Global Volunteers' Romanian hosts enable you to assist them with two different, but very important, projects:

• Care for abandoned or disabled infants and toddlers:
  The Tutova Clinic cares for severely underweight babies who arrive shortly after birth to be nurtured back to health. The babies are generally scheduled to stay at the clinic for about a year, or until they can be reunited with their families. Unfortunately, in 25 percent of the cases, the parents never return. Many of the children who end up at a failure to thrive clinic are there because their parents are among the poorest of the poor.   You can make a significant contribution to the health and development of these children.

As a volunteer, you will be asked to care for and play with these infants and toddlers - feeding, teaching, diapering and giving them the stimulation, love, and nurturing that they need. Because Global Volunteers sends 16 three-week teams of volunteers to Tutova clinic every year, your contribution will be matched over and over again throughout the early years so that they receive nearly constant attention and care.

• Teach conversational English to teen-aged students:
  You can teach lessons in conventional classroom settings, focusing on "real-life" speaking skills. You'll usually teach four hours a day, Monday through Friday, and have four hours each day to collaborate with your teammates and prepare for class.
  

This is a very important service, and any native English speaker can be a resource, even if you don't have formal teaching experience. Romanian teachers appreciate the added benefit that their students receive from working with native speakers. Moreover, every volunteer is a vital link in the long chain of short-term volunteers who serve in these communities.