RSIS Romania Project – July 2013 - Round Square

RSIS Romania Project – July 2013
Overview:
The village of Baisoara, population 2,180, is situated in the
Apuseni Mountains, 60 km from Cluj-Napoca. It is a lovely quiet
village, with many old and traditional houses, surrounded by
mountains and forest. The team will be building a centre for the
local youth who have nowhere to hang out or meet. In the middle
of the Project, the team will go on local hikes, and visit ancient
caves. After the Project, the team will embark on a 3-day hike,
and then go on a tour of some of the medieval and Saxon castles,
houses and citadels of Sighisoara, Bran and Sibiu.
The Project Host:
RSIS is working in partnership with Transylvania College, Cluj-Napoca. The College is an aspiring Regional
member of Round Square, and a unique school in their area of Romania due to their educational philosophy.
Some of their students will be joining the team during the Project, and their staff are organising the logistics
and will join the team for the duration of the trip.
The Task:
You’ll be working to construct a centre where local youth can meet,
study, work and play. They approached the mayor of the town to ask
for a facility as they have nowhere else to meet. So the team will build
a centre on a piece of common ground next to the sports field. There
is an old playground on part of the ground, so the team will clear and
prepare the area, build the centre with local builders and young
people, and also repair or re-build the playground. There are other
small projects that the team can also help with during their stay. For
example, none of the schools have playgrounds, so some of these
could be built, as well as doing basic repairs.
Other Activities during your stay:
You will meet plenty of local people during your stay! The village mayor is an incredible, very well respected
lady who will be pivotal in introducing you to the villagers. We hope you will be able to enjoy an evening
with a local family, and local youth will help with the building work. After the Project you will embark on a 4-
day hike in the Retezat Mountains, described as “one of the most
interesting and beautiful massifs in the Romanian Carpathians”. There are
well-marked trails, beautiful lakes and camping areas and it will be tough as
you need to carry all your equipment and food yourselves!
Mid-Project Break and Cultural Phase:
Half-way through the Project you will have a few days of fun – you’ll have a
day to do a hike from your accommodation in the mountains, and see some
more of the beautiful area you are in. You’ll also have a day to visit Bear
Cave and Ice Cave, which are a short distance away. Bear Cave contains
fossils and bones of bears from 15,000 years ago. Ice Cave is a “glacier
cave” and contains ice stalagtites and stalagmites that have been there for
up to 3,500 years. We are hoping that a specialist from Cluj University can
accompany the team to bring these huge caves even more to life.
After the hike at the end of the Project, the team will have 3 days touring round Sighisoara, Bran and Sibiu
RSIS, PO Box 4371, Bath BA1 0JD, UK
Registered in England as Round Square, Fairfax House, 15 Fulwood Place, London WC1V 6AY, UK
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on a cultural phase. These areas are home to medieval citadels, castles and Saxon villages, and are truly
beautiful. The way of life in these places hasn’t changed in centuries, and some are home to the famous
legend of Vlad Dracul….
Draft Itinerary (details subject to change, and will be confirmed nearer the time of departure):
July 10 Participants arrive in Cluj-Napoca
July 11 Rest, briefings and orientation
July 12 to 17 Project work in Baisoara
July 18 - 19 Mid-Project break
July 20 to 25 Second phase of Project work
July 26 to 29 Hike in Apuseni or Retezat Mountains
July 29 – Aug 1 Cultural tours/activities in Sigisoara/Brasov/Bran/Sibiu
Aug 2 Depart for home, end of trip!
Application Information:
Dates: The Project will start in Cluj-Napoca on July 10 th and will finish in Cluj-Napoca on August 2 nd 2013.
Flights: These must be arranged to arrive in Cluj-Napoca on July 10 th preferably before 1800. Students will
be able to depart at any time on August 2 nd . You can reach Cluj-Napoca direct from the UK, Germany and
many other European centres.
Student Cost: The cost of the Project will be £900 from arrival in, and departure from Cluj-Napoca.
The cost does not include international travel or en route accommodation to/from the point of
arrival/departure above, visas, inoculations, personal spending money, or equipment. It does include all
food, accommodation, transport, tours, visits and activities. All participants (except Romanian nationals) are
automatically covered by the Round Square travel and medical insurance policy.
Students who participate in this Project must be aged 16 or over at the time of the Project, and should have
a good degree of physical and mental fitness due to the terrain they will be living in and the nature of the
building work they are involved in. The team will be staying in Transylvania College’s Summer Camp when in
Baisoara; camping during the hike, and staying in 2-3-star hostels during the cultural phase and in Cluj.
Leadership Team: The Project Leaders will be confirmed in early 2013.
In-country Team: We are working in partnership with Transylvania College, the Mayor of Baisoara and a host
of local transport and building partners.
Application: A maximum of two students per school will be able to apply for each Project. Once the
completed and signed application form has been processed, and the deposit received, a confirmation letter
is sent to each participant. Flights must not be booked until this letter is received.
Deadlines for application: Places are given on a first come, first served basis so we strongly recommend you
submit your application form and deposit as soon as possible. If spaces remain after April 1 st 2013, these will
be offered to students from Round Square Regional Member Schools.
All enquiries relating to applications should go to your School RS Rep; or Clare Coverdale (RSIS Admin.
Assistant) at rsisadmin@roundsquare.org or Liz Gray (RSIS Projects Manager) on projects@roundsquare.org
RSIS, PO Box 4371, Bath BA1 0JD, UK
Registered in England as Round Square, Fairfax House, 15 Fulwood Place, London WC1V 6AY, UK
Charity No. 327117 Company Limited by Guarantee No. 2011514