EVS Volunteers: Robert and Catherine

Ref. No: 2003-BG-14

Project's aims:

• to support the social and community integration of disabled young people and socially and economically disadvantaged young people;
• to enhance the European values of equal opportunities through small scale youth activities within the Vidin community;
• to introduce and support team work as an approach of solving similar problems in the life of disabled young people and socially and economically disadvantaged young people.

Project's activities:

• establishing youth groups of vulnerable young people with problems in their socialization and integration in the community life;
• supporting these young people in their personal and social endeavors;
• initiating small-scale youth activities and projects, which will facilitate the integration of the created groups in the local community (the focus will be on the needs of young people, their integration in society, promotion of equal opportunities)
• adding the possible European dimension and encouraging European youth cooperation within the above-mentioned activities and projects (seminars, round tables, exchanges);
• defending the rights and interests of disabled young people and socially and economically disadvantaged young people before the municipality and school officials;
• disseminating good practices and stimulating friendship and support both in and outside the specific group of youngsters.

Volunteers' tasks:

Each EVS volunteer will have from 25 to 30 working hours per week.

There are several steps, which the volunteers will have to make during his/her period of volunteer work:

1. At the beginning s/he will pass two special trainings. One of them will be connected with working with disabled young people and socially and economically disadvantaged young people and it will focus on specific problems that exist in the region of Vidin. The second one will be for giving First Psychological and First Medicine Aid. It will prepare the volunteer for some specific problems that may occur while working with representatives of this special group of young people.
2. The mentor, who will support the volunteer during the period of volunteer work, will introduce him/her to his/her tasks. The mentor will be always near the volunteer in case that help is needed but it is envisaged that with the time s/he is going to become more and more independent in his/her work.
3. The volunteer will work out a framework plan for the activities that s/he would like to undertake during the volunteer period in Vidin. In it s/he will include his/her own practice and experience, in developing youth ideas for participation in the community life. S/he will also add the necessary European dimension and qualities in the respective ideas, which will have to facilitate the promotion of the European values within the youth work in the region.
4. During his/her work, the volunteer will work directly with vulnerable young people from the region. So s/he will have to create his/her team of such youngsters. The volunteer will choose a school in Vidin in which s/he will concentrate his/her work. S/he will be introduced to the school officials and s/he will get information from them for the possible target group. Then s/he will present her plan of activities before the students and will encourage them to play active part in the carrying out of the plan.
5. Then the volunteer and the group of vulnerable youngsters will follow the action plan. It is envisaged than the plan will have to be further accorded by the EVS volunteer to the needs and interests of his/her group.

The volunteer will be given the opportunity to initiate his/her own youth initiatives within the above-mentioned action plan, which are going to be supported from "Open Youth" with all possible means. In connection to that s/he will make daily meetings with his/her group. S/he will give advices to the young people and will support them not only for the above-mentioned activities, but also in the personal life of each group member. It is envisaged that the volunteer will become THE FRIEND with who the vulnerable youngster can speak for every their problem. That is why the volunteer should learn very quickly, in order to be able to integrate him/herself fully in the created group.

Special emphasis will be put on developing EVS awareness between the vulnerable young people, because EVS is giving an opportunity to everybody to enlarge his/her competitiveness in the social and professional life. In that connection the volunteer will have to be able to meet with young people from his/her group, who are interested in spending a volunteer period in foreign country. In such meetings s/he will make presentations of the EVS programme, of the opportunities that it gives to young people all over Europe, of possible difficulties, that a volunteer might encounter and of his/her own experience as volunteer. S/he will help such potential volunteers to establish contacts with host organizations and to successfully pass the process for becoming an EVS volunteer.

Most of the volunteer tasks will be performed out of doors.

The volunteer should be able to devote:

• 20% of the working time to motivate vulnerable young people to participate actively in the community life;
• 20% for sharing experience with staff or volunteers of the organization on organization of youth activities, connected with the respective action plan (eg. exhibitions, roundtables, exchanges and cultural events);
• 10% for enlarging the international contact making and networking with possible foreign partners;
• 40% for participating of his/her youth group in the organization of youth events, like exhibitions, workshops, debates, training courses and excursions;
• 10% supporting persons for doing an European voluntary service abroad.

A typical working day of the volunteer will be as follows:

8:00 a.m. - getting up
8:30 - breakfast
9:00 - 10:00 - language courses
10:00 - 12:00 - working on the volunteer's tasks
12:00 - 13:00 - lunch break
13:00 - 16:00 - working on the volunteer's tasks
16:00 - 19:00 - free time
19:00 - supper.

Requirements:
The volunteer should:

• have a basic knowledge of English language;
• be adaptable, flexible, active and enthusiastic;
• have a will for self-development.

Previous experience in youth work is desirable but not obligatory.