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Yes to volunteering!
Yes to volunteering!
Start date: Aug 11, 2015,
End date: Dec 10, 2016
PROJECT
FINISHED
Hiiumaa Youth Work Centre provides local and provincial qualitative open youth work for all youngsters between age 7-26. The organization includes three houses: Kärdla Youth House, Kõrgessaare Youth House and Counseling Service. The organization has been working since 1.January 2015 by aggregated three youth work organizations: Kärdla Open Youth Centre (now named as Kärdla Youth House), Kõrgessaare Youth Centre (now Kõrgessaare Youth House) and Information and Counseling Centre HUPS (now Counseling Service).
The main aim of this project for Hiiumaa Youth Work Centre is to provide activities for these youngsters who have lack of support by parents or who do not know how to spend their spare time. Having volunteer in the youth house means that she can offer something different for youngsters and there is a person in the youth house who has always time for youngsters. It is important that having foreigners in our community helps to evolve tolerance among youngsters. Lots of youngsters does not have a chance to travel out of Estonia and in that case volunteer is a chance to "bring the world to home". Volunteer who is going to participate in this EVS project is from Russia. Youngsters who live in Hiiumaa do not have a chance to practice their Russian skills. Moreover, as Russians who live in Estonia are part of our society as well, it is possible that Russian volunteer can bring youngsters from Hiiumaa closer to Russian people who live in Estonia and it helps to grow tolerance. Youngsters can also practice their English skills or learn Japanese as volunteer has learned this language and could teach Japanese to youngsters.
The service will start this year October 1 and end September 30, 2016. The partner was found through helpful non-profit organization EstYes, who spread the word among their partners whose volunteer candidates sent their CV’s and motivation letters. Finally a Russian girl was chosen for Hiiumaa Youth Work Centre, because she had the most to offer to the youngsters who visit the organization.
Volunteer live in South-Siberia, Irkutsk. She will graduate from Irkutsk State Linguistic University in July in Translation Studies. She loves sports and outdoor activities and according to the interview with her, her motivation is to take youngsters and do some outdoor activities. She also has experience as a camp leader voluntary work in her hometown. She is enthusiastic and sociable person. Her goal is to gain experience, organizational knowledge, project writing skills and experience a leader role. Criterions are determined by the needs of the organization by chooseing volunteer.
Volunteer will work with youngsters age 7-26. She will carry out Russian and Japanese Culture and Language Clubs, play with them, organize outdoor activities, carry out events. Volunteer will mostly learn organizational and group leading skills. As working with youngsters is challenging and lots of youngsters who visit Hiiumaa Youth Work Centre Kärdla Youth House are youth at risk and that is why she will learn how to act with them and what activities to offer to them. She will also learn planning skills, time management, team communication and coordination, conflict management. She will definitely explore herself and find out new sides about herself.
The accommodation for volunteer is held in either home housing or a private apartment. Volunteer can get a ride youth workers to collective events in Hiiumaa, personal travels are possible by public transportation. Safety of activities is controlled and provided. Mentoring and support for volunteer is guaranteed to provide social security. Volunteer will find support from workers of the organization. There are two mentors for volunteer, who will support her outside the organization work.
There will be regular information exchange between organization and sending organizations. There will be Skype conversations before volunteers arrive to assure the best preparation for volunteers. Every party of this project will sign the voluntary agreement. Volunteers will regularly fill in the youthpass. Sending organization will provide volunteers for preparations.
Participant can discover new sides about herself and she become more independent, self-conscious and competent. She can improve her skills and challenge herself. Participant will learn Estonian language and cope with Estonian culture space. Volunteer will also acquire the skill to teach her mother tongue and national culture. The whole community become more tolerant with people from ohter countries and volunteers will enrich our community. Using the existence of volunteer in the youth centers must give a good feedback to society that we need more people in the centres to provide qualitative youth work. Youth work should be more global, we should speak more languages, so that our children would have a language practice.