Langzeitfreiwillige gesucht

Environmental and Cultual Center “Bakhmat”, Artemovsk Ukraine

Project: The ECC Bakhmat exists since 1989. It is working in four program areas: environment, culture, youth and NGO development. Activities include public hearings and consultations, cleanup actions, trainings and seminars, informing public on environmental issues (through local media and weekly email newsletter).
Work: volunteer 1: The main project of the volunteer will be the Eco-School, an ongoing seminar for teenagers to learn about environmental issues. The volunteer will be involved in preparation, promotion, implementation and evaluation of the project. Besides s/he will have the possibility to organize outside actions and sessions on volunteering. An additional task will be the work with the data-base library on environmental issues. Volunteer 2: Der second volunteer will assist with organization of training activities, meetings and seminars on volunteering, human rights education, environmental and social issues and participate to them. The volunteer will also help to organize to run different voluntary actions e.g. workcamps, seminars, campaigns (preparation, technical support, administrative work). Another task will be to prepare materials on volunteering for the web-site and contributing to electronic newsletter.
Requirements: Good command of English, previous voluntary work experience, experience in youth work, interest in environmental issues, basic knowledge of Russian and willingness to improve it
Pocket money: 150 Euro
Number of volunteers: 2Project and local language: Russian and English
Food: covered by EVS
Accommodation: in an apartment or in a host family
Insurance: AXA - covered by EVS
Period: 10 months from October 2006
Deadline: 01.02.06Estimated next opening: Oktober 2007Other: Volunteers will get pocket money, accommodation, food, insurances and language courses in the frame of EVS. SCI Germany is coordinating the EVS exchange, so please send your applications there.

“Green World”, Lugansk, Ukraine

Project: Green World is an NGO, which was established in 1995. The goals of its work are profound correcting of ecological situation in Lugansk region, the union of public efforts for solving ecological problems, preservation natural resources, and biological diversity, renovation of quality of the environment of the region and the whole Ukraine.
Work: The main task of the volunteer will be the work on environmental information. This includes producing visual (also video) and textual materials for a newsletter, educational purposes and the local media. Besides the work on the content the volunteer is also encouraged to work on the layout (on the computer) and the promotion of the materials. In addition the volunteer will help with organising meetings and seminars.
Requirements: motivation, interest to work with young people and with literature, basic knowledge of Russian. Additional skills are designing, computer, ecological knowledge will be of advantage.
Pocket money: 150 Euro
Number of volunteers: 1Project and local language: Russian
Food: covered by EVS
Accommodation: in an apartment or in a host family
Insurance: AXA - covered by EVS
Period: 10 months from October 2006
Deadline: 01.02.06Estimated next opening: Oktober 2007Other: Volunteers will get pocket money, accommodation, food, insurances and language courses in the frame of EVS. SCI Germany is coordinating the EVS exchange, so please send your applications there.

“Sunrise” Assisted Living for the Senior Citizens, Straseni, Moldova

Project: “Sunrise” Assisted Living for the Senior Citizens is aiming to serve the most vulnerable category of population as elderly are and specifically those who are single (lonely), sick or physically disabled and cannot cater for themselves.
The centre provides the most vulnerable a public kitchen and offer them and other elderly in need laundry and public bath services. The centre also serves as a socialization place where the beneficiaries have the possibility to take part in various activities. The “Rainbow”-project provide 24 hours care for the elderly. It is a small scale home for 20 people.
Work: The work at the centres varies from renovation work, maintenance, working in the garden, to kitchen duties, taking care of the elderly, nursing, massage, teaching English, writing proposals, taking care of the website etc. Volunteer can also choose. At the moment there are part time local volunteers that from time to time bring the food to the elderly, laundry, help with cleaning etc.
Requirements: For the foreign volunteers is compulsory to speak English. Have some of the skills that would correspond to some of the above mentioned work (nursing skills are the most welcomed). To respect the vegetarian diet (within the centre), to restrain of use of alcohol, nicotine or drugs.
Pocket money: 150 Euro
Number of volunteers: 2Project and local language: Russian, Romanian
Food: Tasty vegetarian food available at the centre. Once a day a warm meal for lunch, breakfast and dinner covered by EVS
Accommodation: Good living standards, just newly renovated volunteer apartment with two sleeping rooms, kitchen and separate bathroom. Volunteer has own room and privacy
Insurance: AXA - covered by EVS
Period: 10 months from October 2006
Deadline: 01.02.06Estimated next opening: Oktober 2007Other: Volunteers will get pocket money, accommodation, food, insurances and language courses in the frame of EVS. SCI Germany is coordinating the EVS exchange, so please send your applications there.

Social cantina, Chisinau, Moldova

Project: The volunteer will be involved in a social project of AVI whose target group is mainly elderly people. The cantina provides every day arround 120 homeless and poor people with a hot lunch.
Work: The main work will consist of helping in the Cantina. It is necessary to help with the distribution of the food and afterwards to collect dishes from tables. Excepting this, volunteer is invited to do English classes for kids from social disadvantaged families, aged between 8 & 12 yeas old. They are taking part in “After School”-project of the same Social Center. The activities of the “After School”-project begins at 03.00 in the afternoon so the volunteer can easily feet into the both programs. Just after the hot lunch many people are used to spend a few hours in the centre. We would like the volunteer to help organize different activities for them (singing, dancing, games). Each month the people coming to Cantina are changing and usually from the start of the month we need to organise welcome games of getting to know each other and a few workshops on communication. There is an established general program for each day but it is quite flexible. The volunteer will support the organization of various other activities such as celebrating Old People Day (1st of October), Christmas Day, Mother´s Day and many other similar events. Usually different useful lessons are run for these people especially about health and traditional medicines where the volunteer can also help according to their interest.
Requirements: motivation to get closely in touch with the difficult living situation and with the social problems of poverty and loneliness. The volunteer should be open minded, ready to work in a team with other AVI volunteers, and be ready to think and feel free to implement new methods in the work with these people and their families; as the center is young and for Moldova it is a new experience, there are many opportunities to introduce his or her ideas.
Pocket money: 150 Euro
Number of volunteers: 1Food: lunch in the Cantina, breakfast and dinner covered by EVS
Accommodation: separate room in a guest family or in an apartment/ dormitory, it depends on the interests of the volunteer. Criterias for the accomodation are: own room, a (shared or an own) kitchen and bathroom and access to a telephone.
Language training: first 2 month: 10-15 hours per week Romanian language course and learn by him/herself, later 1-2 times per week
Project and local language: Russian, Romanian
Insurance: AXA - covered by EVS
Period: 10 months from October 2006
Deadline: 01.02.06Estimated next opening: Oktober 2007Other: Volunteers will get pocket money, accommodation, food, insurances and language courses in the frame of EVS. SCI Germany is coordinating the EVS exchange, so please send your applications there.

Orphanage “Malyshok”, Ulan Ude, Russia

Project: The “Malyshok” orphanage is a social care institution, which hosts 111 orphans and children abandoned by parents. These socially disadvantaged children are provided with social and medical care and are being prepared for school. Work: The main task of the volunteer will be to conduct educational, leisure and out-door activities for children. Besides s/he will conduct English lessons for children of the age of 6-7 years and will be encouraged to teach the children about his or her own culture (games, dishes, stories etc.). Requirements: motivation, independence, organizational skills, interested in the work with children, caring, patience, creativity, interest in handicrafts, basic knowledge of RussianNumber of volunteers: 2Project and local language: Russian Food: covered by EVSAccommodation: host family or dormitoryInsurance: AXA - covered by EVSPeriod: 10 months from Octobery 2006 Deadline: 01.02.06Estimated next opening: Oktober 2007For this project EVS funding is applied for. In case of funding volunteers will get pocket money, accommodation, food, insurances, and language courses. SCI Germany is coordinating the EVS exchange, so please send your applications there.

"Preodolenie" rehabilitation centre for children and young people with disabilities, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

Project: "Preodolenie" is centre for children and young people with disabilities is known in Nizhny Novgorod as a centre where parents can bring their children for social and psychological rehabilitation, health care, make preparation for future professions, some workshops during which they develop children creativity and talents. Also they give some working places in sawing department for people with disabilities. The quantity of regular visitors is around 50 participants (group age is from 10 till 30) and more then 300 - in the data-base which visit the events of the centre from time to time.
Work: There are several types of work the volunteer can do. The volunteer is invited to lead the workshop "Economic-rehabilitation workshop"; to teach young people with metal disabilities some practical skills like teach them to count, visit shops and cafes, prepare some food for themselves and other practical needs. There is also possibility to make some art and music classes for youngsters. The age of this group is from 14 till 25 years old. It's also possible to assist the development group of kids with autism. "Preodolenie" has constant cooperation with German organisation IMPACT. The volunteer will be able to participate in join events of this 2 organisations: special trainings, seminars, working meetings. The volunteer keeps the correspondence between the organisations and provide possible translation on the join events. The centre will open the publishing department if the volunteer is good in designing or drawing - it would be great if he/she can help with create the pictures or design for booklets, note-books with the symbol of the centre and other representative items.
Requirements: The volunteers should be motivated and show interest in social work. They should be committed to work with disabled children and youngsters considering their peculiarities and specifics. It would be good if the volunteer had some experience of working with disabled children, studied or made some researches in this field. Basic skills of Russian language are necessary, since the volunteers are supposed to communicate with the children and establish good contact with them. However, they will be certainly helped and supported by the staff.
Pocket money: 150 Euro
Number of volunteers: 2Project and local language: Russian Food: covered by EVS
Accommodation: in a separate room in a guest family or in an apartment. It depends on the interests of the volunteer. Criteria for the accommodation are: own room, a (shared or an own) kitchen and bathroom
Insurance: AXA - covered by EVSPeriod: 10 months from Octobery 2006 Deadline: 01.02.06Estimated next opening: Oktober 2007For this project EVS funding is applied for. In case of funding volunteers will get pocket money, accommodation, food, insurances, and language courses. SCI Germany is coordinating the EVS exchange, so please send your applications there.


"Veras" rehabilitation centre of assistance to children and teenagers with disabilities, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

Project: "Veras" centre of assistance to children and youth with disabilities is a daily centre in where each day constant group of children come - around 30 participants. There are more then 40 children comes to individual meetings to different specialists during a week.
The main aim of the organization is the creation of equal possibilities for children & young people with peculiarities in their development so that they will be able to participate in social life, their rehabilitation & integration into society.
Work: Assisting the professionals in the social rehabilitation for the permanent groups of the centre, leading his/her own workshop where the children and young people produce something (of wood, paper, textile...). Or he/she can for example offer music lessons, theatre workshops or some sports depending on his/her skills and interests, individual visits of children which are not able to come to the centre and organize leisure time activities for the families and help to create contacts between the families involved in the program, helping in documentation of the work and PR of the centre. The volunteer will have the opportunity to have a look at all the different activities during the first two weeks, then he/she can choose the fields which are especially interesting to him/her. The time of volunteer work is from 9 a.m. till 3 p.m. each day except weekends.
Requirements: The volunteers should be motivated and show interest in social work. They should be committed to work with disabled children and youngsters considering their peculiarities and specifics. It would be good if the volunteer had some experience of working with disabled children, studied or made some researches in this field. Basic skills of Russian language are necessary, since the volunteers are supposed to communicate with the children and establish good contact with them. However, they will be certainly helped and supported by the staff.
Pocket money: 150 Euro
Number of volunteers: 2Project and local language: Russian Food: covered by EVS
Accommodation: in a separate room in a guest family or in an apartment. It depends on the interests of the volunteer. Criteria for the accommodation are: own room, a (shared or an own) kitchen and bathroom
Insurance: AXA - covered by EVSPeriod: 10 months from Octobery 2006 Deadline: 01.02.06Estimated next opening: Oktober 2007Others: For this project EVS funding is applied for. In case of funding volunteers will get pocket money, accommodation, food, insurances, and language courses. SCI Germany is coordinating the EVS exchange, so please send your applications there.

Die SCI-Sommerschule 2007

Auch dieses Jahr wird in Deutschland eine Sommerschule mit TeilnehmerInnen von SCI-Partnern stattfinden, u.a. von unseren Partnern von der 'Siberian Creative Group' aus Ulan-Ude.

Dieses Jahr geht es um das Thema "Rechtsextremismus".

Mehr Infos auf Nachfrage: ostwest@sci-d.de

Warum ein Workcamp in der GUS?

Ich wurde neulich gefragt, ob ich fünf Gründe benennen könnte, warum jemand gegenwärtig in eine dieser Länder fahren soll. Die Antwort dazu fiel mir allerdings ganz leicht:

1. Das Interesse, etwas Unbekanntes kennen zu lernen

Nach wie vor wissen und verstehen wir äußerst wenig über Nachbarländer gen Osten. Aus der hiesigen Presse wird niemandem besonders schlau, denn die Berichterstattung trägt für meine Begriffe eindeutig eine einseitige, undifferenzierte Betrachtung der Ereignisse. Insbesondere werden positive Entwicklungen und Beispiele, die es tatsächlich in diesen Gesellschaften gibt, völlig außen vor gelassen.

2. Optimistische, offene und fröhliche Menschen kennen zu lernen

Die Bevölkerungen in diesen Ländern sind sehr jung – bis zu vierzig Prozent sind unter 30.

Letzteres hat klare Auswirkungen auf das gesellschaftliche Leben: Es verändert sich jeden Tag vieles, es gibt tagtäglich Neues zu entdecken. Überall trifft man auf junge Menschen, die etwas bewegen wollen und optimistisch in die Zukunft schauen, die sich nicht scheuen, ihren Gefühle freien Lauf zu lassen, die gerne von den Erfahrungen anderer hören möchten und nach Informationen hungern.

3. Neue Freiwilligeninitiativen unterstützen

Während SCI-Zweige in den westeuropäischen Ländern inzwischen ihre 50, 60 oder 70-sten Geburtstag feiern – und manchmal den Eindruck hinterlassen, dass sie sich so alt fühlen – existierten die SCI-Gruppen und Zweige in den GUS-Ländern erst seit einigen Jahren. Sie sind jung, dynamisch und voller Tatendrang. Sie freuen sich, wenn erfahrene Freiwillige aus dem Westen Europas Interesse für ihre Arbeit zeigen und sie dabei unterstützen.

4. Einen Beitrag zum Völkerverständigung und Frieden zu leisten

Überall in Russland, der Ukraine und anderen GUS-Ländern wird in diesen Tagen den Sieg über den Faschismus und die Befreiung Europas wieder gefeiert. Inzwischen haben die Beziehungen zu Deutschland sich jedoch normalisiert – zum Glück gehört der Hass und Misstrauen gegenüber Deutschland der Vergangenheit an. Nichtsdestotrotz ist es wichtig, diese guten Beziehungen nicht zu gefährden, sondern sie regelmäßig zu pflegen und möglichst auszubauen. Nach wie vor gibt es auf beiden Seiten Teile der Bevölkerung, die Angst und Misstrauen zwischen unseren Ländern säen. Denen müssen wir entgegentreten.

5. Von der gestiegenen Qualität überzeugen lassen

Im Gegensatz zu früheren Jahren ist die Qualität der Workcamps in den GUS-Ländern erstaunlich gestiegen. Wo es früher viele Beispiele für sinnlose Arbeit gegeben hat, gibt es sie kaum noch. Inzwischen haben alle unserer Partner den Sinn und Zweck von Freiwilligenarbeit voll verstanden. Sie versuchen – trotz manchmal schwieriger organisatorischen, ökonomischen und politischen Rahmenbedingungen – gute Camps zu organisieren, und zwar auch mit einem ausgeprägten Studienteil.

Tatsache ist, dass es noch viel mehr Gründe gibt – ich spreche jedoch nur für mich alleine.

Ich würde mich freuen, wenn meine Argumente bei dem einen oder anderen zum Nachdenken angeregt haben – noch gibt es freie Plätze in diesem Sommer!

John Myers

Ost West Referent

EurIDea 2007

EurIDea 2007 ist das nunmehr 4. internationale Freiwilligenfestival, das in der Nähe von Berlin stattfinden wird. Eine Woche lang werden die Teilnehmenden selbstorganisiert Workshops anbieten, gemeinsam arbeiten und lernen, und feiern.

Die Vorbereitung wird von Freiwilligen aus Deutschland, Moldawien und der Ukraine getragen.

Die Ost-West-Arbeitsgruppe des SCI-D

Die Ost-West-Arbeitsgruppe (OWAG) besteht zur Zeit mindestens aus Kathrin, drei Michaels, Sebastian, zwei Jennys, Torben, John, Lydia, u.v.a.m., die in ganz Deutschland verstreut wohnen. Normalerweise treffen wir uns dreimal im Jahr zu AG-Treffen und bei verschiedenen Aktionen. Dort planen wir unsere Projekte, werten die vergangenen aus oder haben einfach ‘ne Menge Spaß zusammen. Wenn Du auch Lust hast, an einem Projekt von uns teilzunehmen oder sogar mitzuorganisieren, freuen wir uns über eine Mail!

Unsere Schwerpunkte sind zur Zeit:

• die Unterstützung des Projekts "Youth Transcending New Frontiers" (http://www.ytnf.org) mit Partnern aus Moldawien, Belarus, Rußland und der Ukraine
• EurIDea, das internationale SCI-Freiwilligenfestival, das dieses Jahr in der Nähe von Berlin stattfinden wird.
• die SCI-Sommerschule 2007 zum Thema Rechtsextremismus

Kontakt zu uns gibts über ostwest@sci-d.de

Und hier noch ein Foto:

Workcamps in Osteuropa 2007

Auch dieses Jahr finden in vielen Ländern Mittel- und Osteuropa Workcamps statt - zu ganz verschiedenen Themen...

Hier gehts zur Workcampdatenbank mit mehr als 1000 Camps in aller Welt: http://www.sci-d.de/cms/index.php?workcamps_suche