Why someone should do EVS? Is it really worth it? What are the benefits that one can have?
1. Well, initially let's say that is a lifetime experience. You will leave your home, your country, your friends and you will go in a place that probably you have never been before, you will probably will not not anyone and you have to start a new chapter of your life. Even if it is for a couple of months, it is really really wort-hing it.
2. You will learn so many new things. You cannot count how many things you will have learn by the end of this journey..
3. Of course you will learn a new language. Ok, if you go China and you have never studied before chinese, you will probably not be able to return fluent in Chinese within the maximum period of evs, that is 12 months. But it is 100% sure that you will acquire some basic knowledge of the language of your host country. Plus don't forget that the host organization has to provide you free language courses!
4. You will make new friends. Even if you are not a so opened person, I can guarantee you that you will make at least a couple of friends that you will share so many unique moments that will bond you.
5. You will travel a lot. Why? Because that is what the volunteers do in their free time.
6. You will appreciate every euro that you have. As a volunteer you mainly income will be basically your pocket money that in most cases it is around...hm...100euros per month. You will be surprised when you discover that actually can live with so few euros and you can also travel and have fun (thanks to couchsurfing and hitchhiking) !
EVS in ROME
The blog about the European Voluntary Service in the Eternal City
Sunday 14 December 2014
Saturday 10 August 2013
How to find the best EVS project for you
Some time ago I received a mail from a girl that she was asking me how I got my EVS project in Rome and what she can do to get one too. She told me that she sent mails to all the organizations hosting volunteers in the Eternal City but she hasn't received any answers and she was quite dissapointed.
I tried to give her some advices and therefore I will share it also here :
Think always that big cities have their pros (it is full of life , full of opportunities, discover new things everyday) but also cons ( they are expensive, it is difficult to move and you maybe be stucked in a crowed bus most of the time, your friends may live in the other part of the city)
At the end, remember that almost always the reality is very diferent than the one that you imagine. According to the information that we have, we construct a reality that sometimes once the volunteer arrives it's completely different that the one imagined and gets dissapointed.
Good luck to everyone!
I tried to give her some advices and therefore I will share it also here :
- It is quite impossibile to find the EXACTLY EVS project that you are looking for, in the EXACTLY city that you want and for the EXACTLY period of time that you want to. For example if you want to do a project with european awareness theme, in London, in August....well better to accept from the beggining that it is quite impossible!
- So..try to choose your proorities. Why you want to do this? What is more important for you? The city, the theme or the time?
Think always that big cities have their pros (it is full of life , full of opportunities, discover new things everyday) but also cons ( they are expensive, it is difficult to move and you maybe be stucked in a crowed bus most of the time, your friends may live in the other part of the city)
At the end, remember that almost always the reality is very diferent than the one that you imagine. According to the information that we have, we construct a reality that sometimes once the volunteer arrives it's completely different that the one imagined and gets dissapointed.
Good luck to everyone!
Sunday 23 June 2013
Youth Exchange "European Talents" , Peniche - Portugal
The logo of the Youth Exchange |
Peniche is a small city connected to the ocean as it is surrounded by the sea and the majority of the citizens are or fishermen or are occupied in the tourist sector.
Fishermen in Peniche |
The Youth Exchange, a quite significant and nice event for the small town, took part from 16th to 24th of March , bringing together 40 youngsters from Belgium, Italy , Poland and Portugal!
The participants of the Youth Exchange |
The Youth Exchange's topic were the arts, connected to the issue of social network. The main idea of the project was the participants to reflect upon the use of social media in their lives, their pros and cons and to use them as an inspiration to do a public performance of theatre, dance and music presentations.
The APV, the preparation phase and my role
Some typical products from Italy! |
The Youth Exchange
The participants of the theatre workshop in action |
The painting group |
Surfing in Peniche |
After the successful performance of the group, and the final evaluation of the project, we all had some free time to relax and what best to do some surf in the city that organises the World Surf Championship every year?
Advice while searching for an EVS project...
One of the best advices that I got while I was searching for an EVS project was to create an excel file with
the applications that I've sent. I used to write the name of the
organization that I have sent my application, the duration of the
project, the town/country, the date that I have applied and the deadline.
Here you can download the template that I used!
Thursday 6 June 2013
How to find an EVS project : Tips&advices!
As soon as you have collected all the necessary info and you are sure that you want to go abroad for a period offering volunteer work, you have to find a project that you like and of course be accepted.
How do I find an EVS project?
The best that this page has to offer are the contacts of organizations that they are active in doing EVS projects. In case for example you are searching of doing an EVS project on a specific theme or in a specific country the best thing you have to do is to contact directly the organizations asking if they are any places avalaible!
There they are plenty of vacancies, updated very often, so give it a try!
Addittionally, a lot of people are searching for doing EVS, probably more than the places so there is a lot of competition. Writing applications and motivation letters over and over it can be dissapointed. :(
My advice is to try different channels for searching for projects, keep noting the applications that you have made (because in the end aftetr 10 applications you would nemember if they call you for interview what was the 5th application job description about and nobody garantees that the announcement will be online!) and try to compromise. See what is more important for you the dates of the project? the theme? or the place? And choose according these priorities!
How do I find an EVS project?
- The first step that you can do in order to find an EVS project is to contact a local organization that sends volunteers (or at least want to try to send you!). There , apart from all the info that you have -first hand- they may have some placements to propose you, from organizations that they already collaborate. In this case, they know the conditions, the problems that may errupt and you will have all the support needed.In case that they don't have direct contacts and projects with other organizations, problably they will forward you some mails with EVS vacancies.
- The most official (and long) database it the one of the European Commission
The best that this page has to offer are the contacts of organizations that they are active in doing EVS projects. In case for example you are searching of doing an EVS project on a specific theme or in a specific country the best thing you have to do is to contact directly the organizations asking if they are any places avalaible!
- Another database, very updated and useful is the one of Youthnetworks
There they are plenty of vacancies, updated very often, so give it a try!
- A last one (but not least because like this I find my EVS project!) is to use social network. If you are in contact with organizations, you may see a post or a tweet about a position that may be your ideal EVS!
Addittionally, a lot of people are searching for doing EVS, probably more than the places so there is a lot of competition. Writing applications and motivation letters over and over it can be dissapointed. :(
My advice is to try different channels for searching for projects, keep noting the applications that you have made (because in the end aftetr 10 applications you would nemember if they call you for interview what was the 5th application job description about and nobody garantees that the announcement will be online!) and try to compromise. See what is more important for you the dates of the project? the theme? or the place? And choose according these priorities!
Saturday 1 June 2013
Rome's secret #3
Porta Portese
One of the best things that one can do in Rome is to visit Porta Portese flea market on a Sunday morning
https://maps.google.it/maps?daddr=Italy&gl=it&panel=1&fb=1&dirflg=d&geocode=0,41.883555,12.474773&cid=0,0,13726538680109631787&hq=porta+portese+market&hnear=0x132f6196f9928ebb:0xb90f770693656e38,Rome&t=m&z=16
Apart from the fact the market is HUGE and you can find whatever you want, there are many second hand clothes that cost from 0.50e and are from famous labels.
Tip: Go as early as possible in the morning!
One of the best things that one can do in Rome is to visit Porta Portese flea market on a Sunday morning
https://maps.google.it/maps?daddr=Italy&gl=it&panel=1&fb=1&dirflg=d&geocode=0,41.883555,12.474773&cid=0,0,13726538680109631787&hq=porta+portese+market&hnear=0x132f6196f9928ebb:0xb90f770693656e38,Rome&t=m&z=16
Apart from the fact the market is HUGE and you can find whatever you want, there are many second hand clothes that cost from 0.50e and are from famous labels.
Tip: Go as early as possible in the morning!
What is a Youth Exchange?
What is a Youth Exchange?
The European Commission's website describes it like this:
Youth Exchanges offer an opportunity for groups of young people from different countries to meet and learn about each other’s cultures.
What is the aim?
The aim of Youth Exchanges is to get groups of young people from different countries together so they can explore their social and cultural differences and similarities. Youth Exchanges are targeted at young people between the age of 13 and 25. They receive the unique opportunity to experience significant mutual learning situations and to strengthen their feeling of being Europeans. Each exchange must have a theme that is relevant to the daily experiences of the young people involved but also has a clear European dimension.
Age limits
The participants should be 13-25 years old. However there is the possibility for participants aged 26-30, but this cannot exceed the 20% of the total number of the participants.
Youth Leader
Every group has to be accompanied by a Youth Leader, a figure that guides the team , support the participants and usually has taken part in the APV. There is no age limit for the Youth Leader.
APV
The APV (Advanced Planned Visit) is usually a 3 day visit that the Youth Leader does some weeks before the youth exchange in order to meet the organization team, the other Youth Leaders, the location that the exchange will take place, discuss the economic issues etc.
Economic conditions
The program offers up to 70% reimbursement of the travel tickets for the particpants, food, accommodation, insurance and the Youthpass certificate.
Duration of the Youth Exchange
It can be from 6 to 25 days but normally they are around 8-10 days.
Youthpass
A certificate from the European Comission. For more info here
The European Commission's website describes it like this:
Youth Exchanges offer an opportunity for groups of young people from different countries to meet and learn about each other’s cultures.
What is the aim?
The aim of Youth Exchanges is to get groups of young people from different countries together so they can explore their social and cultural differences and similarities. Youth Exchanges are targeted at young people between the age of 13 and 25. They receive the unique opportunity to experience significant mutual learning situations and to strengthen their feeling of being Europeans. Each exchange must have a theme that is relevant to the daily experiences of the young people involved but also has a clear European dimension.
Age limits
The participants should be 13-25 years old. However there is the possibility for participants aged 26-30, but this cannot exceed the 20% of the total number of the participants.
Youth Leader
Every group has to be accompanied by a Youth Leader, a figure that guides the team , support the participants and usually has taken part in the APV. There is no age limit for the Youth Leader.
APV
The APV (Advanced Planned Visit) is usually a 3 day visit that the Youth Leader does some weeks before the youth exchange in order to meet the organization team, the other Youth Leaders, the location that the exchange will take place, discuss the economic issues etc.
Economic conditions
The program offers up to 70% reimbursement of the travel tickets for the particpants, food, accommodation, insurance and the Youthpass certificate.
Duration of the Youth Exchange
It can be from 6 to 25 days but normally they are around 8-10 days.
Youthpass
A certificate from the European Comission. For more info here
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