Volunteering is a fairly wide range of work related to the provision of voluntary and, importantly, gratuitous assistance to everyone who needs it. In most European countries, this movement is massive, but Russian volunteers today are just beginning their path of kindness and mercy. Virtually none social organization, whose activities are aimed at helping and supporting socially vulnerable groups of the population, cannot do without assistants in their work. But how to become a volunteer in Moscow, Astrakhan or Rome, where to start, how and to whom exactly can you help? This is the topic of today's article.
Who are volunteers
The word “volunteering” itself comes from the Latin voluntarius (“voluntary”) and covers a fairly wide range of concepts, including both gratuitous physical labor for the benefit of society, and the provision of various services and moral support without the expectation of monetary reward. However, volunteering can be viewed not only as a rejection of monetary rewards - an important component here is the moral aspect.
Helping other people or nature, doing good deeds for the benefit of society, volunteers often find their own peace of mind and balance, neutralize the internal protest against social inequality. This sense of self-worth is so important to some people that more and more of them are thinking about how to become a volunteer, how, without having big financial possibilities, to participate in something really important for society as a whole. That is why in Russia and other countries of the world there are more and more associations of caring people connected by a common goal, disinterestedly bringing good to those who need it.
Why do so many people care
Before you become a volunteer, you need to decide what exactly you need it for, what such help means to you. For better understanding Let's try to compile a list of motives pushing people to join the volunteer movement:
Satisfaction. Any person is characterized by the desire to be involved in something important, to become a "cog" in the machine of the universe. This type of activity makes a person feel needed, causes a sense of self-esteem.
Socialization. Quite often, people who feel the need for additional communication become volunteers. For them, volunteering is a great chance to make new friends, get additional features for self-development.
Transfer of personal experience. Sometimes volunteers become people who have survived various diseases, personal tragedies - they, like no one else, know what to advise in a difficult situation, how to overcome a life crisis.
And a few more reasons
Creation. Regardless of the education received, a volunteer can do what he really likes. For example, nothing prevents a tower crane operator from carrying out orphanage a master class in drawing or art modeling (of course, if he knows how to do it).
Self-realization. Volunteering opens the way to new knowledge and skills, helps to establish the necessary connections, gain a foothold on the social ladder, gain respect and weight in society.
Finance. Despite the fact that volunteering itself involves no payment, many centers provide employees with funds for food, accommodation and travel to other countries.
Travels. Volunteering is one of the most inexpensive ways see the world. International organizations arrange a variety of trips and send volunteer teams to different countries peace.
How to start volunteering
So, how to become a volunteer in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ryazan, Rostov or any other city in Russia?
- Determine for yourself who exactly you would like to help and what kind of work attracts you the most.
- Choose a charitable organization that best meets your personal interests. Familiarize yourself with the statutory documents, conditions for employment, development prospects.
- To study the activities of the selected organization: the proposed types of assistance, work schedule, risks and responsibilities, availability of material resources necessary to carry out the work.
- Fill out the form, submit other Required documents and interview with representatives of the organization. It is worth thinking in advance about how exactly you can be useful in this particular case.
- Based on the results of the interview, be accepted into the ranks of the selected volunteer movement or be refused.
What will need to be done
Well, how to become a volunteer is more or less clear, but what can such volunteers do? In principle, you can do anything, the common goal is free help to those who need it.
One of priority areas The activity of volunteers is to provide assistance and support to orphans or children deprived of parental care, the disabled, homeless children, pensioners and so on. However, before becoming a volunteer in an orphanage, hospital or hospice, think about whether you can work with such categories of people as patiently and kindly as possible, passing through their pain and suffering every day, treat them without pity, but with active participation and understanding.
Volunteers can also provide support and psychological help people suffering from alcohol, drug or gambling addiction, to participate in the social adaptation of former prisoners.
Other activities
Volunteers can also:
- participate in various movements for the protection of animals and the protection environment;
- conduct open events related to defending the interests of socially unprotected segments of the population;
- organize charity concerts, exhibitions and other events to raise funds for various needs;
- participate in environmental programs - landscaping, planting flowers, trees and shrubs, carry out activities for garbage collection, clearing rivers, lakes and other reservoirs;
- take part in socially significant projects initiated by the state: assistance with natural disasters, conducting sports or cultural events state scale;
- providing psychological support on various Internet resources, telephone hotlines;
Nuances and features of work
Despite the fact that today volunteering is gaining more and more popularity in Russia, not everyone understands its principles and features.
- The volunteer movement is based on the principle of voluntariness - no one can impose this type of activity on you, as well as indicate what kind of assistance and to whom to provide.
- The help of volunteers is not paid either by the state or by charitable organizations; sometimes, however, volunteers are compensated for the cost of food and accommodation.
- To become a volunteer, no special professional skills are required - everyone does what they can.
- A good volunteer is a balanced and patient person. Before you become one, soberly assess your personal qualities. If you are an explosive and impulsive person, then most likely working with people is not suitable for you - take a closer look at projects related, for example, to ecology.
- A volunteer most often works in a team, so the skills of coexisting in a team, mutual assistance and a sense of elbow are welcome.
- Volunteering is a responsibility and obligations, in any situation it is necessary to respect your colleagues, make the maximum amount of effort to achieve your goal, and follow the internal rules of the organization.
"Volunteer Club"
This is one of the first mass volunteer communities in Russia, created back in 2004. More than 3,000 volunteers annually take part in the activities of this organization, and the main task is to establish communications with orphanages and boarding schools. The "Club of Volunteers" united within its walls managers, teachers, doctors, students, athletes and business leaders - all those who are not indifferent to the fate of the younger generation, children who do not have loving parents able to take care of them.
This organization is just one of many hundreds and thousands scattered throughout the country and beyond. The scope for the application of one's potential is unusually high - you just need to want it!
Text: Irina Letyagina
IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR JOB, but you have not yet decided what profession you want to master if you want to go to the ends of the earth, but finances sing romances, if you have taken a break between leaving your old position and entering a new one, if you are a philanthropist at heart - you can become a volunteer. Moreover, in a crisis, working for food is not so bad.
What is volunteering and how does it work?
Volunteering is work that is carried out on a voluntary basis and does not imply monetary reward. The exact date It is impossible to establish the origin of such an approach: formally, even one of our ancestors can be considered the first volunteer, who helped kindle a fire to his neighbor from a nearby cave, without expecting anything in return. If we approach the issue more formally, volunteering, or voluntary assistance to those in need, in Russia is rooted in the work of sisters of mercy, the creation of orphan schools supported by alms, the activities of doctors who worked for free in hospitals during numerous wars Russian Empire, in the activity of Timurovites and combatants. In the United States, the popularization of voluntary unpaid labor began in the days of Benjamin Franklin, when the first volunteer fire brigade was created in Philadelphia. The Americans began to massively participate in volunteer work later thanks to the Red Cross.
Now around the world there are many volunteer organizations in which you can work in exchange for room and board. You give your work and experience - for this you are fed and provided with a place to sleep. Sometimes for volunteer work you can get some nice bonus like a ticket to a music concert or a "temporary loan" - the opportunity to do various activities for an hour, like swimming or learning a foreign language. Some turn volunteering into a lifestyle, earning little pocket money and moving between cheese farms, construction sites and schools where local children learn English.
Volunteering can be temporary or regular. Temporary volunteering is popular at events like the Olympics, " Formula 1", various marathons. Eco- and educational projects also, as a rule, imply a certain period of work agreed in advance with the organizers. At the same time, the volunteer has the opportunity to become a participant in the events and see the life of the project from the inside: you can, for example, accidentally meet Usain Bolt in slippers in the Olympic Village, look at the tires of a smoking car on a test run, help the turtles get to the ocean or harvest oranges somewhere somewhere in the Spanish wilderness.
But if you want to be, for example, a clown doctor or a volunteer of the Give Life Foundation to work in a hospital, you need to be prepared for regular work. It is preceded by selection and preliminary preparation which can take from several weeks to several months.
Where to begin?
First you need to dream and honestly ask yourself what you want: working for free at a job you hate is a dubious idea. Maybe, as a child, you dreamed of becoming a clown and making children happy, or you wanted to ride horses and take care of them, but your parents forbade it? Or have you long wanted in Italy to speak Italian like Adriano Celentano? Or maybe you want to cross the oceans? Or do you want to learn how to grow potatoes and tomatoes or build houses, although you have only built LEGOs in your life? Or are you tired of the rubbish lying around in a nearby park, and would you be happy to wave a rake at a community work day?
If working "in the fields" is not your forte, you can try creative projects- for example, to work in museums (volunteers are looking for, for example, the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Hermitage Museum, the N.K. Roerich Center-Museum and other major Russian and foreign museums and galleries), at Russian and foreign festivals - music and film - - and participate in other projects. There is a job for everyone. By the way, some hire couples, so you don't have to spend your vacation alone.
When you are dreaming enough, you can start action. It should be borne in mind that often at large-scale and popular events where many people want to go (for example, to Olympic Games, Burning Man, Oxford Film Fest), volunteers become only after selection, and may also have to undergo training. In such cases, you need to apply much in advance - about six months or a year before the event: for example, recruitment for volunteer vacancies for the Rio Olympics began two years before the competition. The same rule applies to projects that require special skills - for example, working with people with disabilities requires special training. Plus, you need to set aside time for obtaining a visa and buying tickets - this, as a rule, you need to do on your own.
If you want to be a volunteer abroad, you can find a project yourself or turn to aggregator sites that collect volunteer vacancies from around the world. In the second case, it is worth saving up some money for the registration fee (20-60 dollars), registering for volunteers and volunteers - for example, Workaway - visit more often group, where travelers post volunteer vacancies in Russia and around the world. Many projects have a Facebook page, through which you can also contact the organizers. There is no special unified platform for volunteer vacancies in Russia yet. But at the same time, finding a project to your liking is easy: there are many national parks, farms, non-profit organizations that need volunteers.
At the same time, the volunteer has the opportunity to see the life of the project from the inside: for example, by chance meeting Usain Bolt in slippers in the Olympic Village
After all these simple manipulations, you can send requests to your favorite projects. Feel free to ask about working and living conditions, find out if you need to bring special things with you like raincoats, gloves, work clothes (not all projects organizers are ready to provide them). If you sent a request and no one answered within ten days, you can send it again and try to contact the organizers through other channels - via Facebook, Skype or the form on the site. If there is no response from the organizers within three weeks or a month, most likely there will be none. It's not scary: with the thought that the project has lost a great opportunity to work with you, look for other programs.
After you agree with the organizers on the date of arrival, you can take tickets and apply for a visa if needed. As a rule, they do not help with visas and tickets, but a regular tourist visa for volunteer work is quite enough.
If you're worried about security, you're doing the right thing. There is no guarantee that everything will be fine, systems with a selection of volunteer vacancies are not responsible if something happens to a volunteer or organizer. Let's not panic, just remind you of the elementary security measures that are needed not only for volunteering, but for anyone. Study the reviews of other volunteers about the project, look for information about the organizers on the net. Never list cash, not specified in the conditions of volunteering, to the organizers of the project. Think of a plan B if you want to leave early. Trust your gut - it's very important. Some volunteers do not agree to participate in the project if at the time of negotiations they do not feel trust in the organizers or if there is no information about the project on the network, it does not have a website, and the organizer asks strange questions in correspondence. Tell your relatives and friends the address and name of the project, get in touch. In general, keep your powder dry. You can read more about instructions for volunteers and safety measures on the Workaway and Couchsurfing websites - they know how to strike a balance between trust in the world and common sense.
What to expect from volunteer work?
If, according to the terms of the project, you are not the only volunteer, get ready to communicate a lot - and with a variety of people. In ecovillages, for example, you can meet people with work experience in large corporations who have traded the office and management of subordinates for the production of cheese in the village quiet, pensioners who do not want to spend their days within four walls in a noisy city, students who are looking for alternative ways life, single mothers who want to raise their children in harmony with nature, and just eternal travelers roaming from one project to another. You can see for yourself how much different ways live life exists on this planet.
Volunteering allows you to gain experience of working outside the office and living outside the apartment. You can temporarily transform into a farmer, a conservationist, a baker, a lumberjack, a guide, a restaurateur, a doctor, a teacher. You will have the opportunity to live on the ocean, in the jungle, in permafrost or in the steppes, settle in a tent, yurt, a house with history or a bungalow, sleep in a hammock or even under open sky It's like a children's camp, only for adults.
If you have to work with the earth, build or care for animals, be prepared for physical exertion. Gather hay or brushwood, dig the ground, take care of trails in national parks- these are not the easiest, but very rewarding deeds, and most importantly, the result of your work is immediately visible, and you feel that you have contributed to positive changes. Don't forget to stretch.
Be ready to learn something new about yourself. Perhaps you discover the talent of a baker in yourself or find out what you have " light hand when you plant trees. You may like to milk cows and wash your face in the morning in a mountain river, you may want to become an oceanologist, polar explorer, agronomist or builder, study maritime science or a foreign language. This knowledge about yourself cannot be obtained by simply reading books about the profession and dreaming about changing jobs.
You will be able to live outside the “commodity-money-commodity” system, to use not only professional, but also personal qualities in your work, such as mutual assistance and compassion
Volunteering again “humanizes” work. developed a personnel motivation system based on a detailed study of the talents of employees who will work together, which allows them to be used most effectively. Volunteers can learn more about their talents without being selected for a large corporate team.
You will be able to live outside the “commodity-money-commodity” system, to use not only professional, but also personal qualities, such as mutual assistance and compassion. Money motivation has become familiar to us, so the experience of life outside of it can be especially valuable. You will work without pay or profit, but you will not have to spend money on transport, meals in office canteens or restaurants, things that correspond to the dress code and status that you occupy on the social ladder.
Volunteers also realize in their work a valuable desire to be kind, to see in their volunteer colleague first of all a person, and not a function that he performs at work. In volunteer projects, company directors, project managers, paralegals, retirees, students and doctors can together lay the foundation for the future building of the school, and no one cares who has achieved what in ordinary life.
Difficulties of volunteer work
Do not wait comfortable conditions- perhaps you will live in a room that you do not like, eat unusual food, get up early, do "dirty" work, one of the other volunteers may annoy you. It is not always possible to understand all the nuances of working, living and participating in a project before it starts, because if you do not wait for heavenly conditions, it will be easier to cope with discomfort.
You need to be prepared for the fact that you will have less personal space and you will have to share your life with other volunteers. It will be difficult for someone to live in a room with strangers different ages, nationalities, religions and with different expectations from life. Conflicts also happen - especially if volunteers stay in the project for a long time. Routine, fatigue and difference in goals can lead to disagreements when you have to defend your opinion. This happens in any team, and it is impossible, and not necessary, to protect yourself from conflicts: the experience of communicating with different people in any case will be beneficial. And you will surely learn more about yourself: you will either enjoy life in a commune, or you will appreciate solitude more.
Don't expect someone to organize your free time- most likely, you will be left to your own devices, unless the organizers provide excursions, yoga classes and cooking courses as bonuses.
In the case of volunteering, it is better not to have high expectations - then all the failures and surprises that will definitely arise will be easier to survive, and there will be more joy from the good moments of the project. If you are ready for adventures and new experiences - pack your backpack and go! If volunteering does not fit into your lifestyle, you are most likely already reading other material.
We talked to Ksenia Knorre Dmitrieva, a journalist who regularly "works as a volunteer" in various fields, found out why she and other volunteers need all this, what it gives them and identified eleven reasons, choosing one of which is right for you, you You can also become a "volunteer".
- Volunteering is an activity very different from what you do in your Everyday life. Therefore, for many, this is a way to change the familiar environment, to break standard scheme existence. For some this is essential. This is one of the most common causes, along which the taxi fleet dispatcher goes to the orphanage to bake pies, and office worker goes to the forest to look for the missing grandmother.
- In our strange age of strange communication, volunteering allows and even forces people to get to know each other and communicate. Volunteer crews mix amazingly different people men and women who otherwise would never have met. This is a very useful, one might say, unique experience.
- When a person does something as a volunteer, he feels that he is doing the right thing. With rather vague moral guidelines in our society, this is the right feeling.
- In moments of depression and self-flagellation, people who volunteer understand that they do not live in vain in this world. It sounds harsh, but selfless helping others fulfills a basic human need to feel good.
- Any person should help those who need help, if he has the opportunity. For many, this is an axiom. Therefore, volunteering for them is a way to fulfill this duty.
- Being among people who spend their time volunteering is joyful. They are not saints, not altruists, not blessed, not ideal, they have a very different character and , but there is one common feature: they are not indifferent. It is good, useful and pleasant to be in the company of caring people.
- Volunteers change lives for the better. A volunteer is a soldier of a huge army of good, which is growing every day. It is volunteers who achieve what has never happened before in our lives. They draw the attention of society to something that it has previously indifferently passed by. Never before have we visited the elderly in nursing homes, did not go to play with disabled children, did not extinguish Forest fires, did not give love to stray dogs in shelters. This means that life has become a little easier for single grandparents, special children, homeless animals and many others.
- Volunteering is very diverse, everyone can find in it what he likes. Someone likes to mess with animals, someone does it well, someone likes the romance of nighttime searches, and someone is sick of the old people. There is always an opportunity to realize yourself.
- Volunteering is a means of moral education, taming pride. It teaches to do good disinterestedly, without expecting gratitude. To do good deeds that no one will know about, and at the same time not look down on those who do not.
- Volunteering helps you fight your own fears. It teaches not only to have a different attitude to illness, death, life, but also to communicate correctly with people in a difficult situation. Do not be afraid, do not take your eyes off the disabled person, not understanding how to behave, but be able to lend a helping hand.
- Last but not least, volunteering is a good example for the younger generation. Kindness cannot be taught. It can only be grafted. And when children see that their parents regularly help someone for free, share what they have with strangers, then doing good becomes something completely natural. Norma.
Volunteering is an activity performed voluntarily for the benefit of society or individuals. social groups, without remuneration. Thus, volunteers do not become financially motivated, but for the sake of helping others and gaining invaluable life experience. After all, volunteering provides many opportunities that allow you to take a fresh look at yourself and the world around you, learn something, get acquaintances.
In this overview article, we will briefly talk about what volunteering is like, what are the reasons for doing it, and list some popular directions and opportunities for participating in volunteer projects.
Popular Volunteering Options
Most popular species volunteer activities are:
- Environmental protection: tracking poachers, landscaping the territories of nature reserves, recording populations of rare animals.
- Assistance to victims of natural and military disasters: psychological support, provision of food, cooking, restoration of damaged objects, search for missing people, medical assistance.
- Observation of natural disasters and man-made productions: early warning of the population if there is a danger.
- Development of education, innovation, science; popularization of sports and active leisure: work in schools, kindergartens, colleges, universities, various specialized clubs.
- Preservation of historical and cultural monuments: repair work associated with the reconstruction of objects.
- Organization of mass events: sports, cultural, educational, religious.
- Creation of opportunities for the disclosure of creative potential, including for people with physical disabilities: holding exhibitions, master classes, lectures.
Basic principles of social volunteering
Social volunteering is participation in social projects on a voluntary basis. Examples of such projects are helping the homeless, the elderly, rehabilitation activities for people with disabilities. Principles and commandments of social volunteering:
- Social volunteering is a voluntary matter, no one has the right to force you to do what you do not want, what you did not subscribe to and what you do not agree with.
- Do not do for a person what he can do for himself without external help, do not live someone else's life.
- Be free, be yourself even when you help others.
- A volunteer should not only give a part of himself, but also receive support, care, positive emotions and new experience.
- A volunteer always has the right to say no.
6 reasons to become a volunteer
Why is it cool to be a volunteer and what can you get out of it for yourself?
1. Rich language practice
Volunteering is a real opportunity to practice and improve your skills in . You are most likely to own experience You know that the environment has a tremendous impact on the development of certain characteristics. And if you constantly spend your time in the company of foreigners and solve all problems exclusively for them mother tongue or international, the results will not be long in coming.
2. True friends and pleasant acquaintances
People inadvertently expose their positive and negative sides in collective activities. It is here that the true nature of man becomes clear. Joint life, work and rest take off the masks from people and make them closer to each other. Thus, the borders of the world are erased for an active volunteer, the whole earth becomes his real home, because in different parts of the world there are friends who love you with all their hearts and look forward to visiting you.
3. Experience in non-formal education
In such projects, there is a constant exchange of life experience and knowledge between the participants. Therefore, it is quite realistic to master any skills in a short amount of time.
The type of program chosen, of course, plays an important role. Here is a grain of what a volunteer can learn: culinary arts of the peoples of the world, the technology of restoring buildings, archeology, the nuances of interaction with different social and age groups of people, communication in foreign languages, photography, video filming, language teaching, veterinary science, hiking, mountaineering, winemaking , brewing.
4. Future prospects
The fact of participating in the volunteer movement significantly expands the portfolio, as at the end of many programs certificates are awarded with a list of personal achievements of the participants. This will be a significant plus when entering educational institutions, when receiving grants for studying abroad and.
5. Immersion in the culture and life of the host country/city
Every nation has a unique and unique way of life. During such adventures, it is possible to fully experience the culture of the host country.
6. Getting out of your comfort zone
Nothing excites the mind and invigorates the soul so much as a complete change in the amplitude of life. During volunteering, amazing things will happen: immersion in new locations, synthesis with previously unfamiliar cultures, a critical restructuring from the native language to foreign ones, and expanding the circle of acquaintances at times.
Volunteer Opportunities
There are hundreds of options and projects for volunteering. Each of them is original in its own way, therefore, in order not to get lost in their diversity, you should first evaluate everything and understand what you want. Consider your interests, try to understand which activities can bring you happiness, and which, on the contrary, will make you feel unhappy.
And after that, you should find out all the details about the proposed types of volunteer programs from the relevant organizations.
In Russia on this moment Volunteer programs in Europe, the USA and Asia are quite popular, there are many opportunities in large cities, Moscow and St. Petersburg, where dozens of entertaining events are held daily.
In Europe – European Voluntary Service
EVS gives you the opportunity to use your free time for the benefit of the whole world. It is noteworthy that this program is well funded and covers all expenses for the volunteer, including round-trip air tickets. The possible period of participation reaches 12 months, and the allowable age is 18-30 years.
IN THE USA
There are also plenty of opportunities to volunteer in the US, here are some useful links on the topic:
Place: California, Yosemite.
Terms: reimbursement of expenses for food and accommodation in the presence of a work visa.
Requirements: it is desirable to study or work in the field of nature studies.
Duration: 2-6 months.
Place: Minnesota, Vince Shutes.
Terms: lack of electricity, telephone and running water. Meals and accommodation are compensated, flights and visa costs are not.
Requirements: age from 18 years old.
Duration: May-September.
Place: Texas and California.
Terms: free accommodation and meals.
Requirements: fluency in English, Spanish.
Duration: any, year-round acceptance of applications.
In Russia (Moscow and St. Petersburg):
Anyone who wants to devote their time and energy to solve some social problem or help a group of people who are not part of their family, colleagues, friends. Volunteering has no religious, racial, age, gender or even political boundaries.
Basically, you do not even need to have any special knowledge or skills to be a volunteer. However, certain specific tasks, such as social work, health care, or caring for the disabled, may require certain qualifications and experience.
If a minor wishes to volunteer, permission from a parent or guardian is required.
What exactly do volunteers do?
There is not enough space in any article to list everything volunteers do.
Here are some examples:
- volunteers take care of homeless animals at the shelter;
- pruning branches of dense crowns on a Greek island to sunlight could get on terrestrial plants;
- can teach children a foreign language in a kindergarten or help install new windows in a school destroyed during the war in the Balkans;
- they can organize football tournaments for children from the poorer neighborhoods of London or restore castles in France.
The main thing is to choose for yourself suitable project. If you can't deal with your tomboyish little brother, then you probably shouldn't go to Kindergarten. You can also become a volunteer via the Internet. Many organizations need editors, translators, researchers, designers.
This is a job that can be done remotely without leaving home.
I found a volunteer project that I like. What's next?
Go to the web page of the project organizers or write to them, find out more about everything, look for feedback from previous participants.
Usually, there are clear procedures for selecting participants in volunteer projects. Most likely, you will need to send your resume and motivation letter, sometimes you also need recommendations. You may be invited for an interview (directly to the office of the organization, by phone or, for example, via Skype).
Don't worry, this is not an exam. The person you are talking to will want to make sure that this is a conscious choice for you, to understand your motivation, to find out what you know and can do in order to select tasks for you that will fit your character, skills and expectations.
For you, this conversation is an opportunity to find out all the organizational issues: what needs to be paid for and what the organization will pay for, whether insurance is provided, where the volunteers will sleep, how to eat, and so on.
How long do volunteer projects last?
It depends on the specific project. Some go for just a few days or weeks (camps), others a few months (medium-term projects) and a year or two (long-term volunteering).
Volunteer camps are the most popular form of short-term group volunteering in Europe. Many pupils and students go to such camps, most often during the holidays. For several weeks, volunteers work in large groups to complete a task. This may be the restoration of architectural monuments, planting trees, helping on an ecological farm.
How much money do you need to spend for this?
You might be surprised, but the longer the project, the lower the cost of participation in it.
In many cases, you do not need to pay at all: the organizers will provide accommodation, food, take care of insurance, and sometimes they can even give small pocket money.
However, short-term projects, for example, in the summer for 2-3 weeks, with interesting topics (like studying the behavior of dolphins in Croatia or protecting turtles in Greece) are quite expensive. For participation in such camps, you need to pay an entrance fee, cover the cost of travel and insurance coverage yourself.
It happens that the organizers help volunteers find funds to cover these expenses. However, keep in mind that financial and living conditions may change, so carefully read the information on the websites of the organizers!
So it turns out that volunteers are cheap labor?
The difference between volunteering and regular work is obvious and tangible - this is the lack of material reward. Moreover, sometimes you have to pay for participating in a volunteer project yourself.
But this does not mean at all that for the organization in which the volunteer works, he is a free labor force.
First, such an interpretation is prohibited by law. In most European countries, volunteer work is regulated by separate regulations. A volunteer cannot replace full-time employees or do work that no one wants to take on. He works in a project created especially for him, in which his tasks, mode of operation, additional terms etc.
We should not forget about the motivation and inspiration, which are much higher for a volunteer than for ordinary workers. And in terms of payment, it is not so big if you compare it with the cost of a tourist voucher for the corresponding period or foreign language courses abroad.
A volunteer project is a good investment in your future!
Volunteer work schedule depends on the specifics of the project. In most cases, the project is structured so that volunteers have time for a variety of activities outside of work. At the camps they can get to know people of other nationalities and cultures, during long-term projects - the culture and way of life of the country in which they are.
Some projects additionally organize language courses, discussion clubs, walks and the like. Most volunteers work 6-8 hours a day. However, they should take an active part in the life of the project, community, organization, and not finish work at 16:00 and go home.
European volunteering is a unique phenomenon
The European Union supports the development of volunteering in Europe through the activities of the European Volunteer Service - one of the areas of the Youth in Action program. Organizations participating in European volunteering receive funds for the expulsion of a volunteer, maintenance, training, methodological support, insurance coverage, etc. The volunteer receives pocket money from the EU. It is definitely attractive financial plan foreign volunteer program. Therefore, people who are in a difficult financial or social situation (disabled people, residents of rural areas, young people from poor or single-parent families) are more likely to take part in it.
Can I go to a volunteer project with friends?
Many organizations provide this opportunity. However, it must be remembered that this is not a tourist trip during the holidays. Volunteer camps work in large groups. It is necessary to interact with everyone, not just with acquaintances.
Host organizations expect you to be actively involved in their lives. Most time you will spend with hosts and other volunteers. You will live, eat, work and spend your leisure time together. Camp organizers emphasize the ability to work in groups.
What about a foreign language? How to find a common language with volunteers from other countries?
Knowledge of a foreign language will always be useful to you, even if the organizers of the volunteer project do not require it. Most organizers expect candidates to have a basic knowledge of the language (mainly English or the language of the host country).
In particular, to participate in projects that involve working with people, you need to know the language, at least conversational level. But there are also projects during which you do not have to talk much. There are several programs that do not require knowledge of a foreign language.
On the other hand, volunteering abroad is a great opportunity to improve your knowledge. It is impossible to work in an international group without communicating with others. It happens that the organizers, when forming a team to participate in the camp, select only one person from each country in order to make it impossible to communicate in their native language. Therefore, before the trip, it is worth mastering at least the basics of the English language.
What are the conditions for volunteers?
Do not rely on "greenhouse conditions". Volunteers often live in campsites, in tents or shared rooms with other volunteers, sometimes with families, and may even have to sleep on the floor in sleeping bags. Food is cooked all together from the products provided by the organizers, or from what they purchase themselves. Of course, you are guaranteed basic safety and sanitation conditions, no one will go hungry, but don't count on a private room with a shower and a TV.
Is it safe to travel to a foreign country with strangers?
Either way, your parents will worry about you. It is in your power to provide them with as much information as possible in order to reduce this excitement. Anything can happen. Therefore, it is important to purchase an insurance policy (it is already required to open a visa) and learn as much as possible about the organization that will send and receive you. Look for information about the volunteer camp you are going to from various sources.
It is not enough to view only the organization page. Try to look for reviews of former participants, mentions of this project in the local press, contact the sponsors of the project, if any. Today, thanks to the Internet, this is not so difficult to do. And remember the main thing - the organization must sign a volunteer agreement with you, do not take everything at your word!
I am not yet eighteen years old. Can I go?
You can, but the choice of projects for you will be limited. There are projects (usually camps, often more expensive) in which, with the consent of the parents, persons over the age of 16 can take part. Sometimes an upper age limit is also indicated - for example, persons aged 18 to 30 can take part in European volunteering.
I would like to do something that would be in line with the direction of my studies. Is it possible?
Of course. There are many topics for volunteer work. If you get an education in the same field, your chances of participating in the project increase. In addition, volunteering is a good item on your resume, often the only way to get practical experience. Your future employer will appreciate it.
Bottom line: Weigh all the pros and cons.
Volunteering is a multifaceted phenomenon. You can go for a few days, and for a few months, on your own or with friends. There is very hard work, but there is also easy, simple and pleasant. You often have to pay for the latter, although it happens that a volunteer receives quite decent pocket money for his work.
Therefore, it is always worth considering very carefully the decision to participate in a volunteer project. Through volunteering, you can meet interesting people, visit exotic places, learn new customs, learn a foreign language, gain professional experience that employers value so much. These are the advantages of volunteering, which are remembered more often. But there are some downsides to this as well. Parting with family and friends, hard work, often in difficult conditions, without remuneration, difficult adaptation in a foreign country, as well as in one's own after returning from a long-term project - these are just some of these disadvantages.
All the pros and cons need to be weighed before making a final decision about the trip. After all, what for some can be an unforgettable adventure and invaluable life experience, for others, it can end in disappointment, a premature return home and regret about wasted time.
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