Constructing hope: 3 lessons we can all learn from the students who support Ukrainian refugees
Living in a dorm takes some getting used to. It’s definitely the kind of thing that grows on you over time, looking back to memories of a time that is close to your heart yet challenging, as it reshapes your understanding of the world. For most university students coming to live in Bucharest dorms, these are stories of independence gained and…, Lesson 1: Ordinary young people can drive extraordinary change , The days and nights at the beginning of the centre’s story, receiving the very first waves of refugees, will be forever imprinted in the memories of the volunteers. Alexia, then a first year student, laughs as she recalls how the arrival of the first bus one evening found her completely unprepared: “The other volunteers had gone off to pack…, Lesson 2: There is no match for a strong community , One of the most profound lessons that Alexia, Andreea, Corina and Victor learned through their volunteer experience was the transformative power of empathy and human connection. They witnessed firsthand how statistics and numbers often fail to capture the true essence of the refugee crisis, and how genuine empathy can make all the difference in…, Lesson 3: You can be everything , As they reflect on their journey, the students highlight the lessons that most touched their lives. First and foremost, they learned that deciding to act in key moments can have an extraordinary impact for creating change. Each small act of kindness, each hour spent supporting the refugees, contributed to a collective effort that transformed lives…