine?
Based on the Emmaus model, we have two sales outlets and a community house where all the young people work, and my role is to accompany the young people professionally, through the store, or in a personal way at the community house, whether it’s in sports or cultural outings.
What were your first impressions, your feelings when you arrived at Emmaus Satu Mare ? Did it change you, was the welcome good?
There was a very nice welcome, whether it was with the young people or the team. We still had to assimilate this beautiful Romanian language. But it went very well.
You came for a week to our Emmaus centre in Iasi, what were your first impressions, both of the city and of our centre, with the companions?
The cities are very different, Satu Mare is very far away and not at all cosmopolitan. Whereas Iasi is three times bigger, very student and very dynamic.
As far as the association is concerned, since they are based on the same model, I had the impression that I was living in Satu Mare in a different environment, with different people.
Thank you Anna for answering my questions for this interview to be published in the June newsletter.
Thank you.