Love Volunteers, in tandem with its partner NGO in Moldova, is looking for volunteers for this small, picturesque, but very poor country. Volunteering in Moldova is a great prospect for those interested in Eastern Europe and who’d like to help the people of a country which, having enjoyed peace for several years now, suffered a civil war during the 1990s and has a reputation not just as one of Europe’s poorest countries but also as one of its friendliest.

Volunteering attracts people of all backgrounds and belonging to all age groups. Besides giving the volunteer a fresh outlook on life, increased self-confidence and problem-solving skills,it also provides a boost to one’s CV. For some a stint spent volunteering forms a perfect break between jobs or during a change of career direction.

The rewards of volunteering include the satisfaction that comes from making a daily impact on the lives of individuals affected by limited economic, educational and health prospects. Volunteering brings you into contact with people eager to introduce you to their world, its customs and its outlook on life. In Moldova, the volunteer placements consist mainly of working in a secondary school teaching conversational English. You will find Moldovan students enthusiastic to learn about life beyond their own borders. By virtually becoming one of the locals, volunteers make many new friends.

With Love Volunteers’ partner’s dedicated staff on hand, volunteers can be certain of being usefully deployed whilst being fully supported on one of the programs. For more info about Moldova check out Lonely Planet's Eastern Europe Guide.

Start and Duration

Volunteers can commence their placement on any date they wish. The programs’ duration is from two to ten weeks. Volunteers can choose to arrive at Chisinau Airport, Railway Station or Bus station or alternatively can fly to Odessa airport in Ukraine.

Volunteer Requirements

To volunteer on a program in Moldova you need to be at least 18 years of age and speak fluent English.

No specific previous experience or qualifications are necessary. However, good communication skills and personal qualities such as a sense of humour, sensitivity towards others and resourcefulness in the face of limited materials and equipment are all desirable. For more information contact us or apply to volunteer in Moldova now!

Project Descriptions for Moldova

Program Costs

Love Volunteers offers not-for-profit program fees and is one of the most affordable ways to help out in a developing country while being immersed in the local culture.

Fees for volunteer programs in Moldova start at about US$352 (€268) for one week, which includes accommodation, three meals a day, an airport pick-up and drop-off (if required), orientation and 24/7 in-country support. The final price can fluctuate slightly depending on the exchange rate.

Other volunteers periods available. Please, contact LoveVolunteers for pricing of other periods.

A Love Volunteers registration fee of US$235 (approximately €170) is charged in addition to the program fees and covers any placements you undertake for twelve months from the start of your first placement. The fee is refundable if you choose not to volunteer more than three months prior to the start of your initial placement. This fee ensures 24/7 pre- and post-placement support from Love Volunteers, checking and vetting of local organisations, a comprehensive information pack, as well as administration and marketing costs. Given Love Volunteers is a not-for-profit organisation we also ask volunteers to cover any bank charges incurred by international money transfers.

Food and Accommodation

Volunteers are fortunate in being accommodated with a friendly host family in Causeni, a small city lying in the centre of the country. Here, the volunteer has a room of his or her own, with use of a shared western-style bathroom. The host family will provide you three meals a day.

Food in Moldova is known for its richness and features some specialties like mititeyi which consists of little grilled sausages served with peppers and onions. Maize is a staple ingredient, giving rise to Mamaliga which is a gooey maize pie served with the country’s favourite cheese, brinza, or with meat. Other typical dishes, reminiscent of Greek cuisine, are goulash and stuffed vine leaves. Vegetables which feature in Moldovan cooking include aubergines, green peppers, tomatoes, beans, onions and garlic. Locally-grown water melons are a popular fruit. Other desserts involve apples, quince, cherries, apricots, plums and nuts. Corn cake and the sunflower-based "halva de răsărită" are two other sweets.

Moldova is one of the largest wine producers in the world and longer-term volunteers will have the opportunity to visit one of the country's prestigious vinyards.

Orientation

Orientation takes place within the first few days of arrival, including meeting the principal of the placement school and having a tour of the premises.

Throughout their stay in Moldova volunteers receive the support and guidance of native Moldovan representatives who will answer questions and offer advice should it be needed. They will also have a chance to visit the breakaway territory of Transnistria.

A Typical Week

The working week runs from Monday to Friday. Work commences around 8am and there is a lunch break at about 1pm before finishing at about 5pm. Participants have the weekend free to explore the cities of Causeni and Chisinau or to simply take time to relax. Trips around Moldova, and possibly into Ukraine, can also be organised.

Chisinau was totally destroyed by bombardment during WWII and also after an earthquake which occurred in 1940. This is a very green city; it is also where you discover the striking gulf that exists between rich and poor.

Elegant restaurants, nightclubs and up-market shops abound. Wide boulevards, lakes and parks make this a pleasant place to be by day, and then there is also the lively night life. Chisinau celebrates its annual City Day on 14 October. Preceding that is the fortnight-long Wine Festival.

About the Country

With Romania and Ukraine as its immediate neighbours, the Republic of Moldova contains several separate ethnic groups. A small country with less than 4.5 million inhabitants, Moldova’s greatest export is wine. The rural landscape is one not just abounding with vineyards, but possessing peaceful, intensely green pastures, fields of sunflower fields and others yielding enormous watermelons.

There are cave monasteries to be visited at Trebujeni, also known as Orheiul Vechi, a network carved by 13th century monks and inhabited for five subsequent centuries. Conditions were extremely Spartan. Today it has a certain eerie quality.

Even older are the cave monasteries at Tipova, said to be Eastern Europe’s largest. This area is also the place to enjoy walks around the forested hills and by the River Dniester with tributaries where waterfalls cascade.

A visit to Tiraspol – the capital of the small self-declared republic of Transnistria in the south-east of the country – gives visitors some inkling of what Moscow was like in Soviet times.

Vadu lui Voda, on the other hand, is a rural retreat where Moldovans head at weekends. It has basic cabins for camping, a riverside beach, a good number of reasonably-priced bars and restaurants and plenty of hiking.

Overall, the little-known country of Moldova, while not strikingly dramatic, is something of a gem.

Apply now! Or check out the FAQ or contact page for more information.