Project description
“EVS Architects of Change” is a long-term EVS project that aims to increase the chances of social integration of children and young people from rural areas by improving their life skills.
The project also aims to contribute to reducing early school leaving and increasing the number of high school graduates among the children/youngsters from rural areas.
The project will involve 4 EVS volunteers from 4 different countries: Spain, Turkey, Italy and Armenia.
Project activities: 15/11/2017 – 15/06/2018 (7 months) Venue: Project activities will take place in Focsani, the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania, in the historical region of Moldavia. The activities will take place in ”Gheorghe Asachi” High School; Children’s Palace, The Elementary School – Grades I-VIII Garoafa, institutions which are schooling many youngsters from rural areas. Target group The volunteers will work with the following target groups: children/youngsters 6 – 18 years old.
Project activities will have the form of thematic workshops, organized in schools during the homeroom/advisory classes, civic education classes, English language classes, sports classes, art and craft classes. The activities will be focused on: financial education, health education, leisure education activities.
The tasks of the volunteers will be:
– plan, organize and implement thematic workshops in schools where they will carry out non-formal education activities focussed on financial education and healthy lifestyle education;
– propose and run afternoon activities/workshops, useful and meaningful both for the volunteers and for the children in Palatul Copiilor Focsani, focussed on English language, drawing, dancing, art craft, gastronomy;
– writing weekly reports/articles where they describe their volunteer experience;
– writing the journal of the project;
– writing an article for the Volunteer’s Magazine;
– engage in community life, helping children in schools to take the first steps towards a better future and personal development, gaining confidence and becoming familiar to the European values.
Expected learning outcomes:
By the end of the 7 – month stage the volunteers will be able to improve/acquire:
- knowledge and experience in performing non-formal education activities;
- communication skills in English and his/her own mother language; knowledge of basic Romanian language;
- skills to work in an international team;
- skills in managing the relationship with disadvantaged children and youth;
- knowledge of the organization of NGOs, experience in volunteering and interculturalism;
- time management skills, team coordination skills, they will learn what it means to bring a change in the
- environment where they live and they will also develop the European and intercultural dimension;
- entrepreneurial skills – the volunteers will develop their sense of initiative and entrepreneurship by designing and coordinating project activities;
- coordination skills, teamwork, leadership, partnership management and project management, that serve them in future projects;
- the volunteers will also improve their social and networking skills and will become more motivated to engage in community life as a result of their working with children and youth during the project;
- knowledge about the Romanian culture, traditions, customs, gastronomy.
Other details:
Accommodation: The volunteers will live in a flat accommodation in Focșani, in shared bedrooms, individual beds, with common area, shared cooking, washing, laundry and social facilities, free wi-fi included.
Food: Volunteers will receive a monthly food allowance to buy food products and cook for themselves. They will also receive a monthly allowance of 60 Euro in form of “pocket money”.
Local Transport: The volunteers’ flat is situated near the location of the activities, it is only a 15 minutes’ walk to get to the place.
Travel: The volunteers together with their Sending Organisations will be responsible for arranging their travel. The travel costs will be reimbursed at the end of the project according to the distance band limits imposed by the European Commission.
Holidays: EVS volunteers will work 5 hours per day, 5 days a week, two consecutive days off per week and two days off per month.
National Holidays are also free days.
Training during the project
The volunteers will be accompanied and supported at all times during the activities by the teachers from classes and they will receive training at the beginning of their stage to become familiar with the way the activities will be implemented. They will receive ongoing support from activity coordinators, teachers and staff of our organization.
The volunteers will attend the On-Arrival Training and Mid-Term Evaluation, organized by the Romanian National Agency.
The volunteers will also receive Romanian language training for the first 3 months.
Volunteer profile
– Young people aged 18-30 years old, motivated by the project’s theme;
– the volunteers should be willing to spend time with children/youngsters, patient, empathetic, eager to learn new things;
– The volunteers should have a good level of English; be willing to learn Romanian, able to work in a team;
– The volunteers should be responsible, flexible, non-discriminatory;
– They should be motivated by this project and able to attend the full duration of the project.
How to apply
The volunteers should send an email with their CV and Motivation Letter at info@fioh-ngo.com. Then we will send an application form to be filled in.
Deadline 25.06.2017
Preselected applicants will be contacted for the interview.
Project Environment
Focşani is the capital city of Vrancea county, situated in the east of Romania, in the historical region of Moldavia. The city lies 180 km north-northeast of Bucharest. Focşani is the centre of a wine-making region that has been famous for its vineyards since the 15th century. Focşani is also an industrial city, processing dairy products and manufacturing furniture and clothing.
The social reality in Romania shows that there are still strong inequalities between the development opportunities of children from rural area and those from urban area, highlighted by relevant statistical indicators, with short or medium effects on children, but also with long-term effects on the rural population in general. “Gh. Asachi” High School from Focsani is attended by 572 pupils, out of whom 458 are rural students, a large part of them lacking guiding marks to help them integrate socially and professionally and the vast majority of them come from families living on a low-income level, under the average of the minimum salary on economy.
The Elementary School – Grades I-VIII in Garoafa is attended by a number of 156 pupils coming from neighboring villages and 90% of these children are at risk of school dropout because they come from families with fewer economic opportunities, where 8th grade is the highest level of educational achievement.
Palatul Copiilor Focsani (Children’s Palace) – with a tradition of over 53 years since established – is an institution which organizes extracurricular activities to complement and deepen the knowledge acquired in the educational process, develops skills according to the children’s vocation and options, reveals and cultivates talents, stimulates the creative spirit and educates students in the spirit of participatory democracy.
About the Hosting Organisation
Asociatia Voluntariat pentru Viata is an NGO, based in Romania, founded in November 2012 on the initiative of some specialists in the field of education, art, history, social assistance.
The mission of Asociatia Voluntariat pentru Viata is to promote volunteering and civic consciousness by developing activities that contribute to increased public awareness of the contribution of volunteers to the local community and to the society in general.
Asociatia Voluntariat pentru Viata performs the following duties:
– develops activities based on non-formal education aiming to enhance social functioning, integration and cooperation among young people;
– provides counsel, therapy and specialized assistance in order to prevent social marginalization.
In 2012, Asociatia Voluntariat Pentru Viata started its work in Marasesti town in order to support a sustainable local development. First, the Organization developed and implemented youth projects in the framework of Youth in Action programme (Youth Initiatives promoting cultural heritage and environment). Then, the Organisation started to develop European projects under the Erasmus+ programme.
A large part of the activities that we carry out are focused around supporting the disadvantaged children and their families to have access to education and involving young people, in particular, and community members in volunteering actions.
Our Organization also initiated an on-going collaboration with the School Centre for Inclusive Education ”Elena Doamna” from Focsani, an institution which schools more than 300 students with special educational needs, but also children from families with fewer opportunities who are at risk of marginalization and social exclusion. Our Organization wants to change the view on these children and wants to start working directly with children and young people who are at risk of social marginalization because of their disabilities.