YOUNG people from Ardoyne Youth Club and New Lodge Youth Centre have returned home from a life-changing trip to Romania.
The Romania Project – which started in 2015 – enables young people to participate in a year-long project at home, before taking their experiences abroad.
This year 22 young people from both centres made the trip to Baraolt, a town and administrative district in Covasna County, Romania. It lies in the Székely Land in eastern Transylvania, close to the border with Hungary.
Before the recent trip, a year of preparation was required, with a focus on group work and volunteering.
Sean McMullan, from New Lodge Youth Centre explained: "It is a year-long programme where the young people work on their personal and social development.
"It is all about improving their aspirations, confidence and leadership skills.
"A big part of the programme this year was volunteering in the 174 Trust and building relationships with young people with disabilities.
"There was also volunteering with the People’s Kitchen and working with vulnerable people who are homeless across the city.
"All this work and preparation leads to the trip to Romania itself."
In Baraolt, the group undertook a number of projects including working with vulnerable young people, working in a family centre and Baraolt’s High School.
"The work over there involved working with young people there of a similar age and those in the Romanian social services circle," added Sean. "We also worked in a young person’s living facility and made a donation to decorate the disability centre.
"The area is very poverty-stricken. The local people are Hungarian but are under governance of Romania.
"We wanted our work to leave an impact in Romania. It is all about empowering the young people to return home as community leaders with better social skills and a positive peer leader amongst their friends.
"We know from previous Romania Project programmes that this type of work does wonders for our young people.
"We want them to be their best selves and already some have applied for their community youth work degree."
You can read some blogs from the young people involved on the Romania Project Facebook page here.
