Long-term voluntarism is the next step in the "voluntary career".
Why the next one? Because it is intended for people who already have
experience in the voluntary career (e.g. took part in a workcamp). Besides,
it is a few months long project, so it is not the same as leaving for
two weeks during holidays - it is a serious decision about leaving one's
matters here and starting something "there", that is in a place
far away from our friends, familiar places and culture. And that all
in order to help the others, to come forward to people who need us. In
order to have part in building the better, just world. Long-term volunteer
is a person who takes part in a project lasting from 3 to 12 months.
Just
like in case of workcamps, projects for LTV are of a different nature.
It can be e.g. work in a refugee camp (teaching English or local
language, organising time for the residents of the camp), it can be work
on an organic farm in Italy connected with educating children to live
in peace and in harmony with nature, or work with the handicapped in
Russia, which consists in enabling them to take part in cultural, sports
and social life.
Another issue is a so-called "placement" - that is mediation
in leaving the volunteers for the workcamps (informing, helping to use
a catalogue and fill in application forms properly, picking up the ever
ringing phones - that is just the "placement" (which in SCI
lasts usually from the half of April until the half of July).
LTV is always
provided with accommodation and board, or instead of this one receives
pocket money and has to take care of filling the fridge
on one's own, sometimes one gets both things (food and pocket money).
Due to the fact that it is a voluntary work and not a stay intended to
earn money, a pocket money is calculated in a way that allows to live
according to students standards (that means you can from time to time
afford going to a cinema, pub, swimming pool, museum or art gallery,
however there will be no expensive restaurants, brand shops with underwear
or tours with a tourist guide on that list - for a volunteer it is boring
anyway).
A long-term volunteer, just like a volunteer going for a workcamp, has
to provide him- or herself with a journey - it means that one has to
plan it, pay for it and insure oneself on a travel (in a workcamp's place
a volunteer is insured in a basic way by SCI).
Being an LTV is a unique possibility to enjoy a real life in another
country and to meet wonderful people but it is also hard and very important
work.
If you come back from the workcamp and you feel that you would like
to do something more, to stay among the people who still need you, come
to the office and ask about the list of long-term projects.
These projects begin during the whole year and the list of projects appears
every two months - on the list you can find the places where a volunteer
is wanted immediately or the ones for which the organisation looks for
an appropriate person to come in two or three months.
ATTENTION: by some projects you will find in brackets an abbreviation
EVS - it is an abbreviation of a YOUTH Programme project, based on a
bit different conditions than all the others (information in the office).
You can also find out something about the YOUTH Programme on our web
site.
What is the difference between a long-term project and a workcamp?
Apart from the length of a stay, the difference between a workcamp and
an LTV project is mainly the fact that to this long-term one go one,
two, three people at the outside and they work in an organisation or
in another place together with the employees and volunteers who work
there constantly, a volunteer, however, is not an employee.
Usually the projects are worked out in such a way that a volunteer who
comes can create something and not only follow some strictly defined
rules and tasks. What counts is heart, open mind and willingness.
How
to become a long-term volunteer with One World Association?
- first you have to gain an experience as a volunteer, e.g. on a workcamp;
- when you are already an "experienced" person, you can come
to the office or visit our web site, so as to find out what are the rules
of the stays, where to and when one can go;
- in the office you will get information about the current projects,
that is the projects for which a volunteer is needed just at the moment,
we can send you a current list also per e-mail (what is important - you
are the one to choose from the list a project you are interested in,
we do not look for a project for you e.g. in France, because you have
got an idea to go to this country!);
- when you find something you are interested in, you fill in an application
form and bring or send it to the office together with a confirmation
that you paid a fee (230 zł) or financial support, if within the last
12 months you have been somewhere with us and you already paid our fee
then;
- we send your application form abroad and wait for a hosting organisation's
decision, we pass the information concerning it on to you as soon as
possible (making decision lasts usually 2-3 weeks but when in a description
a deadline of accepting the application forms is defined, a decision
will surely be taken after this date);
- when you have already been accepted, everything you still have to do
is to pack your bag, necessary accessory as knowledge of Polish cuisine
or tradition (everyone there will wonder) and to set off;
- on the spot you will be in the hands of the whole group you will be
working with, probably you will also have a friendly person who will
show you where everything in the town is and will help you in difficult
moments (when you are sad, when you get lost or do not know where to
buy a ticket for a good concert or where to phone to when electricity
in your flat breaks). Also the office in Poznań is always at your disposal
(especially Gocha - she always with pleasure reads e-mails from the volunteers
and comes forward).
Bon Voyage!
One World Association, Krasińskiego 3A/1, 60-830 Poznań,
e-mail: camps@jedenswiat.org.pl,
tel.: +48 (61) 8484338
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