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EVS-Make A Difference
EVS-Make A Difference
Start date: Jun 25, 2014,
End date: Dec 24, 2015
PROJECT
FINISHED
Project Environment:
The volunteers livd in a rural village in Norway called Balestrand. Our village is in the Sogn og Fjordane and has ca 1400 innh. It is situated along the Sognefjorden (the longest and deepest fjord in the world). The village has an important history, since 1880 it is an attractive place for tourists. The emperor of Germany, Wilhelm II, was spending many of his summers in Balestrand with his wars ships until the First World War broke out. Balestrand also has an important place in Norwegian art history. The artists have been living here for 200 years. There is two shops, post, petrol station, summer cafes, library, cinema, youth house, sport hall, churches, sheriff, health center, doctor, and dentist. We have three kindergartens, primary schools, youth school and one private high school.
Culture and Leisure:
Balestrand has a rich cultural life. We have a lot of organizations arrange cultural activities such as art exhibitions, concerts. Every year in Mai we have a jazz festival called Balejazz (http://www.balejazz.no). You can find a sport center and ski arena just 20 minutes away from Balestrand and you can take nice walks up to the mountains from sea level and have a great view over the village and the fjord. You can travel to nearest towns. Sogndal (one hour) has big shopping center and in Høyanger you visit the beautiful swimming pool (45 minutes). Nearest small city is Førde (two hours away), nearest airport is Førde lufthamn Bringeland, nearest big city is Bergen with the international airport Flesland. You can travel to Bergen with a direct express boat through the deepest and longest fjord in the world, and takes four hours.
Description of the organization:
Balestrand Ungdomslag (BUL) is connected to Norges Ungdomslag and is a voluntary run organization. BUL`s main purpose is to coordinate some voluntary activities in the village. It runs the cinema and the revue of Balestrand. The cinema is giving a good cultural offer for people in the village and the revue is being put up once a year with the local people. BUL also has activities like dance courses and it takes active part of the 17th of Mai (The national day of Norway) celebrations. BUL has a goal to create active everyday live in Balestrand. That is why our target group includes people from all ages. Some activities as cinema and revue for everyone, we also arrange some activities for a specific target groups.
Activities the EVS volunteer took part in
Toghether with the volunteer we lookt at the activities and made a timetable according to the need of tasks in the village and the qualification of the volunteer, and her wishes. This time-table changed after a sirten time. Some times it canged every week and others it changed after some weeks.The activities was:
-To help in the cinema
-To assist the youth worker in Balestrand in the youth club.
-To be the support staff in the sport center in the village
-To help out in the activities of Balestrand Kunstlag and Club Bele (Art and Jazz music organizations) and have opportunity to meet Norwegian and international artists in the art village of Balestrand.
-To be part of the Balestrand Revue and other BUL courses about dance, theater, gardening, etc.
-To help in the organic garden.
-To help arrange a training for youth workers in the Erasmus + program.
-To create their own activities with their target group: We supported her to make her owne projects such as dance, theater and youth work in the village. We toght the volunteer about the Erasmus + program.