Dear all,
I am Maja from Serbia and I came to de Hoge Rielen on June 3th to volunteer for next 6 months. This blog is for future volunteers as well as for all people interested in my experience.
If you want to be a volunteer abroad, you should visit website http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_en.cfm. It is a program for young 18-30 years old people, sponsored by European Union in order to increase mobility of youngsters. All you have to do is write a good motivation letter. It takes several months to find sending organization in your country (many NGO, non-formal, youth organizations know and do EVS) and host organization abroad.
Start with choosing your field of interest and country in data base and apply for more than one project. If your competences and motivation meet expectations of staff in host organization, you will have a Skype interview. There are usually one or two volunteers for a project which lasts 6 months to 1 year, for long term EVS.
These facebook pages can help a lot in your process of searching EVS project in less formal way:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/10906777091/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/meetingpoint.evs/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/51839152704/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/EFDCouchsurfing/
Why EVS?
Apart from getting to know other culture and language, gaining new friends and meeting your own personality more, EVS gives you a certificate at the end of the project. It is called Youth Pass and many European countries and companies recognize it as an asset to your diplomas from formal system of education. It contains 8 competences, which you have to develop through the project: 1. ability to express yourself in the mother tongue, 2. communication in a language of the country you volunteer in (my Dutch classes are included in my work time hours and paid by the program), 3. mathematics and scientific skills (you have to economize with a small amount of pocket money per a month), 4. digital skills (learning to use the latest computer programs which are used in your organisation), 5. social skills (being active and sensitive towards needs of local communities), 6. learning to learn (be aware of your learning process because you really learn a lot about yourself and the world), 7. sense of initiative and team spirit, 8. cultural awareness (integration into society and culture of your new country).
Your mentor and supervisor abroad should help you develop those competences.
https://www.youthpass.eu/en/youthpass/guide/
These facebook pages can help a lot in your process of searching EVS project in less formal way:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/10906777091/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/meetingpoint.evs/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/51839152704/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/EFDCouchsurfing/
Why EVS?
Apart from getting to know other culture and language, gaining new friends and meeting your own personality more, EVS gives you a certificate at the end of the project. It is called Youth Pass and many European countries and companies recognize it as an asset to your diplomas from formal system of education. It contains 8 competences, which you have to develop through the project: 1. ability to express yourself in the mother tongue, 2. communication in a language of the country you volunteer in (my Dutch classes are included in my work time hours and paid by the program), 3. mathematics and scientific skills (you have to economize with a small amount of pocket money per a month), 4. digital skills (learning to use the latest computer programs which are used in your organisation), 5. social skills (being active and sensitive towards needs of local communities), 6. learning to learn (be aware of your learning process because you really learn a lot about yourself and the world), 7. sense of initiative and team spirit, 8. cultural awareness (integration into society and culture of your new country).
Your mentor and supervisor abroad should help you develop those competences.
https://www.youthpass.eu/en/youthpass/guide/
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