Concordia International Volunteers

Orlaith on EVS in Poland - 2012

2012-01-10T11:37:00.013Z

"Greetings from Wrocław! Here I am to fill you in on what I've been up to during my first three and a half months in Poland..

Three and a half down..Eep! Only four and a half to go..boo hoo hoo! The time is going way too fast.

I spent over a year looking for the right organisation (one that I wanted and one that wanted me). Luckily, after this time, I have ended up in one of the most amazing projects I could ever have dared to imagine, working in one of the most amazing organisations I've ever had the pleasure to be involved with.

Myself and five other volunteers are working in the regeneration of a very deprived area near to the city centre. Really we can choose to do whatever kinds of projects we want so long as they are valuable for the local area or its inhabitants.

I'm getting such wonderful experience here. I am learning so much, meeting so many people, and being enabled and encouraged to develop any projects or workshops that are viable. In my first week of being here, I completed my first funding application and spent the next six weeks preparing (amongst other things) an anti-racism exhibition in the district. This has now been taken by the University for display there.

That has been my main project so far. Now I'm beginning funding applications for my second big project. Other than that we've helped to renovate private and public buildings, organised an international football tournament, developed workshops for the local children, TRIED to learn Polish (had to give a ten minute presentation in Polish yesterday), participated in a 'week of tolerance' with Israeli and Norwegian youths, developed Poland's first outdoor 'vertical garden' and much much more.

I've also helped local children with English homework and am currently giving English lessons to seniors.

I love my flat, my flatmates, co-workers.....everything really.

All in all, things are going so well. Haven't been home-sick yet. Fingers crossed I won't be for the next four and a half months. None of this would have been possible without Chloe's help and support. Thanks Chloe."

toodles

Concordia host the Alliance General Assembly

2012-01-03T11:54:00.003Z

After lots of planning, discussions, and organising The Concordia team set off with excitement on 1^st November 2011 to host the General Assemble (GA) and staff training at the YMCA Fairthorne Manor in Botley, Southampton.

Concordia is part of the Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organisations which organises a three day GA every year, held the first week of November. The purpose of this meeting is for all partner organisations to share ideas, vote on new policies and procedures and discuss the future developments of the Alliance.

With 76 people arriving from 24 different countries on the 1^st to attend a staff training we were straight into the madness of collecting people from the train station and organising the week ahead of us.

The two day staff training allowed new and experience staff to update skills and develop ideas and strategies for engaging and motivating volunteers within their organisations. The GA officially started on Friday 4^th November – though it didn’t start the way we expected - waking up to find that the main room where the assembly was being held looked more like an indoor swimming pool than a conference because of a huge storm. This meant that all hands were on deck hoovering, mopping and bucketing up all the water so that the anticipated GA could start :)

Once the madness of the morning was over – everyone was settled and had voting cards at the ready to agree and discuss new ideas and polices for 2012. We elected a new President, Additional member, Vice President of external relations and Treasurer to the Alliance External Committee and welcomed 5 new organisations to be part of the family that is the Alliance.

Of course no conference would be complete without a little fun and it was a great chance to make new friends from around the world and catch up with old ones, enjoy some local beer at a traditional English pub, celebrate 5^th November with a big bonfire and toasted marshmellows and have a chance to taste some exotic and interesting food and drink from around the world.

This year was also a time to celebrate as 2011 is the European year of volunteering and the International year of the volunteer+10. The Alliance ran a very inspiring and successful campaign to raise awareness of volunteering with a flag travelling around the world visiting 22 Countries and 25 organisations. The story finished with Thomas from Germany cycling over 1000KM from Berlin to Southampton cycling with the flag for sustainable volunteering. The whole tour flag depicted the motivation, inspiration, and passion that the whole Alliance have towards volunteering, and although being many miles away from each other it was something that underlined the fact that having a common goal can mean you can achieve something great!

Being only my second GA and being part of hosting this week long event – nothing could have prepared me for this exhilarating, exhausting, fun and productive experience. I found the whole experience such an inspiring and fulfilling week and a great way to end the busy year of voluntary service.

Francesca

Watch this video about volunteering in Iceland!

2011-12-20T12:51:00.004Z

Check out the video made by our volunteer Tosh who participated in a photography project in Iceland :)

The video is part of an exhibition in Iceland about volunteering.

All In A Days Work from Tosh Kara on Vimeo.

Our partner in Argentina!

2011-12-19T13:05:00.002Z

Our partner in Argentina SUBIR AL SUR just made a new presentation video!

Unfortunately is in Spanish...if you don't speak the language you can see what the projects look like!

Concordia Team

Heather in Hungary on EVS - 2011

2011-12-19T10:29:00.005Z

"I'm sharing a room with a German, Spanish

and a Romanian girl. It's like gaining three sisters over night!!"

I'm settling into EVS life quickly :-) So much has happened since I left England on Thursday!!

I'm living with 8 other people in a small flat in the City Centre. The flat is in a small square near to the train and bus station. We are lucky because our room has a balconary that overlooks the square.

I'm sharing a room with a German, Spanish and a Romanian girl. It's like gaining three sisters over night!! It's ok at the moment, but I never seen to get a minute to myself. The other girls are really nice and helpful. We also share the flat with a French guy and four guys from Turkey (they keep themselves to themselves).

On Friday I spend the day unpacking and having a look around the City. It is very pretty. I can't take photos because my camera broke the night before I left :-( In the evening, all of the EVS volunteers were invited to a language student's home for dinner. The food was really good. We had a dish made with pork, egg, potatoes and spices, a mixed salad with Greek dressing and another dish made with Turkey, potatoes and lots of spices. For pudding, we had pancakes and a strange dish made of cookies, sour cream, sugar and jelly.

On my birthday, the girls made me breakfast in bed which was so sweet :-) Later, we went to a football match with some of the boys from the other flat (they have been in Hungary for eight months). It was so cold that my bones were frozen! In the evening we went to a local bar. There is no real night life in the City. There are three or four bars and one small nightclub. Anyway, two random guys gave us a massive cream and chocolate cake!! It was amazing!!

Today was my first day working at the office. It was manic because the organisation has just moved from an office across the road. Today was the opening ceremony. I also went to my first two England lessons. It was really relaxed and informal. The English teacher chooses a topic and we talk to the students about it. So today we talked about the different rules and customs in each of our home countries (England, Italy, Spain and Romanian). The students were really shy and didn't want to talk very much.

Everybody I have met so far in Hungary has been very friendly and helpful. The hardest thing to cope with at the moment is communication. A lot of the others can speak English. However, they find it hard to understand my accent. I didn't realise that I speak so fast when I’m at home!! Robbie seems to understand me the best. He is from Romanian and speaks five languages fluently!! I think that my English will get worse this year!! It's strange to listen to so many lanuages at the same time!

Joanne on EVS in France - 2011

2011-12-12T14:30:00.007Z

"I will never forget trying to teach three teenagers how to sew
with a few words and a lot of hand gestures."

EVS involved a lot of firsts for me; it was the first time I had travelled outside the UK alone, the first time I took a night train, the first time I had lived in another country, the first time I had seen mountains. One of the greatest parts of my EVS experience was that these first time experiences did not end when I arrived at the project but they continued up until the very end. I feel every part of me was touched and changed somehow by my time as a volunteer; from allowing me to become more conscious of the resources we can take for granted in British society today to bringing bigger concepts further to my attention such as the role of consumerism and the problem of climate change.

I volunteered for 9 months in France at a centre accueil called Vaunières, meaning Black Valley, which is hidden away at 2,500 meters altitude in the French Alps. The village hosts a variety of people including groups of school children, teenagers with social problems, international workcamps and passing mountain hikers. During the summer months there was often large numbers of visitors, sometimes reaching around the one hundred mark.

It is a tiny village that dates back to the twelfth century and it is isolated in a way that is quite hard to comprehend in today's world of modern connections. It took me a while to adjust to this solitude but now I am incredibly grateful that I was able to experience such a different way of life during my EVS.My daily life as a volunteer changed and evolved during my time at Vaunieres with relation to what groups were visiting.

During the quiet months of spring we were often just the 6 volunteers and so our time was occupied with workshops to develop Vaunieres; plastering the new library space, working on the garden, painting and decorating. As the warmer weather brought more visitors my role became more of a host - welcoming, cooking and cleaning but there was also time to participate in the collective workshops. This provided a beautiful opportunity to share with all the different people staying in the project and helped to breakdown some of the boundaries created by the language barrier. I will never forget trying to teach three teenagers how to sew with a few words and a lot of hand gestures.

A special part of Vaunieres is the artistic and alternative people it seems to attract and a huge part of my EVS experience was the volunteers and the people I shared my time with. I met many inspiring people that I hope to keep contact with forever. When the summer arrived so did the first international workcamps and festivals. There were movie nights, pizza nights, party nights, games nights, international meals, nights sleeping under stars and weekends away. The autumn brought a new, colourful, beauty and a new calm in terms of numbers. But as other long-term volunteers left and the new group arrived I found myself with a lot more responsibilities. I helped to welcome the new volunteers into their new roles and helped organise the final international workcamp of the year. It was perhaps the most challenging part of my whole time as a volunteer in terms of work-load and in many ways a very good way to finish. I am able to now say with confidence, I can speak French, I can drive on the right-side of the road, I can be a leader and I can say no when it gets too much. Of course there were times when things felt too difficult and times when I just wanted to come home and have a hug from my Mum. Sometimes the language barrier felt very isolating and I became quite homesick. But I wouldn’t change a thing. The hard times are an important part of the experience and really enable you to become aware of your own limits and strengths.

If you are reading this because you are contemplating becoming an EVS volunteer then I hope my story gives you the reassurance you are searching for. It is such an amazing opportunity and a real privilege to be able to live in another country and immerse yourself in another culture. It gives you time both to discover yourself and, in my experience at least, provides an opportunity to find many new possibilities for the future and a chance to meet many wonderful people. Also, there is always that guiding hand of Concordia behind you if you run into any problems.

If you are reading this because you are contemplating volunteering at Vaunières, I would whole heartedly encourage you too. There are not many places where you can feel so disconnected from the pressures of modern consumerism yet still be immersed in all the beauty of human potential. It is a magic place. Just remember to bring a good book and maybe some knitting to help pass those cold winter nights….

2011 EVS Final Evaluation Seminar - Joe tells all...

2011-11-17T15:39:00.006Z

Concordia's ex EVS volunteer
Joe who went to Austria
tells all about last weekend's
EVS Final Evaluation Seminar in Bradford

The seminar was great - there was a big group of participants (I would estimate somewhere around 35 people) but the trainers did a great job of making sure everyone got to know each other. It was great to meet so many other volunteers and hear about their projects and their experiences abroad. In my experience EVS volunteers also tend to be really interesting and fun people to spend time with, and this seminar was no exception. In terms of the seminar itself - my EVS finished over a year ago and I've been busy with plenty of other things since then, so I was unsure if it would be helpful for me to attend an evaluation meeting so long after the end of my project. However despite the late date I actually found it really helpful to spend some time looking back at my experiences of Austria and what I learnt while I was there, and reflecting on how EVS has impacted on me and my plans for the future. We also received information about further mobility opportunities offered by the other strands of the European Commission's life-long learning programme, such as Leonardo or Grundtvig, which I will definitely be looking into! In short it was a great weekend and definitely worth taking part in.

Kelly on EVS in Iceland - 2011

2011-11-16T09:50:00.005Z

It is unsurprisingly difficult to know where to start. With 6 months of time already having trickled by there is obviously too much to say… But for a general overview of my time so far, EVS in Iceland has meant…….

“Workcamps” with international volunteers around the different parts of Iceland, learning to drive a tractor, discovering the magic of Icelandic turf houses and turf as a building material, sleeping outside in the summer night sun (no darkness!), staying inside in the winter darkness (too much darkness!), planting trees, herding hundreds of sheep, learning how to milk a cow, seeing the northern lights, eating cured shark, cleaning the coast and building furniture from the driftwood, discovering the Icelandic Sagas and beliefs in hidden people and elves, building a children’s playground, organising and leading a bicycle camp around the south of the country, making a vegetable patch and greenhouse, frosty mornings, sitting in “hot pots” and hot rivers (a favourite Icelandic past time), often seeing more animals than people on a daily basis, alien landscapes and lava fields, huge open horizons, fishing, never having the same day repeated, painting, learning how to build a shelter with just wood and rope (no nails!), glaciers, volcanoes, sleeping in bunk beds, hiking, always cooking in huge quantities, strange dentist visit (they have TVs on the ceiling!), new people, new ideas, new recipes, lots of energy, tiredness, silent landscapes, noisy houses, and the strongest WIND.

Steph on EVS in Hungary - 2011

2011-11-15T15:23:00.005Z

A Lot of Red Tomatoes

My hosting organisation’s website proudly bears the moto ‘Everybody is other in another way’. I like this sentiment, a lot, it summarises perfectly how it feels to be here. The language barrier, interacting with the disabled residents, how everything is different yet oddly fits together to make somewhere I feel I can call home. My first two months have gone so fast it feels like I finished hanging my photos on the wall of my room only yesterday, yet when I think of the things I’ve done and the progress we have made it feels like I’ve been here my whole life. The first few weeks were all about guided tours around our new lives and the paperwork to suit, but as the days marched on we soon found ourselves making friends and finding novel ways of communicating with the world around us.

For those who don’t know, Hungarian is an isolated language which contains many unnecessarily long words and bears no real resemblance to any western European language. This coupled with the fact English is not often phonetic makes remembering how to pronounce things almost impossible and as such I am sceptical that I will ever become proficient but I will endeavour to continue trying. Another hindrance is the pesky English accent I own as, when we go round the room practising pronunciation, the Germans get a big thumbs up, the Dutch make a reasonable attempt and I get a 'well at least you tried' kind of look.

The first word I mastered was, of course, thank you, as this knowledge alone can, with the assistance of lots of hand gestures, get you pretty much anything you want. Next I memorised the days of the week and the words 'open' and 'closed' so I could read the opening hours of all the shops and the local outdoor swimming pool. Since then my vocabulary has become a lot more eclectic as it has been driven primarily by the autistic people we assist. Colours were fairly easy to remember due to the extensive drilling which comes with overplaying Jenga and colouring in picture books. Next I progressed onto the phrase 'a lot of red tomatoes' which evolved due to one of the residents who carries a Spar offers magazine everywhere with him

which contains a picture of a punnet of, yes you guesse d it, red tomatoes on the bottom right-hand side (half price at only 210 forints in case you are interested). My latest language acquisitions are the ability to say ‘come here’ and ‘change your shoes’ in an attempt to maintain some level professionalism being able to assist with day-to-day duties when the clients are not themselves working in the sheltered workshops. Finally I can now say all of the characters from the tale of Winne the Pooh in Hungarian, thanks to a game of memory, well you never know when this might crop up in conversation. So yes, you are correct in thinking that I can’t (yet) coherently buy a train ticket to Budapest but I can tell you that Winne the Pooh is yellow.

Rebecca in Germany on EVS - 2011

2011-11-02T14:33:00.006Z

"... best of all, I have assisted on two school trips. One week in the Harz... and one week in Sweden..."

I arrived in the evening of the 13^th of August and was met by another Finnish volunteer who is also working on the project. Shortly after we met 3 more German volunteers who we would be working and living together with for the next 11 months. The flat is very closely situated to the 3 schools that we will be working with and I was very impressed by the efforts of the community here to renovate and equip the flat in order to help make us all feel comfortable. Unfortunately we were not able to receive the internet in the flat until 1 ½ months into the project, but we found ways to keep ourselves busy (most notably, attempting to understand all of the American/ British television series which were dubbed in German, let alone German T.V =P).

I am beginning to make many new friends around here with people from the youth centre, the other volunteers, the teachers and the students. Although some of these friendships will take a while to form it seems that they will be long lasting.

The work we have been given here, at times, has not seemed like a lot. We have been sharing it together between the 5 of us. However, I think as we start to find our feet’s better, the work load will start increasing.

The tasks I have done so far include:-

Making a photo chart of all the teachers.
Supervising at break times and in the library has given me a chance to meet and talk to the students and also the librarian, who does not speak English ;)
Currently I am helping to create archaeology workshops and an English language conversation group with the teachers. I am also working with a German volunteer to create a cooking group.
have translated some documents and started working to find more partners for the school’s youth exchange programme.
I have attended a first aid course and a church ceremony! (at the beginning of the year to welcome the 5^th graders on their first day at school)
And best of all, I have assisted on two school trips. One week in the Harz getting to know the 6^th graders and one week in Sweden getting to know the 10^th graders.

I soon expect that my level of German will increase rapidly. I am taking a course that runs two times a week, when my German language level increases I will find it much easier to work and live in this society.

I have been very happy with the level of support and hospitality that I have received from my host organization to help me branch out and find new activities and people. I was especially impressed when all the staff sung me happy birthday which was co-ordinated in a choir by a music teacher during a staff meeting!

Hayley in Denmark on EVS - 2011

2011-11-01T11:00:00.002Z

"I am working at a social café for the ...Youth Red Cross ... [it is] entirely volunteer run giving it a very fun, relaxed, friendly and social atmosphere."

Never, have I felt more terrified than I did in those first few days of my EVS placement. I had inadvertently accepted a placement offer from a religious co-ordinating organisation and was therefore in the midst of morning prayers, faith workshops and gospel rehearsals – an uncomfortable position for a ‘non-believer’ such as myself. However, I was soon to discover that many of the other international volunteers (there are 25 of us from 12 countries) were also previously unaware of the religious nature of the organisation and that there was would be no sinister conversion attempt and things started to mellow out.

For my project I am working at a social café for the Ungdommens Røde Kors (Youth Red Cross) where, as well as developing a slight addiction to coffee, I have the responsibility of trying to maximise the profits. With the exception of a part-time manager who deals with all the dull legal and paper stuff, the cafe is entirely volunteer run giving it a very fun, relaxed, friendly and social atmosphere. Day-to-day activities can include organising music events, parties, workshops, making coffee and food as well as trying to think up of innovative ways of improving the cafe without spending any money. Not only am I gaining great project management skills, but I am also doing so in the knowledge that all of what I’m doing, is having a postive impact. It may be a small impact, but a positive one nonetheless.

Danni on EVS in France - 2011

2011-10-31T15:27:00.005Z

"I have friends living in Paris, the alps and the south of France!"

I’m finding it incredibly difficult to describe my first month in Brest in only a few short paragraphs. My new life here began the moment I stepped off the plane. I met my first new friend in the airport. She was a Welsh Erasmus student and through her I met a whole horde of Erasmus friends. Five minutes later I met Martine – my mentor for daily life here. She has been a major help. From taking me to Ikea on my first day to taking me to the doctors to get my medical certificate to do sports, she has been absolutely indispensable. Next I met my mentor at work, Agnes. Without her I would never be able to do my job. I have continued to meet new friends every week. In fact, I seem to meet people every time I take the bus, although I suggest you avoid those people!

I have had the opportunity to travel a bit throughout Brittany already. My on arrival training was in the south of Brittany. Despite the often strange training techniques and the fact that people spoke English more than French, it was a very useful week. It was a great opportunity to meet other EVS volunteers and now I have friends living in Paris, the alps and the south of France! I also learned to say, “j’ai la gueule de bois” – “I have a hangover” in French. A very useful phrase when the majority of your friends are Erasmus students. I have also travelled a little with the Erasmus students and will soon be heading to Paris with them. Furthermore, I travelled to the North of France with the boss of my hosting organisation to work as a translator. The 11 hour car journey is something I won’t be forgetting any time soon! And this weekend I will be travelling to Nantes with the gaelic football team of which I am a member despite only playing twice in my life (and being absolutely atrocious).

In terms of work, I help organise projects on international mobility and have successfully held my first event (although Agnes really did all the work), I do a lot of translation, I hold english discussion sessions, I appear to have won my battle with the photocopier and I am finally learning the incredibly complicated art of poster making so I shall soon be helping a lot more with events! I also have my French courses which are a great help and even count towards my work hours!

Now that I am into my second month I no longer look the wrong way when crossing the road, I find the French keyboard easier than the English and find it acceptable to eat pain au chocolat for breakfast every morning. However, my Scottish accent remains as strong as ever. Brest is an amazing city to live in. I have so many great new friends, am surrounded by bars (mainly irish), cinemas, theatres, students (mainly irish) and whenever I think I’m learning more about the Irish culture than the French, I just eat a crepe and all is well.

Amy in Greece on EVS - 2011

2011-10-21T16:08:00.003+01:00

Being a couple of months through my placement with Archipelagos on the Greek island of Samos, I thought I would write a blog about the work that I am doing out here. For a start do not be fooled – Greece has a winter and it is horrible! When I arrived here the sun was still shining constantly and temperatures rarely dropped below 30 even at night. Then last week we had a huge storm and since then the temperature has dropped ridiculously to the point I was wearing a woolly hat and gloves this morning. I have been told that it will heat up again, but at the moment, with my hands wrapped around a mug of tea, I refuse to believe this!

Although Archipelagos is predominantly a marine organisation it also does work on land as well. It is this terrestrial team that I am part of. My role here predominantly involves working with the chameleons on the island. First of all when I came here I had no idea that chameleons lived in the Mediterranean let alone in Greece! As it turns out the species of chameleon that is found on Samos is not found anywhere else in Greece and is therefore meant to be protected. However very little work has been done on them and no one knows how many there are on the island or their exact locations.

My job involves going out at various times of the day with a small team and surveying two transects near our base. We have to walk slowly up and down these transects searching the vegetation for chameleons. Obviously this is very hard as by nature they change their colour to match the vegetation, but it is possible! Once we find one, we capture it, measure its size, check if its male or female before releasing it again. I have to admit my first chameleon capture was incredibly exciting and the creatures are amazingly. Their ability to change colour in your hand and vanish into the trees, regardless of how well you follow them, is absolutely fascinating!

I am thoroughly enjoying my placement with Archipelagos, as not only am I experiencing the joys of working on a small Greek island, learning a language and culture that is so alien to me. I am also working with fascinating creatures and have met and worked with people from around the world.

Alistair in Austria on EVS - 2011

2011-10-19T15:03:00.006+01:00

sJust as I thought, the first few months of my EVS Project has been a true roller coaster and a mixture of highs and lows.

From my journey down to the Concordia office in Brighton to the many train journeys I have enjoyed in Austria, it has all been a great challenge so far.

Duties at the youth centre include playing video games with the teenagers who can freely drop-by whenever they want (when the youth point is open!),chatting with them (in German) and generally being there for them. They really appreciate having somewhere they can come to meet their friends and to relax.

In my free time I find myself often cycling along next to Lake Wörthersee, the most popular lake in all of Austria. I have also taken to climbing up a couple of mountains here in the beautiful Alpine air and who can miss Monday night’s show, “die Millionenshow”, Austria’s version of ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’, I never miss it for sure when I have a say over it!

As I write this in mid-October, the sun is shining once again and the trees have a lovely colour. The only problem now is deciding where to cycle to in this bike-friendly country.

Hannah in Latvia on EVS - 2011

2011-08-26T13:28:00.007+01:00

"...I will remember this year for a long time."

One year ago I had no idea that I would be about to spend a year in Latvia, now I I can’t believe that in a matter of days it will be over.

The office where I have been volunteering is nothing like I imagined it would be before I arrived, however despite there being things I would change I’m grateful for the experience that I’ve had.

Work in the “World at Our Home” office can often be sporadic, as was the case for a few weeks at the start of the summer, but in the last month it has become crazy again as we plan for a seminar and a youth exchange both of which will take place during October. As well as this, at the moment we are also writing applications for seminars and an exchange that will hopefully take place next year and also looking for the new generation of volunteers for the centre to host and coordinate.

Looking back on my time I’ve been here I realise just how much I was able to see and do and even if there were moments when I wanted to give up (and very nearly did) I will remember this year for a long time.

Before I came Latvia wasn't a country I was interested to visit, but I’m glad I did because I would never have been able to experience what I have; from swimming in a lake to finding that travelling four hours+ to get to Riga or Lithuania really isn’t so bad after all and seeing more countries in the last few months than I ever expected, to making friends with people from France and Spain to Italy and Romania and surviving a winter with temperatures of -30°c.

My bags are packed and soon I will be embarking on the four hour journey to Riga. The thought of four hours on a coach or train used to worry me but now the thought that it’ll be the last time I do this journey is strange to comprehend.

But with every end, there is a beginning and I’m looking forward to future challenges. Thank you to everyone who made this possible.

EVS is a fully funded volunteer scheme. Email evs@concordiavolunteers.org.uk to find out more.

Barney Smith's Project in France

2011-08-09T11:54:00.009+01:00

Monsoon in France

This article is dedicated to my parents whose lives were cut short by cancer – my mother in 2008 and my father last year - but who inspire me every day.

I must admit, it took me a while to find Giat on the map. I was sitting in my classroom in Kuwait one sweltering June afternoon long after the students had gone home, and I’d just had email confirmation of my acceptance on a project in the Auvergne region in central France. One of the benefits of international volunteer projects is the opportunity to visit places far off the beaten track and meet people from a wide variety of cultures, nationalities and backgrounds.

Volunteers and Leaders from Giat with Volunteers and Leaders from Chantelle

The leaders and other volunteers came from the north to the south, from the east to the west: Eda and Gizem from Turkey, Amaya and Miren from Spain, Kristýna from the Czech Republic and Fabien and Patrick from France. Our leaders were François, a teacher, and Fred, a stonecutter, who together made a fantastic team. The three weeks were a very special and happy experience thanks to everybody, both leaders and volunteers.

This was my sixteenth international volunteer project (my earlier projects were in Russia, Germany, Turkey, Macedonia, Greece, Serbia and Romania) but my first in France and my first camping project. The work focused on three places near the campsite along the shore of la Ramade, the nearby lake: rebuilding a footbridge across a marshy area, rebuilding a footbridge to the lake’s bird observatory, and clearing the lakeside path. Volunteers also worked to clean the observatory and signpost the area with information on local wildlife.

Volunteers and Leaders meeting the Mayor of Giat

The local community in Giat, a village of some 900 people, were very welcoming; there were regular visits from the mayor and his deputies, often bringing a very welcome snack, to see how we were getting on and to raise our spirits. If ever we needed our spirits raised it was because of the weather: it rained... and it rained... and it rained. This wasn’t just drizzle of the kind you get used to if you grow up in Britain, as I did: it was downpour... after downpour... after downpour. It rained almost every day, often most of the day. I think Kristýna timed the longest downpour as lasting eighteen hours! The weather inevitably had an effect on our schedule. The first working day it rained we were given the day off. It soon became clear however that if this continued we would get no work done! So we either braved the elements with waterproof clothes or did work which could easily be done inside, such as painting and varnishing signs for the footpath.

Conversations ranged widely, from the way of life in each other’s countries to politics, from music to sport, from past international volunteer projects to family and friends. In many cases we did our best to learn each other’s languages, did the occasional crossword or Sudoku together, and read newspapers and books. There were many games and sports too, from card games to guessing games, from football to Frisbee. And inevitably – we were in France after all – there was pétanque, which I played for the first time (with mixed results I should add!). The rural lakeside setting was ideal for outdoor activities like jogging and swimming (until, even for the most hardened swimmers, the lake became too cold!).

Volunteers and Leaders in Giat

There were also many excursions: to the region’s largest city, Clermont-Ferrand, to the Museum of Radio in Saint-Avit, to the beautiful village of Crocq, to the medieval festival and to the market in Giat, watching the Tour de France as helicopters buzzed overhead, hiking in the mountains, buying cheese at Châteaubrun, enjoying a lavish Bastille Day breakfast and guided tour (and even trying out the hose!) at the local fire station, riding on an aerial runway and watching two spectacular firework displays. We also spent a few days at a nearby project in the village of Chantelle where work was progressing on renovations to the abbey, and from where we attended the Festival of World Cultures in Gannat and visited the picturesque village of Charroux.

As I return to Kuwait for the new school year I know that I will miss this summer’s international volunteer project in Giat – the place, the surroundings, but most of all the people on my project. My new surroundings are a world away from rural France, but the memories of this summer are still here and will be with me forever.

Barney Smith, volunteer in France, 2011

What is EVS? Here is a video with all the answers!

2011-07-15T12:11:00.002+01:00

This is a video filmed by our Estonian partner ESTYES and we thank them for letting us use it!

Concordia Team

Barney Smith's project in Romania

2011-07-01T12:11:00.010+01:00

Walking Wounded in Romania

My route to this year’s international volunteer project in Cluj Napoca, Romania, was as exciting as it was unconventional. Keen to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina, the only former Yugoslav republic where I had yet to step foot, I found a cheap Ryanair flight to Zadar in neighbouring Croatia a few days before my project was due to start. Two bus journeys later I was in Sarajevo and had soon checked into my night’s accommodation with a local couple in their city centre apartment. As I strolled in this quiet, low-key, almost provincial capital city, it was hard to believe that this was the scene of so many atrocities in the violent break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Eight decades earlier it was another death in Sarajevo – the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria – which would be one of the main causes of the start of the First World War. As the reassuringly familiar sound of the call to prayer echoed around the city at the end of an afternoon of sight-seeing, I was reminded that this country boasts one of Eastern Europe’s largest Muslim populations.

From Sarajevo I took an overnight bus to Belgrade, a city I knew well from last year’s international volunteer project, the renovation of a school in Kragujevac, Serbia’s fourth largest city. From Belgrade I took the daily train to the Romanian city of Timisoara before boarding a connecting train to that country’s fourth largest city, Cluj Napoca. After a well-earned rest I met up with the two Italian group leaders and the other volunteers: as well as a fellow Brit there were participants from France, Germany, South Korea, Spain and Switzerland. Our work consisted of organising and supervising activities for children mostly from poor families at a centre which was funded by the European Union and located in one of the city’s more deprived suburbs: these varied from table tennis to origami, from painting to English lessons, from Monopoly to football. There were also day-trips: to the city’s Central Park, as well as to the Botanical Garden with over 10,000 plants from throughout the world. We were joined at the centre by the Romanian staff, as well as by long-term volunteers from Azerbaijan and Germany. Despite the poverty of the children’s families, there was never any hint of envy, nor did we have any worries about showing valuables such as cameras. We encountered only friendliness, humour, helpfulness and an overwhelming sense of hospitality.

It was during one the football sessions that I was left in agony by a tackle which went badly wrong. For the next week I was limping and had to get used to the idea of limited mobility. As I looked around enviously at people walking or running effortlessly, I saw this as another reminder that physical fitness can never be taken for granted. Three years earlier I experienced a far more powerful example of this. That summer I left for the first of three consecutive international volunteer projects in Turkey. Little did I know as I waved good-bye to my mother from a National Express coach on a rainy Friday afternoon in June in the English seaside town of Dover that on my return she would be fighting for her life in the Intensive Care Unit at London’s King's College Hospital, a life which, tragically, would be cut short by cancer nine months later.

As in any Romanian city, there were constant reminders in Cluj Napoca of the country’s revolution, from the 21 December 1989 Boulevard, named after the day soldiers opened fire on protesters opposed to the regime of dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu who would be toppled and executed days later, to the Anti-Communist Resistance Monument which stands proudly next to the city’s Central Park. During the project we made the most of our opportunities to experience Romanian culture and visit the local area. On the first Sunday we hired two cars and drove to the Turda Salt Mine, one of the largest such mines in Europe. Later we escaped the summer heat by swimming in a nearby lake. The second weekend, as I nursed my horribly bruised toe in some of Cluj Napoca’s coffee shops and pavement cafés, made my first steps in learning Romanian and listened to podcasts downloaded from the BBC World Service, most of the other volunteers visited the cities of Sighişoara, considered by many to have the most beautiful and well-preserved inhabited citadel in Europe, and Braşov, widely known as the Jewel of Romania.

As I boarded my Wizz Air flight home, I reflected on how, in the era of budget airlines, international travel has become so much easier and more affordable than it once was. What a delight it is to be able to print your boarding pass in the comfort of your own home the day before, and to be able to go straight to the gate on the day of the flight. Whatever the occasional discomfort of budget travel, these airlines have undoubtedly made a huge contribution to bringing the peoples of Europe together.

As I start my sixth year as an expatriate teacher in Kuwait, I look forward to my next international volunteer project with excitement and enthusiasm. Who knows, I might even be persuaded to play football again. But maybe next time I’ll stay in goal.

Barney Smith, volunteer in Romania, 2010

Find out more about the East West programme

Tina in Lithuania on EVS - 2011

2011-06-29T16:34:00.006+01:00

"...if you really want to stretch yourself, develop on a personal level, do something completely different, all whilst meeting some amazing people and having some fantastic experiences along the way, then definitely consider becoming a volunteer."

Tina tells us all about her first 5 months as an EVS volunteer in Lithuania...

Well, where do I start?! I’m around halfway through my EVS and with still around 5 months to go, this is the perfect time for me to reflect and write a blog for Concordia…

I am living in Kaunas, Lithuania which is Lithuania’s second city. It’s a nice city – not too big, but substantial enough to have an array of interesting museums, an ancient castle, historical monuments, a beautiful old town, as well as my personal favourite –the two rivers that flow through the city. In terms of my project,I’m working at a day care centre for adults who have psychological disorders, including anything fromschizophrenia to depression. As it’s a day care centre the clients can drop by whenever they like during opening hours, and during this time we run different and engaging activities for the clients to participate in. The activities range from basic health and fitness exercises to arts and crafts to excursions to simply a game of cards or the ever popular ‘Uno’. The work is varied and we have the space to run our own activities and projects, should we wish, which is a really nice way to contribute to the centre and its people.

I have done plenty of volunteering in the past, but nothing on a long term basis like this. And I’m certainly not going to sit here and tell you that it’s easy. It’s far from. But what I will say is that, as clichéd as it is – it really doesresemble a roller-coaster with highs and lows aplenty. But I must say that with the lows that come from time to time, the highs are well… they are sky high! So let’s start with the highs. What do they include? Well I would certainly start with the people I’ve been lucky to meet. With so many volunteers you are constantly surrounded with a rich array of different cultures, customs and traditions, andit truly is a network of cultures like no other. It’s amazing. And that doesn’t even include all the fascinating Lithuanians I’ve met who’ve taught me so much about their culture which I’ve been fortunate enough to experience first-hand. The scenery and landscape is also astounding – Lithuania has about 30% forest land, many beautiful lakes and fantastic greenery – I know it’s something I’m desperately going to miss when I head back to England at the end of my EVS. Other than the people and the landscape, the food is fab, the history is fascinating (and very recent and therefore very raw) and the adventurous lifestyle of being a volunteer makes it all very spontaneous and exciting at times.

In terms of the lows, well these are mostly based around the differences in culture. The language was a big problem to begin with – despite living in Lithuania’s second city, English is barely spoken. This caused a great deal of misery and frustration when I’d get lost outside in the -20 weather and really struggle to communicate with people and navigate my way about as I would normally do if I’m lost somewhere. Over time, this has certainly gotten easier as I’ve become familiar with the language, as well as the city overall. And speaking of -20 – the weather! Wow, I’ve certainly learnt how to dress up warm. But one of the lows was certainly when the heating got turned off in our house in April when it was still very cold – the shock in learning that some of the heating in Lithuania is still centralised and controlled by the city astounded me. Being freezing cold in my own room was a definite low. Other cultural shocks and lows have come about, but I would certainly say that you really learn to cope and deal with them better as time goes on, and I know that I have learnt a great dealduring these highs and lows.

In conclusion, if you can do an EVS, you really can do anything. It’s the type of non-formal education you just can’t get from anywhere else – the whole programme is very unique. Do think about it carefully before you apply. But in essence: if you really want to stretch yourself, develop on a personal level, do something completely different, all whilst meeting some amazing people and having some fantastic experiences along the way, then definitely consider becoming a volunteer. Good luck!

Fly the flag for Volunteering…around the world!

2011-05-10T13:47:00.002+01:00

2011 is an important year for volunteering. Not only is it the European Year of volunteering but also the International Year of the volunteer +10. With such a big year ahead of us, Concordia is very excited to be part of a worldwide Alliance Flag Tour campaign promoting and encourage active involvement within civil society.

Two flags will be travelling through 4 continents, 25 countries and hosted by 36 different voluntary organisations to celebrate the valuable contribution the voluntary service has on society, communities and individuals. The participating organisations will take the flag to one of their voluntary projects or an organised event, inviting and informing the local community.

More than 100 staff and volunteers attended the opening ceremony in Armenia on the 4th March. The two flags have now started their journey’s and are on their way to South Korea and Wales. The Flag Tour will finish at the General Assembly 2011 in November in Southampton, United Kingdom hosted by Concordia with a celebration and display of the season’s events.

Be a part of this event! Follow the flag around the world to celebrate this special year of volunteering.

www.allianceflagtour2011.blogspot.com/

Asha Jennings-Grant’s project in Mongolia

2011-05-10T13:34:00.006+01:00

‘The Land of Blue Sky and I’

Unlike most project experiences, I began mine feeling very tired. Prior to my arrival to the project, I had already spent 3 days in Moscow, travelled to Mongolia for 5 days on the Tran Siberian train and went on a 3 day trip to the countryside (which I thoroughly recommend). So I was slightly drained of energy but intrigued to see how the next two weeks would pan out.

My first day of the project was quite relaxed. With an early start, I left my hostel and was picked up by the manager of MCE (Mongolian Workcamps Exchange). We arrived at an apartment block with children’s climbing frames and play sets scattered around. I was then introduced to the supervisor of the project and he took me to our apartment, where I was pleasantly greeted by the rest of the volunteers. There were 2 girls from France, a girl from South Korea and a guy from Hong Kong. The apartment wasn’t fully furnished but was equipped with the essentials, such as a kitchen, bathroom and 2 living areas, which we slept in. We also had a sofa bed and a TV that occasionally played badly dubbed episodes of Lost.

After our quick introductions we went to visit the first part of the project, a children’s orphanage. As soon as we entered the building, we were surrounded by knee-high kids welcoming us and grabbing us by the hand. We were taken to a classroom where a group of hyper and energetic 8-12 year olds waited for us. I realised this was the class we’d be spending time with for the next two weeks. The kids spoke little English, some more than others, but we were able to communicate quite well and had a very entertaining meet and greet session where we were exposed to some of the talents of the children.

(Above: Asha, bottom right, with the other volunteers and their supervisor "K" at the orphanage)

After a play session and personal tour around the rooms of the orphanage, we made our way to the second part of the workcamp, a secondary school. As we entered the classroom, the students were already sat down at their desks and surprisingly in uniform (well, partially). There were mainly girls at the age of 14-16 years old. They were more laid back than the kids at the orphanage but still excited to meet us and full of enthusiasm. We divided ourselves around the class and got to know the students in more detail. I was quite amazed at the variation in the levels of English in the class. While many children spoke good English, some were at same level as the younger kids we met at the orphanage.

Before the project, I hadn’t planned anything in the way of lesson plans and activities for the children in either group, because I didn’t know what to expect. I was very open to see who we’d be teaching and at what level. Each day before class, we would discuss and brainstorm ideas for the next lesson. We decided that each session would have a different focus, for example grammar, punctuation, vocabulary etc. Then we would always end class with a game of charades or hangman. At the orphanage, our sessions were less structured and we mainly organised lots of arts and craft activities. We also helped with the cleaning on the weekends, which the entire orphanage (120ish) took part in.

(Above: volunteers with the children at the orphanage)

Through this experience, I have met some great friends and been exposed to a beautiful country that I hope I will return to in the near future.

Asha-Jennings-Grant, Volunteer in Mongolia, 2010

Hannah in Latvia on EVS - 2011

2011-03-18T12:16:00.006Z

Not so long ago, or so it feels, I was saying goodbye to my family and friends, excited at the prospect of a year in another country, where I knew none of the language and couldn‘t even pronounce the name of the city in which I was to live. Like Alex (who was in Latvia last year and who‘s blog entries can also be read here) the time between hearing about this last minute project, being excepted by my hosting organisation and arriving had been a matter of weeks. However, I had known about EVS and had been looking for a project for almost a year by this point.

I’ve been in Latvia for around five months now. Five months of highs and lows, many firsts and new friends, and, ultimately , new experiences and memories that will last a long time. But there’s still just about seven months to go, in which I hope to see and experience many more new things.

My project is in the Language and Cultural Centre “World at Our Home” in Rēzekne, the seventh biggest city in Latvia, not far from the Russian border. Due to this a fair majority of the population are Russian speaking. A language I have only just started to learn. However, in my first four months I had Latvian lessons, and while I’m nowhere near fluent I am able to at least make myself understood mostly and understand others if they speak slowly. Which is a big improvement on when I first arrived not even being able to pronounce the name of the place I was to live in.

“World at Our Home” are involved in organising and participating in seminars and youth exchanges in Latvia, other European and neighbouring countries, as well as this they also hold weekly language lessons and act as a sending, coordinating and hosting organisation for EVS volunteers. Mostly the lessons are English, but recently Spanish, German and French started as well, as in early January we were joined by three new volunteers.

In the past few weeks we’ve been busy writing applications for two seminars and a youth exchange

to hopefully be held at the end of this year. As well as this we applied for a cross-border project between Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus with a very confusing application form.

I’m from southern England, where snow isn’t so common and the coldest I remember it being is -10°C so you can imagine my surprise when I heard last winter here was around -30°C and that it’s normal for snow to last from November to March. So far about half of my time in Latvia has been covered in snow; the most I’ve seen that has lasted longer than a week or two. This has some good points, such as being able to go ice skating and a first for me; sledging! In the last few days the snow has begun to melt and it’s already beginning to remind me of Spring. I’ve also heard much about Summer which I’m looking forward to.

Like many things, being away from home can take some getting used to, especially if, like me, you haven’t lived away from home before. After all that, what I basically want to say is I think EVS is an amazing experience. Yes it has it’s up and downs, but so do most things. So if you’re currently searching for a project I wish you luck in finding one soon and if you’re on your project now I hope you enjoy the rest of the time wherever you may be.

Luke in Iceland on EVS - 2010

2010-11-12T14:37:00.006Z

Six months down, only two to go! Time has passed so quickly on my EVS experience in Iceland. I have been leading workcamps throughout the summer season, which has now come to a close. It has been a wonderful experience, and I have met so many interesting and enthusiastic people I am left at a loss to describe what I have seen and done in words. Since my last entry, I have seen the summer through with four workcamps. With projects as varied as planting trees in the north of the country, helping to rebuild the ruins of an ancient monastery in the east, conducting two week photography workshops complete with our very own exhibition and helping Reykjavik’s International Film Festival run smoothly. I am also very happy to report that I realised a lifelong dream, I have seen the famous Northern Lights! They are even more beautiful than I imagined.

They were all great, and we had some fantastic volunteers staying with us, however, rebuilding the ruins in the east must be a highlight. We stayed in a remote valley where a huge lake meets Iceland’s wonderful Highlands. Working for a museum and culture house – home of the famous Icelandic Author Gunnar Gunnarson – we toiled with boulders and turf to enhance the site where archaeologists had been digging for 9 years. Each day we could see our work take shape from a hill above the site, the walls, the stone pathways and the turfed gardens. It was incredibly rewarding work, as tourists would view the site and, for the first time, get a good idea of where the old monastery actually sat. Of course, it wasn’t all hard work. Our host Skuli had prepared some special trips to the beautiful east fjords and their sea cliffs which are home to thousands of sea birds and up onto the vast and desolate (and very cold) highlands. Here, we saw a massive and controversial dam, which, when it was built in 2006, created a 50km glacial lake stretching all the way to Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajokull. We also had the amazing experience of bathing in a hot waterfall. At just the right temperature too! We relaxed in its pool, then ran for the freezing cold river into which it drained. Truly an experience to remember!

Now winter is well and truly on its way in the North Atlantic. At the beginning of November, the sun rises after 9am and sets before 5pm. It is confusing for the body clock to say the least, but I have plenty to be getting on with preparing the Seed’s housing for next year’s volunteers! Over the past month we have prepared our vegetable gardens for the harsh winter, having dug new vegetable patches and enclosed them with the traditional Icelandic turf walls. We are also building recycling bins to manage with all waste our 3 houses and one office produces (we recycle everything from old batteries to normal plastic packaging, taking one van load to the recycling centre almost every two weeks). We have also begun repairing our bikes – a mammoth task considering we have around twenty old second hand bikes. We have stripped and painted the windows of our main house, and the improvement is visible. It is good motivation to think we are working so hard to make the experience better for the volunteers of next year.

Even though the season is over, I feel I still have a lot to look forward to and we have certainly been kept busy. Not only do we have four more workcamps from the 21st November right up until Christmas Eve, we have also been planning events for Seed’s 5th Anniversary. Over the course of a week from the 11th of this month, we will be host to long term volunteers from Seed’s past years. With several events planned, it will culminate in a conference on the environment where several guest speakers will give talks in their field. I am very excited to meet previous volunteers, to share experiences with them and to have a good time.

The past week has been spent organising and preparing for the annual Akranes Day of Nations organised by the New Icelanders Foundation. It was fantastic to see the cultural diversity of a population as small as Iceland’s, and to taste the foods from as far afield as India, Hungary, Nigeria and Palestine. The event was a great success. We represented Seeds with information on our work through the summer, and with foods from our countries. I chose to hold a vote with the visiting public to see whether Icelanders loved or hated Marmite. Served with a bit of bread and cheese, it was great to interact with the locals and see the faces of those who clearly hated it! Though I am happy to say, Iceland officially loves Marmite!

Despite all the fun I have had over the past month, it has to be said that it has been a difficult month of goodbyes. Much of the team of leaders have now left, and it has been difficult to say goodbye to so many with whom I felt so close. Our house doesn’t quite feel the same without them. Still, I am happy to have met such wonderful and inspiring people. Though it is sad to say goodbye, I feel I have learnt a great deal from working with them and now I can honestly say I have friends in nearly every European country! So it will be a bitter sweet final two months. I am very much looking forward to the shortest day of the year, the snow and the renowned Christmas and New Year celebrations here in Reykjavik. I intend to make the most of every minute!

Adrian in Spain on EVS - 2010

2010-11-11T12:00:00.001Z

Half-way through my EVS in Asturias, Northern Spain, at Libelula Huerta (dragonfly market garden). It´s a community-supported agriculture project that grows vegetables for 22 families on the outskirts of Avilés, a small industrial port with about 80,000 inhabitants. Most of our work is in the garden, tending to the vegetables, harvesting and managing the soil. In the process we are learning all about agro-ecology (small scale, locally produced organics) and the need to re-skill a new generation in how to grow good nutritious food sustainably. We have also done a number of workshops with kids, sometimes in schools and sometimes in the garden - taking them round and showing them what a tomato plant looks, smells and feels like. I am also just about to embark upon giving a series of workshops on organic gardening, with the aim of creating a ´forest garden´in the centre of the city with a piece of land that the local council have granted us. Nervous doesnt even come close. I have no idea how it will turn out, nor if the trees will even survive the first winter!

I am here with another EVS volunteer from Italy, Arianna and another volunteer from England who has stuck around in Asturias and still helps out in the garden. Has been a great summer, with trips to the beach after work, hikes up into the stunning mountains to the south and long drawn out lunches (we always eat at the garden, cooking together after we finish at 1230). For the colder months I have just taken up a woodcarving course and have been to visit a baker in the mountains who has shown me all about artesanal breadmaking.

Would recommend highly this project. The values it promotes are focussed on a very practical aspect of social change: that of changing our diets and system of food production, and of becoming more politically aware of the implications of our choices and the way we organise society for what will become of our future.

Joe in Austria on EVS - 2010

2010-09-30T12:01:00.005+01:00

So that's it - an entire year in Austria finished. It's hard to believe how quickly the time has flown by! My last week in Austria was fairly frenetic, spent as it was running my final project - an international youth exchange with 35 participants from 5 different countries. I don't think I've worked harder in a single week before, having to be on call and ready for any questions or problems from breakfast until bedtime; nor do I think I've ever enjoyed myself at work so much before! The young people taking part were absolutely brilliant, always ready to get fully involved in all the workshops and activities, and I made some really good new friends among the participants, colleagues and youth leaders. It was an absolute blast and the perfect way to mark the end of my time in Klagenfurt. I've attached a few pictures to give a flavour of the week.

After that, all that remained was to say goodbye and get on my plane back to London. What comes next? I hear you cry. Well, my plans are currently very open but I know one thing for sure - this definitely won't be my last international experience if I can help it. EVS has been a great opportunity to get a taste of life abroad, to learn new skills, meet new people and see new places. It's been an amazing learning experience and I can't wait to get out and explore even further!

Dana in France on EVS - 2010

2010-09-30T11:11:00.013+01:00

Hello from La Rochelle! I’ve been here for 5 months now and the time has just flown by! I’m here volunteering for a community centre called ‘Le Pertuis’ in a quartier sensible [sensitive district] in La Rochelle. The people that live here are quite disadvantaged, and there are a lot of associations in the area that work with different parts of the community – children, adults, the elderly. My work at ‘Le Pertuis’ is quite varied, but I mostly work in their Social Café in the mornings and in their Children’s Centre in the afternoons. The Social Café is a little house in the local park that welcomes all members of the community for hot and cold (non-alcoholic) drinks during the day and late into the evening. As well as being a nice little place to drink coffee with friends, the café serves as the reception of the community centre, so visitors can become members of the centre and take part in activities and events organised by the centre. The Children’s Centre is a place for young people aged 11-17 to come to after school to play with friends, take part in activity clubs, get help with homework and to enjoy an afternoon snack. Last month I spent 11 days on a camp, organised by the Children’s Centre, with 22 children. The camp encouraged children to live with others in an environment of mutual respect, where each person participated in the different tasks (setting up and upkeep of the camp, cooking, cleaning etc.) that took place in the daily life of the camp.

Alongside this, the children took part in a number of activities. The camp was on a nearby island called île d’Oléron, which had stunning beaches. There, the children could try out surfing, catamaran sailing and land sailing. It was so great to see the children having so much fun, especially as many of them wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to try out activities like these – even a night out bowling was new to most of them.

The camp also gave me the opportunity to get to know the children a bit better, and for me that was really important. Both the café and children’s centre help to bring members of the community together, and it’s this that I really like about being here. I live in the district where I work, and I love walking around and knowing so many people in the community because I’ve served them a cup of coffee or because they’ve come by to the children’s centre for help with their English homework. ‘Le Pertuis’ also works with a number of other organisations in the area and I’ve met so many people from these organisations whilst working on joint projects. So, although not without its problems, the centre really does serve the community and being around French people all the time has definitely been a great help to me language-wise. Being in La Rochelle itself has also been great. When I got accepted onto the EVS project here I had no idea where La Rochelle was, and discovering that it’s a beautiful seaport with an annual average of sunlight hours that’s on a par with the Côte d’Azur has not been a disappointment!! Being from Birmingham, I’m in no way used to a beach lifestyle, but here the beach is like a second home! My actual home is a cosy apartment, where I currently live with a Polish EVS volunteer. When I first arrived there were 5 of us on EVS in La Rochelle (there are 3 of us now), and so it was really easy to meet people at beach picnics and cliff-diving contests! All the EVS volunteers here are also given bicycles by the host organisations, so it’s very easy to make the 10-minute journey into the centre to socialise or to just hang out on a bench and read.

Last week a group of us even cycled to île di Ré – another nearby island – cycling over the longest bridge in France! I really feel so lucky to be in such a beautiful place, working on a worthwhile project, and I can’t believe I’m already almost halfway through my EVS...

Jeannine on her project in Kenya in 2009

2010-07-21T17:14:00.003+01:00

After a few days sleeping in airports and countless bus journeys down sandy, rock filled roads (the term road is used loosely here) we finally arrived at our village, only to be met by the most amazing singing and dancing from the village elders as they welcomed us from all corners of the globe. We were shown the mud houses where we would stay, the place from which we should draw water and the showers which consisted of a bowl of water (if the well was not dry), some banana leaves and an empty sack!

When night fell, the sky was breath taking. It was as though I could see every individual star as it twinkled in the pitch black sky. When night falls in a place with no electricity, the stars look like diamonds, and you should really not forget your torch. Unfortunately I had, and would spend the next two weeks stumbling around in blackness gaining lots of bruises.

After boiled yams and sugary tea for breakfast we began our first day at work. We were working with the locals to build a dam. The rains in Kenya have failed for the last two years and people are desperate. Everyone is crying for water, with no water there are no crops, no crops means no food, without food there is no life. When the rains eventually came (which they didn’t this year either) we were building a dam to collect the rain water for the villagers. We dug all morning, tools were scarce, the local kids dug with their bare hands, making leaf baskets to use as buckets, the strength of five year olds putting me to shame!

Afternoons were put aside for house visits. Every afternoon after lunch we visited the local people to hear about their lives and their problems. The people were so open with us, often sharing things with us that broke our hearts. The lack of water seemed to be effecting every area of peoples’ lives. A common question was how far did I have to go to get water in my country. It was incredibly humbling to explain that I had things called taps inside my house, that not only delivered water, but hot water too. I was ashamed to say that I was not 100% sure where it came from. In a life of plenty most things are taken fore granted.

What did I learn from this experience? it is difficult to say. I learnt how to carry 70 litres of water in a day. I learnt how to hide a swollen hungry belly. I learnt about corruption, beatings, greed and apathy. I learnt the helplessness of aid agencies who try to help. I learnt to choose between using water to wash or drink – there is no choice. I learnt that I have more than I will ever need, that the abundance in my life is a result of being born in the affluent West. I learnt how to be joyful with what I have. On no other project have I been so integrated into the community and laughed, cried, and fully lived among the locals. Mostly my experience reinforced that what is needed education. What is needed is for people to get alongside the people in communities like this and work through their problems with them. Aid agencies can throw all the money they want at Africa, most of it won’t reach the people who need it. We need to empower individuals, support and education them to make the changes they know their country needs. And what am I going to do about it? Next summer I am taking 20 sixth form students out to Africa to get alongside the youth there, to encourage, to support, to inspire the next generation to do whatever it is they decide their countries needs.

Jeannine, Kenya 2009

Geraldine reports on her volunteer experience in Italy

2010-07-21T16:59:00.006+01:00

Leg 75-09, Bosio (AL) Piemonte,

Hosted by Legambiante, Italy

17/08/2009 – 28/08/2009

(in the picture: Geraldine and one of the volunteers during a visit in Genova)

After working temporarily in the environment section of my local council, I decided to volunteer for a conservation project in the Italian mountains. I arrived at Campo Ligure railway station via plane, volabus and replacement bus on Monday 17^th August at 6:30pm, our meeting point. I was greeted by Cristina Rossi and Gianni, leaders of the Capanne di Marcarolo Natural Park. Giovanni Vinciguerra was our camp leader and ticked our names off a list as we arrived. Our bags were put into the back of a truck and we were driven by car up a winding mountain road to our accommodation.

(In the picture: the accommodation)

The accommodation comprised of an old water mill, situated at the foot of Mount Tobbio. The building was now being used as a base for mountaineering groups who visited the area. At the accommodation we met the project coordinators, Lara and Massimo and their very young son Paollo. They led us up some outdoor stairs to a choice of three bedrooms. There was also a basic kitchen and a bathroom and an outdoor living area with seating and a camp fire.

On the first evening Lara and Massimo told us that the loft was inhabited with flying animals, they were difficult to describe due to the language barrier. These animals hung from the eaves of the house, upside down. I initially thought they were bats but eventually we discovered they were called dormice. The next morning Lara showed me a dormouse huddled up in a towel, it had fallen down the toilet in the night. I could just see its face, pink nose and big eyes. It was shivering and we hoped that it would survive.

It was extremely hot on our first day of work; we painted picnic benches and wooden fences with varnish. The area was situated in a valley with surrounding mountains, open spaces and blue skies. It was located at the southernmost tip of the province of Alessandria and only a few kilometres from the sea. We arrived and left the working sites in a minibus driven by Gianni; they were usually short drives away from the accommodation and involved driving up or down very narrow mountainous roads. Very often we passed cyclists in training and Italians driving their dogs around in small cars.

After work on the second day, we visited a lake at the foot of the mountains. I had anticipated that it would be deep enough to swim in, although when we arrived it was more like an English stream. It was however very lovely to sit in as it was so hot and the surrounding scenery was amazing. The water was very clear and you could see fish swimming past your legs in the water.

Our most difficult task for the two weeks was to climb Mount Tobbio. It was a very hot day and we stopped on the way up to drink water and eat apples. Occasionally we passed narrow paths with steep drops to the side of our feet, at which point Giovanni would shout ‘Be Careful’. At the top there was a small white church dedicated to “Our Lord of Caraggio”. Walking back down we carefully kicked large rocks out of the way and cut branches blocking paths; we also painted circular symbols onto rocks with bright yellow paint. This helped to clear the pathway for future climbers. Lunch was prepared daily by volunteers and served at 1pm, our afternoons and evenings were free.

(in the picture: cooking by the fire...)

The evenings were filled with guitar playing and singing, listening to Manu Chao, playing games and cooking potatoes, chicken and bread on the camp fire. We also drank grappa and occasionally went to the bar at the top of the hill for ice cream. Jesse, the dog from the bar often came down to visit us, particularly when we were cooking barbequed food. One evening Giovanni led us into the woods to try to hear and see wild animals. We sat in the dark listening for wolves, owls and any other animals that were nearby. We heard some scuffling but unfortunately we didn’t see anything.

(In the picture: volunteers enjoying their evenings together)

On the weekend we visited the local city called Genova, Italy’s largest port. We visited the house of Christopher Columbus and the main square called the Piazza De Ferrari. In contrast to the remote location we were living and working in there were Italian restaurants, tall buildings, washing lines hanging in between apartments, dusty roads, shops, sculptures and an aquarium, the Acquario di Genova.

Our last day of work involved varnishing wooden swing frames, see saws, benches and fences in a children’s playground. This was not the sort of playground you would find in England, as it was nestled amongst the eighty two hundred hectares of mountainous terrain in the Capanne Di Marcarolo Natural Park. Gianni’s family were natives to the area and we visited his museum. On display were photographs of his ancestors and many old tools that had been used over the years for farming and everyday living in the local area.

Gianni visited us on our last evening and played the accordion very well, he also brought alcohol and cakes as thank you gifts. It was a worthwhile experience visiting Italy and experiencing life in the mountains. I met lots of lovely people and would now like to learn more about the nature and culture of different areas of the world by attending more international work projects.

Geraldine, Italy Summer 2009

Volunteering at the Social Centre outside Hanoi, Vietnam - March 2009

2010-07-21T16:34:00.005+01:00

As this volunteer placement was only two weeks I was unsure how much I was going to out of the experience in such a short time compared to what I had done previously.

My concerns proved to be unfounded as I had a wonderful time with my fellow volunteers and the children at the centre were adorable. I had been told I was going to an orphanage, which was a reasonable description but I found out it was in fact a social centre. Most of the chilren weren't actually orphans, only about 40 of the 500 or so (the centre has previously had up to 1000) live there full time, most return to either their parents or family members who are now responsible for them during the weekend. This doesn't apply to babies, of which there are probably another 40 or so and who have mostly been abandoned.

The reason most of the children are there is due to learning difficulties; some of the kids are deaf/mute so the centre teaches them sign language and education comes through that. They were really bright and beautiful and the only frustration I felt was when my limited sign language meant that we could only communicate a little. Most common question was "what is you name?" and "how old are you?" which we all managed to master answering eventually!

We were split into 3 groups of 3 with a timetable that was set out from the beginning: 8-11am was the first task and then another in the afternoon 2-4.30pm. The job was either taking care of the babies, painting two rooms (a task that we completed during our two weeks) or teaching. This was in some ways the hardest job because of language barrier. We all had a Vietnamese speaker in our group which meant the class was kept busy but I did struggle to feel useful sometimes. We did plan our lessons to a degree which was done equally between the three of us but because I couldn't talk to the children directly I found it a little frustrating. We stuck to basic things, playing games, drawing our countries flags, basic origami and playing with a world map, all of which the children responded well to.

The other children had various mental disabilities and were really sweet and good natured. The obvious Vietnamese language barrier meant only Mai and Huong, the Vietnamese volunteers could really talk to them but they did their best to help the rest of us understand what the children wanted to say. All of the kids mostly just appreciated the attention and affection which we were happy to give them. In the evening when the day was finished we had the option to go into the yard and play with the children which was really fun (if exhausting!).

The babies were adorable and due to no communication problems, being with them was in some ways the easiest job. Usually we just sat cuddling them and sang to them if they cried or fed them from a bottle of watery rice mixture, as milk is too expensive. When I found this out I was a little concerned as I was unsure if it gave the babies sufficient nutrion. The budgest for caring for them is only approximately 400,000 dong a month per baby, which just doesn't go very far. This was a hard fact to swallow but the reality is the babies are being cared for better at the social centre than they would be elsewhere so you have to appreciate the context. This was also hard when I quickly realised that the babies are not provided with nappies, meaning that if you're holding a baby and it pees, that's right, you get wet! This happened to nearly everyone at least once in the two weeks and while having to go and change your trousers is annoying (particularly if you foolishly wore jeans) it's even nastier for the babies; as they are left with extremely red bottoms which looked very painful in most cases.

Once I realised our main job was just make sure the the children had fun I found the project much more satisfying. They really did enjoy the novelty of us being there and they were such a joy to spend time with that we all gained from the experience. I was the only Westerner in the group, everyone else being Vietnamese, Korean or Japanse. I was slightly concerned about this beforehand, wondering if I would be treated as something of an outsider, but all the other volunteers were wonderful and we all got along really well. There were two other volunteers from Germany, Martel and Heshar. They were on a longer term project, several months but they were still friendly and happy to talk to us even though they worked seperately to us and had seen short term volunteers come and go before.

The close friendship I found in such a short time both surprised and delighted me. The language barrier was an issue when some volunteers didn't have fantastic English but it really wasn't a problem, it just meant talking a bit more slowly.

Only Shiwon and I stayed for a few weeks following the completion of the project. Huong let us stay with her which provided a really intersting opportunity seeing how Vietnamese students live. She was a wonderful hostess who cooked for us and took us all over Hanoi on her motorbike to see all the sites. She genuinely couldn't have done more for us and I am forever in her debt. We also went to Sapa with Mai where we spent a night doing homestay with some of the local tribal people and it was lovely to spend some time with her too. I'm still in touch with a lot of the people I volunteered with via facebook and email and I really hope one day we will see each other again.

Katherine Blacklaws, Vietnam March 2009

Linda's volunteer experience in Tanzania

2010-07-21T16:08:00.008+01:00

Report: Tanzania Host Community: Mwika, Kilimanjaro Host Organization: Uvikiuta Dates: First Camp (24th of Jan-6th of Feb 2010), Second Camp(14th of Feb-27th of Feb 2010)

Sweat, cockroaches and crazy bus drivers….Welcome to Africa!!!!!!!
My adventure began on a Friday the 22nd of January 2010, when I said goodbye to my friends in the Parisian metro. On the way to the airport I began to feel a little nervous, since it was the first time for me to go to Africa. After a very relaxing flight with Emirates via Dubai and unfortunately 2 hours delay I arrived safely at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam. Luckily Uvikiuta’s driver Edison was still waiting patiently and when I saw the sign with my name on it, a wave of relief overcame me. I met the first member of my team from South Korea, who had actually been sitting on the same plane as me since Dubai. Together we were taken to Uvikiuta centre at the outskirts of Dar es Salaam. The accommodation for the first few nights was a simple room, two loft beds, and an outside toilet, which served at the same time as a home for cockroaches of all kind. Although we had been prepared by our sending organizations about the living conditions in our host country, it took definitely some time to get used to. Especially to the heat, the insects and the monkeys running and jumping on our tin roof all night. After a few days of acclimatizing, visiting Uivikiuta centre and of course Dar es Salaam, the third member of our group, also from South Korea, arrived and we were ready to start the journey to our host community in Mwika, Kilimanjaro. Of course we were all quite surprised realizing that we were only three international volunteers, two from South Korea and me, who would be joined by three local volunteers from Mwika. At four in the morning our trip began, when Bovin, a Tanzanian volunteer from Uivikiuta accompanied us to Ubungo bus station from where we took the bus to Mwika.

Since we were all trying to be patient, flexible and adapting to the “African” lifestyle, whatever this might be, and therefore sure that the bus would at least leave one hour late, we were quite surprised when with a lot of beeping, shouting and some very dangerous maneuvers our bus driver jiggled us on to the jammed streets of Dar es Salaam, direction North. After an 8 hour-drive and with the hope that we were finally there, a sudden stop of the bus pulled us out of our dozing and dreaming. I opened my eyes and the motor which was right in front of my seat was smoking and spying extremely hot water. We all jumped of the bus and after a one hour break, in which all passengers helped to fetch cold water from a nearby well, we reached our final destination, as we thought, after a 10 hour journey. When we got of the bus we were welcomed by our camp leader Robert and the village chairman, Mr Mringo. Soon we
realized that we were not there yet and that what was going to come was even worse than a ten hour ride on a cramped and hot bus with a crazy driver. We were put into one of the so-called dalla-dalla’s , a public bus, which was going to bring us up the hill into our camp. It was ten times worse than a roller-coaster and after 30 minutes of bumping our heads and knees involuntarily on the tin car interior lining to the rhythms of a Congolese Ndombolo song blasting out of the radio, we were more than happy to see our new home for the next two weeks. The first few days of my second work camp were quite similar to the above description, unless this time I started my journey from Dar Es Salaam to Mwika with 9 Japanese people. In the end we were a group of 14 volunteers, 9 Japanese, 4 Tanzanians and me. Both times we were surprised about the good conditions of the residential community houses where we lived. We shared a room with two or three people, had one inside and one outside toilet/shower room, an outside fire place, which served as the kitchen and one dining/community room, where we spent most of our time when not at work. In every camp we had kitchen supervisors, Mama Dinna and Dada Dinna, who were supported by one of us as part of the kitchen team every day. Although the drinking water was boiled over the fire and the food always cooked, some people had to fight with diarrhea and sometimes stomachaches. Nonetheless, we always looked forward to eating chapati, bananas, chips, vegetables and of course the famous “Kitimoto”(porc).

Volunteering under the Roof of Africa…

(in the picture: walking with the other volunteers to get to the project site)

Both work camps had the theme of Forestry and Environment, but as was indicated by our sending organizations, the work could change, depending on what the host community needed at that point in time. During the first work camp our workday started with a 30-minute hike to Marimeni Primary School, during which we could normally get a glance of the otherwise so “shy” mountain, the Kilimanjaro. After a few days we got to know some of the children, started to remember their faces and names and were really quite sad when we had to leave. During the first week we were instructed to plant trees at the tree nursery of the primary school. We normally worked for 4 to 5 hours with a short tea-break in between. After finishing the tree nurseries, we were instructed to help renovating the primary school, which first of all meant painting the rooms. This was quite hard work, since we had to get off the layers of old paint with sandpaper. We however managed to paint three classrooms in 5 days and were quite proud of our small team of only six volunteers. During the second work camp we were located within the same community but worked in a different primary school. Once again we were involved in establishing tree nurseries and planting trees and coffee plants. During the second week our work existed in establishing a record of all the trees that had already been planted by other volunteers. This involved a hike of 1- 2 hours every morning to get to the forest from where we then separated to mark and count the trees. In both work camps it was important to be flexible and very patient. Sometimes our schedule changed from one day to the next or we arrived at work and had to wait two hours to get instructions and actually work. Nonetheless, in the first camp we managed to establish 3 tree nurseries with 600 trees and paint three classrooms. In the second camp we established 1 tree nursery with 500 plants, planted 900 coffee plants and counted over 10 000 trees.

(In the picture, volunteers working in the tree nursery)

“Haraka Haraka”(quickly) or “Pole Pole”(slowly) in the afternoons: Sports with the children and more…
During both work camps the afternoon activities were quite similar. Twice a week it was sports time and after some planning in the camp we made our way to the local primary schools to teach some sports. Easier said than done! Used to the German school system, where at a maximum a class exists of25 pupils, you are quite shocked when nearly a hundred screaming kids run towards you and you are told that this is your class for today. With a little Swahili, some words of the local Chagga-language and a lot of patience we managed to explain them our games. After this hassle, it was always extremely rewarding to see their big smiles, hear their laughter and see the excitement in their eyes when even playing the simplest games.

(in the picture: playing games with the children at school)

Other afternoons we made excursions to traditional worship places or visited emerging microfinance networks, such as VIKOBA, the village community bank. We also visited the local market, learned about traditional coffee processing and participated in the rehearsal of the local youth choir. The evenings were the time for cultural nights, as well as debates and discussions about climate change and environmental issues.
Being a “Mzungu” or a “Mchagga” at the Weekends?
The weekends meant free time for all of us. During both work camps we were given to go to the national parks of North Tanzania to do a Safari, of course at our own expense.
During the first work camp I decided to remain in the camp with the three local volunteers, while the South Koreans went on Safari. This was definitely a good decision to make, since for the first time I was the only Mzungu (White person) in the community. Although at the first thought it was strange, I quickly realized that this was the best way to learn more about my host community. On the first day we
visited the family of one of the volunteers and I was given such a warm welcome that I nearly felt at home in the small stone house, which only had one chair, which of course was given to me. When we left I was given a sugar cane and a whole bowl of avocados. In the afternoon we made a trip to the nearby Marangu Water Falls, a place where locals come to relax and swim. When we arrived several boarding school classes were enjoying the cold water. Some of them had very old cameras and as soon as they saw me started screaming “Mzungu,Mzungu” and ask to take pictures with me and of me. Suddenly the tables turned, they were acting like tourist, me being their attraction. This was a very strange, but at the same time good feeling. Times change!!!!
The next day the local volunteers took me to church, which was once again a very intense experience. Although I certainly believe, I usually never go to church in Europe. But on that day, in the bare brickwork of the yet unfinished church, under the hot morning sun, I could feel for the first time that people really believed in to something. An honest and intense believe. After accompanying my new friends, the children and youths of the community to the front of the altar to get a special blessing, a women sitting next to me shook my hand and said “Wewe ni MChagga sasa.” (You are a Chagga now.)
Safari to the land of grasshoppers, lions and wet tents…

(in the picture: visiting the local market)

During the second workcamp I decided to accompany my new Japanese friends on Safari, which was certainly a completely different experience to my first weekend in Mwika. When we arrived on the campsite near the national parks, after a 5 hour ride on the dalla-dalla, it started raining. A few hours in the night we realized that our tent was not as waterproof as we had hoped. The water did not only come from above, but also from below, since rain in Tanzania means actually a flood. Somehow we survived the night, with occasional visits from frogs and 10cm long grasshoppers and we were all quite relieved when the alarm rang at 5 am in the morning. The days, in which we saw incredible landscapes and untouched nature, as well as all kinds of wild animals, made up for the wet nights in the camp. It was definitely an adventure and with the right touch of Japanese humor a certainly unforgettable experience.
Time to say goodbye…
Unfortunately the days passed too quickly and on Saturday, the 27th of February, my second workcamp was coming to an end. With our backpacks shouldered we hiked down the hill in darkness at 5 am to catch the bus to Dar Es Salaam. We were wrong to think that the biggest adventures were already over. After maybe two hours on the bus, we were stopped at a police station. Stupid enough to believe that the control had nothing to do with us, since we are white, we were quite shocked when two police men instructed us to get off the bus. Fortunately, a volunteer from Dar es Salaam was travelling with us, who enquired straight away about the reason for our stop. We were told that each one of us had to pay 100 US Dollars if we wanted to continue our journey. The reason? No real reason, “a contribution to the government”! When they told us to get our bags off the bus and instructed the bus driver to move on, the situation changed from being exciting to very scary. The police station was in the middle of nowhere, our bus was the only one going to Dar es Salaam on that day and none of us had a 100 dollars. Finally, we managed to call Uvikiuta and after a 1 hour discussion between Uivikiuta’s chairman and the police, we were let back into the still waiting bus. We were all extremely relieved to arrive in Dar es Salaam that night to spend our last few days in the capital…

Linda, Tanzania 2010

(in the picture: group photo with the other volunteers)

Hannah in Moldova on EVS - 2010

2010-07-15T16:17:00.009+01:00

After a day of travelling I sighed a breath of relief as I met my mentor at Chisinau airport. We jumped into a taxi, not a seatbelt in sight, and one of my very first impressions of Moldova was the roads, or in places the lack of. Pot holes were swerved round on the lane-less roads as we drove up the wide highway and entered the capital through the ‘Gates of Chisinau’; two vast apartment blocks on either side of the road reminiscent of the USSR era. Yet, these were exactly the stereotypes of Moldova that I had heard back home; poor infrastructure and vast concrete blocks left behind from the Soviet times.

However, I was soon to discover that Chisinau, and Moldova as a whole, has far more to offer than what fits into these stereotypes. One of my favourite things about the city is its greenness. Vast parks are found in every district and tall trees line the majority of the streets. Another favourite is all the markets selling fresh produce from the countryside, second-hand clothes at bargain prices and flowers in all the colours under the sun.

I am living with a host, an elderly lady called Lydia, together with another volunteer. We have our own bedrooms and the flat is fully functional and clean. Living with a host provides a great insight into the Moldovan way of life, as well as helping with learning the local language. The latter has been a great challenge, especially as there are two languages spoken here. At first it was difficult to decipher which language was being spoken, let alone understand what was being said. I hope, however, that with continued language lessons this will change. The hosting project of ADVIT Moldova that I am working at is the ‘Aids Foundation East-West’. It is a small office with only three permanent staff, of which only my boss speaks English, which is a challenge. So far I have been involved with preparing for and participating in the Aids Memorial Day, which took place on the 16th May and was a great success. I am the only and first EVS volunteer with this organisation. Due to the on-arrival training and intense language lessons I haven’t been to my project much yet. However, I am really looking forward to getting stuck in and involved with the work that they do.

I have got to know fellow EVS volunteers and there is a great volunteer community in Chisinau. There are always things going on in and around town, which is the benefit of being in a capital city. The transport has taken a while to figure out and I’m still not quite sure which number bus goes where, but I hop on and hope for the best.

It is difficult to answer the question ‘What are your first impressions of Moldova?’ It is simultaneously everything and nothing that I expected it to be, if that is possible. I like the pace of life here, taking things day by day rather than continuously planning ahead. To be a capital city, Chisinau is very relaxed. I am still discovering new things every day and look forward to continuing doing so throughout my stay here.

Hannah's stars on Youth Networks see: http://blog.youthnetworks.eu/2010/07/my-first-impressions-of-moldova/

Hannah is spending 6 months on a European Voluntary Service (EVS) project in Moldova. If you are aged 18-30 and would like to spend 6-12 months volunteering in Europe see: http://www.concordiavolunteers.org.uk/volunteering-overseas/european-voluntary-service/how-to-apply/ to find out more.

Luke in Iceland on EVS - 2010

2010-07-09T11:50:00.009+01:00

I have been in Iceland now for two months of an eight month stay. It is a truly unique country and it takes my breath away almost every day. It is an island half the size of Great Britain, but with a population of only three hundred thousand people, it feels much bigger. If you like vast and empty panoramas, countless waterfalls, a huge sense of freedom and a small town spirit in a capital city, then Iceland is definitely for you. Provided you don’t mind the bad weather of course.

I am working, through EVS, for an organisation called SEEDS (www.seedsiceland.org). Based in Reykjavik, they aim to promote understanding and environmental awareness by offering environmental/community project camps which usually last for two weeks. Short term volunteers come from all over the world to take part, and it is my role, along with a family of around 25 other long term volunteers, to organise and lead these camps. To date I have been involved in three camps, and I am currently leading a fourth. I have shovelled volcanic ash in Þórsmörk, just a few kilometres from the infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano and learning how to pronounce it as I did so. I have cleaned beaches and collected Eider down with local farmers in the remote Arneshreppur area, worked in an abandoned Herring factory made famous by Sigur Ros’ video ‘Heima and I have pulled up countless Alaskan Lupins (an invasive species) at Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajökull. I have met many great friends along the way.

At the moment I am leading a workcamp in the small town of Hólmavík in the Westfjords region of Iceland. The past week has been really great. Working with 5 other volunteers from Russia, South Korea, Italy and the U.S, we have been helping the town prepare for its annual ‘Happiness Festival’. We were given free rein to devise some street theatre, and decided upon the theme of magic and sorcery according to the subject of Hólmavík’s famous museum. Dressed up rather ridiculously we cast spells of happiness on tourists and locals alike, in a town which was once voted Iceland’s happiest town. Next week the team and I will work on the hiking trails in the area, making sure they are properly marked and mapped. On almost every workcamp I have had the opportunity to mix with Icelanders, and I have had some great experiences as a result. I have just returned from a fishing trip out in the fjord, and a wonderful ride into the mountains with the unique Icelandic horse breed. It really feels as if I am getting a real taste of life here in Iceland, and it is great to share that with the volunteers on my camps.

Being a camp leader is difficult but immensely rewarding. We are expected to take care of everything from travel, accommodation and food, work on the project, organising environmental activities and finding things to do in the free time. You can imagine that making sure a group of people from all over the world are fed and motivated to work is hard enough, let alone making sure they take something valuable away from the camp. It is also difficult because as a leader it is your job to balance the requirements and expectations of your volunteers, your host in the local community and your boss. Having said all that, it is great fun. I have learned a lot about myself and I how I see my own place within it, and I have become a lot better at communication, especially with people whose first language is not English. It is great to be given the opportunity to learn from so many people, too, and I have been doing my best to make the most of it! I have rarely been busier in my life, but meeting a new group of people every two weeks, getting to know them, sharing ideas and values and being responsible for a group of strangers becoming lifelong friends is truly rewarding. On top of that, the work we are doing feels truly appreciated and worthwhile, and it is fantastic to get such positive feedback from all sides.. My biggest problem lately has only been saying goodbye to so many lovely people.

When I am not on a work camp I am based in Reykjavik, living in a house shared by many of the long term volunteers. They are a really great bunch of people, mostly from Europe, but also further afield. We have become a real family, and it is great to have a home to return to after 2 weeks on a workcamp. Reykjavik is a great place to live, and there is always something happening. When I am there I normally have a day off and a day in the office or helping with logistics before I start another workcamp and the cycle begins again. In a week or so I will begin another workcamp, the SEEDS ‘Photo Marathon’. Over twenty volunteers are coming to receive professional photography tuition and create an exhibition of their own work around a social or environmental issue here in Iceland. I am very excited to see the results!

All in all, every day I get the feeling that EVS was definitely the right thing for me to be doing right now, and Iceland is the place to do it. Thanks to EVS, the people I have met and the organisations with which I am involved, I have great expectations for the next 6 months! All the best from the land of fire and ice!

Luke is spending 8 months on a European Voluntary Service (EVS) project in Iceland. If you are aged 18-30 and would like to spend 6-12 months volunteering in Europe see: http://www.concordiavolunteers.org.uk/volunteering-overseas/european-voluntary-service/how-to-apply/ to find out more.

Joe in Austria on EVS - 2010

2010-06-22T16:20:00.009+01:00

A little over three months from my last update, and I'm now on the home stretch of my EVS. The major item to report since then is that the application for the youth exchange that I described in my last post was accepted by the Austrian National Agency for Youth in Action and will definitely be going ahead. We'll be working with partner organisations in Spain, Italy, Slovenia and Hungary and will be hosting 35 participants in total, so it's going to be a big project. In fact it's only now that I've really sat down and considered what needs to be done that I'm able to appreciate just how big! It's daunting, but I'm excited about the challenge too. The fact that it will be taking place in my very last week in Klagenfurt means my EVS will be finishing with a bang.

In terms of what's been going on outside my project, by far the most interesting event was my television debut. The local TV station in Carinthia were filming an EU-themed quiz show and as part of this wanted to include a citizen from a different EU country on each participating team. They got in touch with my boss, who forwarded the email to me, and next thing I knew I was in front of the cameras answering questions with Irmgard and Max, a pair of medieval re-enactment enthusiasts whose team I'd been assigned to. The best part? We won! The prize was a holiday to Brussels, which I got back from last Saturday. That in itself was an interesting experience, in that I got a tour of the Parliament, sat in on a meeting and even got to meet an MEP. I appreciate this all sounds very far-fetched, but the attached picture will show that I'm not fibbing. The whole experience definitely has to rank as one of the most unusual and memorable things that has ever happened to me, and just goes to show that an EVS project is anything but predictable...

See Joe on TV again reporting on his trip to Brussels: http://kaernten.orf.at/magazin/studio/fernsehen/stories/453527/

Joe is spending 12 months on a European Voluntary Service (EVS) project in Austria. If you are aged 18-30 and would like to spend 6-12 months volunteering in Europe: http://www.concordiavolunteers.org.uk/volunteering-overseas/european-voluntary-service/how-to-apply/ to find out more.

Simon's report on his project in Kenya 2009

2010-06-17T15:10:00.005+01:00

(In the picture: the volunteers and the members of the local community dancing together)

Ebusiralo, September 2009

Jambo. Welcome to my little review of the Ebusiralo workcamp, which I was fortunate enough to attend last year. The continent was Africa, the country was Kenya and this volunteer was more than a little nervous. However, remembering the maxim ‘be flexible’ I set off on what has been one of the most memorable experiences I have had to date.

Orientation in Nairobi from the Kenya Volunteer Development Association Director advised the gathered volunteers from many European countries and Japan that we would encounter cultural differences but essentially to go with the flow and if an doubt ask. We were also taken to Kibera to meet with the Kibera Youth Reform group. This is a self-started group, formed when the locally feared and armed young gangsters had lost many of their number due to violence. Their decision was to become a force for community support not severance. It is a remarkable story and the experience of Kibera showed those of us who have never experienced dire living conditions the worst we could expect.

Happily for us our project took place against the backdrop of beautiful hills and lush vegetation (despite much of Kenya being in the grip of an extended drought, you may remember the news footage?). However, the reason Western Kenya is relatively lush is that the seasons consist of short rains (about a 30-minute downpour most days) and long rains (which is what it says on the tin!). Don’t be put off by this, generally the rain is a temporary inconvenience, which does not get too much in the way of what you are doing and you learn to live with it. Our accommodation was a concrete house with a tin roof, set in a compound of about 5 other houses and we had access to a large communal rainwater tank.

Our project was about a 50/50 split of international volunteers and Kenyan volunteers. Despite the task essentially being advertised as construction it quickly turned out to be so much more (and far better for it). Remember the maxim? So I found my self one day digging trenches for a new teaching block, the next wheeling hardcore in a wheelbarrow for a mile time after time, the next helping to mix concrete, learning to lay bricks and so on. However, I also spent some time teaching English (being the only native English speaker in the camp) at the local primary school, other volunteers taught maths and science. Language in Kenya is very interesting. With English I did not really have a problem. However, as well as Swahili there are numerous regional dialects, which have commonalties but are not the same. Apparently using Swahili is equivalent to speaking very proper English in the UK, think of the 1940’s films!

(In the picture: volunteers at work)

The project subdivided the group into a series of committees for kitchen, health (cleaning and water), work and entertainment duties. This meant that the members of each committee would have to organise the entire work camp to ensure that the necessary tasks were performed. Undoubtedly the work committee enabled us to achieve the overall goal of the project (don’t expect a plan if you are starting from the beginning of a construction project!). However, the other committees were just as important in ensuring that we could survive (food and water) and had other activities to look forward to.

Having now carried buckets of water for drinking, cooking, washing and construction over what are laughably short distances by Kenyan standards I have a real respect for the value of water. And yes it is possible to have a perfectly good wash in half a litre of water. Our kitchen had no roof, which was ideal for letting out the smoke from the open fires over which we prepared all the meals but not so great at keeping out the rain! Preparing food for almost 30 people with three pans, three knives, some of the biggest wooden spoons I have ever seen (I kid you not, these were 3 foot beasts) and wood which gives off an aroma which had us shedding tears for every meal, is a significant challenge! And yet we did it with so much success that when I got home I felt like a child for the first day, marvelling at running water, gas and an oven. Did I really need those things?

(In the picture: Simon and the wooden spoon)

I quickly realised that the construction was a highly visible but ultimately not necessarily the greatest contribution we could make. It is the people that matter. Our interaction with the primary school, our chats to members of the polytechnic (‘A’ level years in England) and encounters with members of the community, enabled us to share our experiences and learn from one another. Money is not the only currency in the world. The community elders managed to procure an astonishing amount of materials from their community. Personally, I was deeply touched at the enormous kindness shown to me when I was sick in the first week of arrival (not food or water related I should add). Also our relationships with the Kenyan volunteers was (and still is) very important. We did everything together for three weeks and it was fascinating to swap tales of life experiences with them.

As for our leisure time, the entertainment committee did us proud! We visited numerous homes in the community and shared beautiful traditional Kenyan food with them, accompanied by storeys and sometimes music. We visited Lake Victoria, hiked to the equator (as you do) and visited a rain forest. Not bad for a construction project!

I needn’t have been nervous about going to Kenya as a volunteer (if heading out there keep mentioning you are a volunteer, there’s plenty of volunteer rates to be found!). The sheer kindness of people was amazing. Whilst there were challenges and some things could have gone differently I do not remember a day going by when were not laughing about something, it was a genuinely a happy experience. Many people have asked me if I would I do it again? My answer, when can I go?

If anyone wants to get in touch you can contact me by e-mail: simonbonsall@hotmail.com

Happy volunteering!

(In the picture: volunteers in a group photo)

Global Messenger training :Photo Gallery on Flikr

2010-06-02T13:40:00.002+01:00

Concordia Global Messengers

2010-05-26T14:08:00.004+01:00

Over the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd May Concordia ran their first Global Messenger Training weekend in Shoreham-by-Sea. The training was a great success with 15 volunteers having the opportunity to learn more about Global Issues. These volunteers will now go on to train volunteers who are participating on Concordia's UK programme on Global Issues.

Over the weekend the group took part on sessions around HIV/AIDS, Urbanisations: Housing, Health and Climate and they built a shelter out of recycled materials.

This project is supported by DFID

View pictures

Natalie in Serbia on EVS - 2010

2010-05-05T11:22:00.012+01:00

Spring in Belgrade

Right from the start, people were telling me how Belgrade comes alive in April. There’s even a song about it. Well, after a long winter, I can finally see their point. The city is lush and green, flowering and blossoming and slowly coming out of its shell as the days grow longer and warmer.
Spring is the season of new beginnings, and I guess that’s been true for us Osmeh volunteers in a couple of ways. Lutza, a new EVS volunteer from Hungary joined us in March, and brought with her fresh ideas and inspiration for the organisation. One extra volunteer meant we had to find a new flat – which was a pretty hard job considering our minimal budget and high expectations! But actually our good deeds over the last 6 months must have paid off, because we were really lucky to find a great place near the centre of town, for below budget, and only five minutes by foot from our office. I have to share a bedroom now which isn’t ideal, but the location really couldn’t be better, so I’m just thinking of it as ‘you win some you lose some!’

Life’s been very busy over the last few months. As well as the regular activities like my weekly English conversation classes, there have been several international projects and ideas for new local initiatives to develop. In May I’m hoping to start up a new additional English class, which will focus more on reading and writing skills as well as speaking. The idea is that each week the workshop will be based on that week’s news stories. I’m still working on the concept, but I think it’s really great how we’re encouraged to have our own ideas, supported to develop them, and trusted to be in charge of our own projects. Some other things that have been going on in and around the office lately, are working on a couple of project applications for local government funding. One is a creative summer school for local young teenagers, and the other is an eco-festival based on the four elements, called ‘Zeleni Prozor’ which means Green Window (as you can probably tell, we had serious problems coming up with a Serbian name for this project!). This month we also decided to set up a newsletter for Osmeh to increase the visibility of the organization, and the projects that we’ve hosted and/or participated in. I’ve written several sections for this and now I’m quite content to sit back and let Aneta start the battle with Photoshop! Unfortunately none of us have quite got the hang of it yet…

Back in February Osmeh hosted the international training course ‘Project Yourself’ in Subotica, a town in the north of Serbia. My main job before the training was to design the logo and promotional materials. During the event, I attended as support staff and helped out with the running around, problem-solving and making coffee! It was hard work, but we managed to pull it off and the event ran smoothly and everyone had a great time.

Then last month, myself and couple of other volunteers had the opportunity to visit Warsaw in Poland for a partnership event with youth organizations from the Balkans, plus Turkey and Poland. The theme was good international cooperation, and it was really productive for Osmeh because we’ll now be applying in June for an additional two international projects under the framework of Youth in Action.

So there’s no let up for the foreseeable future in terms of workload. This month I have mid-term EVS training, and then I’m going to Doboj in Bosnia for a training course, on top of the regular activities and other projects. I really want to travel while I’m here, but there’s always so much going on in Osmeh and in Belgrade, that it’s kind of hard to find the time. But still, the atmosphere at Osmeh is so good and inspiring that it’s really a pleasure to go to work at the moment. And especially so now that I can steal an extra 45 minutes in bed in the mornings!

Alex in Latvia on EVS - 2010

2010-05-05T10:12:00.005+01:00

6 months in...

Well it now almost exactly 6 months since I started my EVS in Latvia, and it seemed like a good time for a progress report of sorts, so here goes nothing.

I decided on this EVS at the very last minute, I was more concerned, I think with getting out into the world and doing something challenging then what precisely I was doing. While some may not agree, since I did not have a particular field, like social work, which I wanted to go into, it seemed to me then that the best idea would be to just throw myself into something and make the best of it. I still believe this to be true. I knew going in that there would be challenges and difficult times, but I felt that these would be nothing compared with another year behind a till at WH Smith!!!So I arrived in Latvia last September, the day after, for those keeping score, my 22nd birthday. It was on the plane that I had felt my first nerves, reflecting that I had none of the language and what if no-one met me at the other end? Upon landing the second of these worries was put to rest, as I was indeed met, by Aytan, from the organization I would be working at, and John, who had himself just arrived from France, and who would go on to be my next door neighbor and very good friend.
The problem of language did not go away quite as quickly, and on reflection the first real low points for me were due to not being able to communicate easily with local people. This was, I think, due to three factors, the first was, I am sure the same from any EVS in any foreign country, it does take time to get to grips with a new language, especially if you did not get the bare bones of it at school. (It should be noted that even if they had offered Latvian at school, my track record does not suggest that I would have made a lot of the opportunity ;)) The second factor is more unique to my project’s location, Rezekne, a mere 40km from the Russian border, boasts a large Russian population, and as a result many people are disinclined/unable to communicate in Latvian.

There are few things more disheartening in the early stages of language learning then painstakingly constructing a sentence in a foreign tongue, only for the listener to scowl and reply in another language entirely. Though these two factors were critical, the third and most important one, in my opinion, was me. I spent a good deal of my social time with John, the aforementioned French volunteer, and two French Erasmus students. As well, of course, of the pleasure of cultivating friendships with likeminded people, I also took the chance to get my French back up to conversational level. I told myself this was still language work, as indeed it was, and it was a distinct pleasure to get myself back to a level where I was able to “switch” to French in the middle of a conversation. This is all very well, but it does not help with the local language, and I have resolved for the next 6 months to get more stuck into the local culture, so as not to squander the opportunity presented here. I will also mention that, due to the considerations of population mentioned above, as well as future application, I am now focusing on Russian over Latvian, which is initially daunting but vastly rewarding when one starts to understand a bit.

And so to work. The work on my project so far has been interesting, enough to keep me challenged and busy without feeling overworked. I am mainly employed as an English teacher, due to my native language, and although at the beginning it was difficult, having never taught before and only having a very bare bones text book to work from, it has become if not easy at least enjoyable and rewarding. The big highlight of the last few months for me was teaching a more advanced class of mine “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe. It was a challenge, for my part to spend time before the class dissecting the poem and establishing a concrete meaning for a number of archaic phrases, but more so for the class, who really got stuck in and did an excellent job. This was rewarded with them getting to watch “The Simpsons” parody of the poem after we had finished studying it!

The other work on the project is connected to the centre, that is, a sending, hosting and coordinating organisation for EVS and the Youth in Action program. This usually takes the form of applying for seminars and youth exchanges and the paperwork associated with that, but on occasion we have a larger deadline, for a final application for a project or seminar, for example, and this gets quite hectic, but this is very much the exception rather than the rule.
The living situation here is, from what I gather from other volunteers in Latvia, somewhat unique, as there were (at the start at least) 9 volunteers in Rezekne living together in a youth hostel. Although I was initially keen on the prospect of living with so many other people, I would be lying if I did not confess that we have had some rough patches over the last six months…

At the start we, all together, resolved to do lots of things together, and so we established a kitty for food money and cleaning supplies, organized a Rota for the cleaning, and then realized that we all lived very different lives and had different eating schedules, and the systems broke down, which had a knock on effect of causing some friction between the volunteers. This, I am happy to say, is now essentially resolved, with people buying their own food and organizing the cleaning of the hostel in a less formal manner. The learning curve here, I suppose, is that a group of very different people, even if they are all placed into the same strange environment, are unlikely to all see eye to eye on every issue, and it was when we had accepted this and moved on that the atmosphere living in the hostel became much more pleasant.

I suppose the end of this (retrospectively) overly long piece, is to heartily recommend the EVS program to anyone who happens to still be reading. I have volunteered abroad before, though not for as long, and lived away from home for some years, and I thought that there were few things that would surprise me, at least as far as living with other people go. I have found that I have been challenged and forced out of my comfort zone in a manner which I could not conceive of if I had remained in the UK and kept working, and as far as instilling self confidence and general life experience this is certainly one of the best experiences I have had so far. It has, at times, been difficult, but this, I suppose, is a natural part of life, and this is really a once in a lifetime experience.

Overall I have had a great 6 months, and anticipate enjoying the next 6 just as much (especially seeing as the snow has just melted!!) If you are reading this while on your own EVS, then I hope you are having as rewarding a time as me, and if you are thinking about EVS and are looking through the blogs, then go for it, there is literally nothing to lose!

Chris in Germany on EVS - 2010

2010-04-09T14:30:00.003+01:00

My EVS in Germany finished three months ago, but it seems like it's been much longer: it apparently takes quite a while to re-adjust to British life after being abroad for such a long time. In fact, I still haven't totally acclimatised, having cycled on the right (wrong) side of the road for 10 minutes last week before noticing the error of my ways... oops!

Since my last blog update, I moved from the students' halls I had been staying in into a small flat, with an Italian girl doing an Erasmus semester in Munich. She had lived in the city before, and the Bavarian winter meant the days were getting shorter and shorter, so our free time was mostly spent experimenting in the kitchen. I thought I knew how to cook pizza and pasta and could identify a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo pretty easily, but apparently I was wrong...

Having said that, the weather was much better than it had been during the washout summer, so I managed to squeeze in trips to Dresden and 'fairytale' Neuschwanstein Castle, as well as seeing a good selection of German Christmas markets. I also met up with some friends from the UK who were on exchange visits in Heidelberg and Munich, who happily had equally positive things to report on their observations of German culture!

There was also the Oktoberfest, when another EVS volunteer from Spain who I'd met on a seminar at the start of the year came to visit for her birthday. It's pretty much how you'd imagine an epic beer festival to be, just a little bit better. (And with even more beer...)

The end of my project was predictably chaotic - all those goodbyes, festive celebrations, evaluations and bulging suitcases squeezed into such a short space of time. Plus, the atrocious weather across Europe in December meant getting home was no easy feat. Luckily, though, I was back home just in time for a Christmas overflowing with mince pies, which I'd sorely missed in the weeks beforehand.

EVS was a great experience for me, and I can only recommend it to anyone thinking of doing something worthwhile while meeting lots of new people.

My warmest thanks to Fiona and Chloe at Concordia and Claire and my colleagues at EMCY for making the year run so smoothly... *most* of the time!

Joe in Austria on EVS - 2010

2010-03-03T15:16:00.005Z

Back in Klagenfurt after my mid-term meeting in Innsbruck, it seems hard to believe that I'm already halfway through my EVS. However the six month mark seems like a good time to stop and take stock of what has happened so far.

After a slow start I've settled into my project and now have plenty to occupy me. I work for the youth department of the regional government, which is responsible for coordinating the various strands of the Youth In Action programme on a local level - not just hosting or sending EVS volunteers but also helping to organise youth initiatives and democracy projects. They also run several of their own initiatives outside of this, such as debating and music contests. I'm mainly involved in promoting and contributing to Youth In Action, but my host organisation has also taken care to give me an insight into a wide range of work areas, as well as giving me the opportunity to run my own project - a youth exchange based on the events of the 10th of October 1920, which was an important date for the region. After the first world war, Carinthia was invaded by the forces of what would later become Yugoslavia who wished to absorb the Slovenian speaking minority living in the south of the province into their territories. The Carinthians mounted a defence, but it was only when the League of Nations stepped in that the conflict was resolved through a referendum, whereby the Slovenian-speaking areas would be able to choose whether to remain part of Austria or to be united with the rest of Slovenia and the other Balkan countries. On October 10th 1920 they voted to stay with Austria, and as a result this display of unity is commemorated locally every year.

Politically, however, this is still a sensitive topic, as tensions still persist between the Slovenian and German speaking communities. The situation is not helped by the fact that the current ruling party in the regional government is very conservative - even right-wing - in outlook. This is after all the very region where controversial politician Jörg Haider was elected to power. However it has been completely fascinating to get an insight into the political and social landscape and to be offered the opportunity to make a difference by encouraging young people to think critically about themes such as democracy, minorities and social inclusion. Personally also it should be an exciting challenge, as I have next to no experience of organising events of this kind!

All that is still in the pipeline, but even now I can look back and see how much I have learned. Although I already knew some German before I came out here, I am already speaking far more fluently than when I arrived and have made a similar improvement in terms of my listening skills too. I've been put into (and coped with!) a number of challenging situations - from spending a morning entertaining 100 ten-year-olds to giving speeches in German at EVS publicity events in front of live audiences. I've made friends from all over the world and travelled to so many interesting places. In short, I've already gained so much from my time in Austria so far, and am excited to see what else is in store!

Natalie in Serbia on EVS - 2010

2010-02-17T13:12:00.003Z

Belgrade, the White City – Quite alright for me!

When I arrived in Belgrade four months ago, my first and overwhelming feeling was a huge sense of relief! After a nightmare journey involving a cancelled flight, excess baggage, a night in a Heathrow hotel, and a 6 hour delay in Vienna, I was so pleased to have finally made it to Serbia in one piece.

I’m volunteering for 12 months with Osmeh Mladih (which means ‘smile of youth’ in Serbian). Osmeh is a non-governmental voluntary youth organization based in Belgrade, which promotes youth mobility, participation and active citizenship through international projects and volunteering. At the moment I’m living and working with Aneta, an EVS volunteer from Poland, and in March we’ll be joined by Lutza from Hungary.

Belgrade is the capital of Serbia and the biggest metropolis in the western Balkans. It’s not a beautiful city by any stretch, and certainly no Paris or Barcelona, but it has a long and fascinating history, and there are lots of features that make Belgrade a really exciting place to be. Including, as any Belgrader will proudly tell you, its famed nightlife – in fact, the city was named number one party capital of the world by Lonely Planet earlier this year.

So anyway, after a couple of weeks spent sightseeing and settling into life in the (rather ironically named) ‘white city’, I was more than ready to get stuck into work at Osmeh. A big part of my EVS project is ‘English Speaking Friday’. Since December, I’ve been holding two conversation workshops every Friday for young people. The aim is not so much to teach English, but rather to provide an opportunity for people to practice speaking. We talk about all kinds of things – music, tourism, stereotypes, traditions – and I often finish the workshop feeling like I’ve learned something as well!

Other projects I’ve been involved in over the last few months include organizing an Open Day to celebrate International Volunteers Day; a international partnership building event in Kikinda, Vojvodina; redesigning Osmeh’s website; and creative work (posters, logos) for projects and events we’ve participated in. In fact, I’m really enjoying the opportunity to be creative. This is what I wanted from my EVS – a chance to try something different and develop new skills. And volunteering at Osmeh is a world away from the office admin jobs I worked in before I came to Belgrade.

Right now we’re preparing for an international training course that Osmeh is hosting in Subotica, near the Hungarian border. It’s a busy time for us volunteers, making sure we have all the materials, paperwork and equipment ready for the start of the project. It’s been eye-opening to be part of the hosting team – and to realise exactly how much work goes on behind the scenes!

Although winter’s been cold and snowy, and life in the city (like the traffic) has slowed down for a couple of months, there’s still plenty to see and do. Every week it seems there is a new film or music festival, exhibition or theatre season. This month we have the Guitar Art Festival and the 38^th International Film Festival. For me, Belgrade’s a true capital of culture. And there aren’t many places where you can bag a seat in the National Theatre for less than 5 euros!

Spring will bring new projects (promoting EVS in high schools); partnerships (with the Media Education Centre); travel opportunities (including trips to Poland and Lithuania); as well as the mid-term EVS training in Ohrid, Macedonia, and hopefully chances to see a lot more of the Balkans region. I’m starting to wonder how I will fit everything in! Eight months left, and already I’m thinking it’s not long enough…

Liam in Spain on EVS - 2009

2010-02-17T13:09:00.002Z

I've been in Barcelona for about three months. I love this city, the history, the culture, the people, the food, the music, the list, it goes on. It's one the of the reasons that I chose this project, a big reason to be honest. But I was under no illusions that it was going to be easy, I knew exactly what I was getting myself into when I applied, when I signed up.

Like any big city, Barcelona has it's problems. But unlike other cities, the place that the problems are concentrated is right in the centre, in the notorious barrio of El Raval. Barely a day goes by without the neighbourhood being on both regional and national news; Drugs. Prositution. Robberies. Violence. Unemployment. Immigrants. The homeless. The same problems any other big city has, but concentrated into a relatively small barrio which these days is constantly patrolled by the police. This is where I work.

My organisation has a huge variety of projects, most centred in and around Raval. My project works with immigrants, from 16-21/22 years old. People from Morroco, Gambia, Senegal, Guinea, the Filipines, India, Pakistan, Bolivia, Columbia, todo el mundo! We do language classes, computer classes, music classes, sports classes, etc. etc. I teach kids who can't swim how to swim. Guys that can't even send an email how to use a computer. I train our football team. And generally support the running of all of our activities. One of the most important aims of all of this, is to give these guys something to do, something constructive, just something that isn't struggling to make a living by whatever means possible. And ultimately, we guide them into work training courses to develop some skills so that they are qualified to work.

Summed up in a paragraph it sounds fairly straight forward. It's not. There are a mountain of problems thrown into this mix. Primarily, I arrived without speaking Spanish. Nor Catalan. Nor Arabic, nor Swahili, or any other language that would be of use to me here. And Í'm the only EVS volunteer in this project, and so fairly isolated. The embarassment you feel when somebody speaks to you, and not only can you not reply, but you very little idea of what they even said, is horrible. Horrible enough to motivate me into studying Spanish every spare minute of every day! Next problem, the guys can be difficult. Extremely difficult. They're in a very strange and difficult situation, and so considering this it's understadable that they can behave like that. Another issue is the massive predjudice and discrimination that they face. Consider what it must be like, to arrive in a foreign country, where you don't speak the language, you don't know anybody, you have no money, no food, no home, no job, and then even if you do manage to get a grip of the language, you do learn some skills, become qualified even, after all of this, you're still faced with blatant discrimination. These aren't bad people, regardless of how they may behave at times, regardless of how they are forced to make money to survive, they are just people. It's only the situation that's bad. Life can be hard and massively unfair. But this project is trying to do something about it, I'm trying to do something about it.

The whole EVS experience can be a really strange one. It's a long period of time to be doing something, and so it's important that you know as much as possible about what you're going to do before you get there, to be happy with the type of work you'll do, to make sure that it's right for you. But it's just as important that you do it, that we do it. The whole EVS project is designed to promote cross-cultural learning and European cohesion, it's effectively designed to help the EU as a whole. But regardless of the political motivations behind it, it's an incredible opportunity, as the cliche goes, too good to miss. Not only is it a means of living in another country for an extended period of time, it's a means of really knowing that country, really learning the language in a way never possible at home, and above all, it's a means to do something useful, something important. I don't think you can ever really know what you're capable of until you do something that challenges you. This project is not only important for the kids that we work with, but for me too. I'm learning a language which opens up an entirely new world for me. And I'm learning things about myself, discovering what I am actually capable of. Something is happening to me, something that I need to think about for a long time. But that thing is good, it's a thing which inspires me to be better, to do more, to be more.

Alex in Latvia on EVS - 2009

2010-02-17T13:03:00.003Z

Well, I’ve been here for almost a month now, and some early impressions are starting to form. As far as the weather goes, it has been more consistently cold then I was expecting, I mean before I arrived I knew it would be a cold winter, but the average temperature even now is much lower than I expected. The warm stuff I thought I was bringing for the winter is now in daily use in the autumn, we received a snapshot of what the winter would hold for us last week when there was a day of freak snow. It was blizzard-like, and served to illustrate how I may have underestimated the Latvian winter.

This, identified in October, is a very manageable situation, and already I am making enquiries into where a guy like me gets hold of more significant cold weather gear. By winter I will be kitted out and (fingers crossed) ready for anything!

As far as the living arrangements go, the first speed bumps have been hit on the road to happy families, nothing out of the ordinary or anything you wouldn’t expect from a group of under 25’s living together; people not washing dishes, not drying dishes, bathroom not being cleaned, etc.

Leaving aside these more trifling matters (I have never heard an argument that could convince me that an able-bodied person is unable to or shouldn’t have to do their own washing up) the more serious consideration was to do with shared foodstuffs, bread, pasta, etc, and where the money should come from. We decided in the end to introduce a kitty system, whereby everyone puts a set amount into a pot at the beginning of the week and from that we buy things all these little essentials that everyone uses. This should, at least keep everyone happy with regards to basic food, and hopefully head off the “Who ate my last...?” arguments which do no one any good.

And so the domicile is shaping up nicely. We have a rota for cleaning the bathroom and hallway weekly, and are managing to keep the kitchen in a reasonable state most of the time. As far as my digs go, I’ve reshuffled the furniture and am lobbying the system for a desk and chair.

As far as work goes, my job has been both varied and challenging. Most days I function as a language assistant in the English lessons run at the centre, focusing on the speaking side of things. My classes range from adults who already have good knowledge, through high school pupils who know a lot of English but lack confidence, and on class of two 10 year olds and a 7 year old. This last one was dropped on me last minute, I am on hand to fill in for Natasha when crisis arises, and it was actually much easier then I had expected. We had a good text to work from, and once I had got them laughing it all went fine. The secondary school pupils are a challenge in a different way; the text is useful but very boring, so we need to change the pace from time to time to keep people interested. I was at something of a loss about how best to do this, but fortunately for me I was helped by fellow office working volunteer, who has experience working with children in France and suggested singing; we pick a song that everyone knows (for example, “We Are The Champions”) and I write the lyrics up on the board. We talk through it, I explain words they are not sure about, and then we all sing, their nervousness quite overpowered by my enthusiastic (if somewhat tuneless) contribution. The other diversion was actually suggested by one of the students, she suggested that we prepare cards with basic words on them (car, tree, road etc) and each person has to take a card and describe the thing to the others, who guess. An amusing diversion which is actually excellent for developing both their confidence and vocabulary, which I have quite shamelessly adopted in my other classes!

The adult classes are usually small, and more advanced, requiring more intense conversation and careful correction to ensure that they are learning and improving.

The other work we do in the centre is the organisation of volunteer projects for the local population, both foreign and domestic. This can entail talking people through the EVS process, discussing potential seminars and voluntary work in our town, and organising youth projects and exchanges for young people in Europe. In practice office life is usually quite relaxed, it is only when we have a deadline for project submissions that it can get really hectic. Then we will be working late discussing what sort of projects we could run, brainstorming ideas, and then in my case either taking the ideas in bullet points and writing them up, or proofing documents written by others in English. All in all the workload is manageable, and there is more than enough to keep us busy and out of trouble.

So, what else? Well, I am still in quest of a guitar; this is proving a challenge because Rezekne is a very small town, with only one music shop. This obviously makes it something of a seller’s market, and so when I was in at the weekend the bloke in the shop, an incredibly nice man whose one flaw, it would seem, was the somewhat inflexible position he took to his massively overpriced instruments. I (in my very limited Latvian) tried to explain that I was a volunteer, that my funds were limited. Although he agreed that volunteers are generally a good thing, he was unable to get the price down as much as I wanted. We fenced a while longer, in an incredibly good humoured way, and in the end I left, promising to be back in November when I had more ready cash. He warned that all could be different by then, and the time for action was NOW, but I cheerfully resisted.

I left the shop feeling, despite the failure of my mission, very good. This had been, I realised, the first time I had actually communicated in a jovial fashion with a Latvian stranger.

My Serbian Adventure - by Barney Smith - 2009

2010-01-07T14:42:00.006Z

My Serbian Adventure
by Barney Smith

As I reflect now on my summer experiences, my memories are tinged with sadness. Days after my return from Serbia, I visited my grandfather in hospital. Although frail, he had lost none of his enthusiasm for life or his fascination for the world. Despite the trauma he and my grandmother had been through a year before at the loss of their daughter, my mother, from cancer, he had lost none of his determination or his incorrigible sense of optimism. As I write this article a week after his death, I find it hard to believe that I will never again be able to listen to his sound advice, that I will never again be able to sit and reflect with him about his experiences of life. It is to my grandfather, an inspiration to me in so many ways, that I dedicate my recollections of summer 2009.

**********

(In the picture: Barney with the group of international volunteers)

The Serbian border guard could hardly conceal his amazement. “You’re going to Belgrade? But where’s your car?” I could scarcely blame him for being surprised. There I was, a British citizen with a Kuwaiti residency stamp in my passport, crossing from Romania on foot, carrying a huge rucksack, speaking to the guard in Russian, hoping it was close enough to Serbian to make myself understood. Fortunately it was. “Welcome to Serbia,” he said cheerfully in English, as he stamped my passport. I was on my way.
I had chosen Serbia's fourth largest city, Kragujevac, as my destination for my latest international volunteer project this summer. Although I had been to the former Yugoslavia before – my travels had taken me to Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovenia – this was to be my first visit to Serbia and I was intrigued by the prospect of visiting a country as yet untouched by mass tourism. Fascinated for as long as I can remember by eastern European culture and history, I had taken the opportunity to make a brief stopover in one of the EU’s newest member states. On a rainy Wednesday morning in mid-July I had found myself on a Wizz Air flight from Luton to the Romanian city of Timişoara, famous as the birthplace of the revolution which would topple dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu and lead to his execution by firing squad on Christmas Day 1989. By the time I had finished sight-seeing the next day, my options for direct onward travel had been limited, so I had taken the train to the border town of Stamora-Moraviţa. From there, in the absence of any public transport, my only option had been to walk across the border.

Now safely in Serbian territory I took a taxi to the border town of Vršac and travelled by bus to Belgrade. After a night in a city centre hostel, I took one of the many buses heading south. By chance I found myself sitting next to one of my fellow volunteers; as we approached our destination we wondered, with some trepidation but also much excitement, what experiences awaited us. On arrival in what was to be our home town for the next two weeks, we met up with the other volunteers, as well as the group leaders, Kosta and Vlada, and Alex, who represented the local volunteer organisation, Viktorija. We walked to the site of our project, the 21 October Elementary School, named after the notorious date in 1941 when thousands of the city’s residents were murdered by the Nazis. This was also to be our accommodation and home for the next two weeks.

One of the most intriguing aspects of international volunteer projects is the variety of backgrounds and nationalities of the volunteers. The other participants came from Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Ukraine and the USA; although the official camp language was English, I had ample opportunities to practise my French, Russian and basic Spanish, as well as learn some Serbian words and phrases. The volunteers included students of a variety of subjects, as well as a beautician, a speech therapist, a judge's assistant and a university professor. We spent the first weekend exploring the town, settling into our new accommodation, getting to know our fellow volunteers with the help of games, and organising a rota for cleaning, preparing breakfast and cooking dinner. The variety of countries represented at the project resulted in us sampling a wide range of national dishes from different parts of the world. Lunches were to be provided by the local student cafeteria, a treat given the quality and quantity on offer. Our visits in the town included the grammar school, the aquarium, the weapons museum, and the Museum of Genocide, dedicated to the memory of the victims of the 1941 massacre. We found that the city had a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere and that we were made to feel very welcome both by the local volunteers and activists and by the people of Kragujevac.

(In the picture:Volunteers on local transport)

Having adjusted to our new surroundings and thoroughly enjoyed the weekend, we were ready and eager on Monday morning to start work. The aim of our international volunteer project was to renovate the outside of the school. This involved painting over graffiti and working to improve and beautify the grounds; we set to work picking up litter, trimming the hedge and cutting the grass. Once this was complete we were ready to begin painting; this was our main job to which we devoted most of the two-week placement. By the end of the project, we could take great satisfaction in the results of everyone’s hard work; those countless hours of working our way around the outside of the school with our rollers and brushes had paid off. We felt that with the start of the new school year, which was just weeks away, the staff and students would once again be able to take pride in the appearance of their establishment and enjoy a more pleasant learning environment.

(In the picture: group of volunteers taking a walk together)

During the project, because of our early-morning start to the working day, we were able to make the most of the late afternoon and the evening to enjoy our new surroundings, as well as to benefit from the very diverse Serbian traditions, culture and entertainment. Our activities included an evening barbecue, paintball, bathing in a nearby lake, swimming in the town's open-air pool and jogging. We decided to work through the second weekend in order to enjoy our free days at the end of the project, with the work behind us. Together with activists from Viktorija, we hired a coach and travelled south to the northern border of Kosovo. En route we stopped at Kraljevo, an important transit town to the south, where we enjoyed strolling in the sunshine and sipping the ever-popular (with me anyway!) Turkish coffee; we also visited the Žiča Monastery, famous as the first seat of the Serbian Archbishopric. We were to spend the night in a youth hostel, owned by the municipality of Kragujevac, in Kopaonik National Park; as the sun set over the Balkans we took the opportunity to explore the beautiful surroundings. After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast, we climbed the peak of Pančićev Vrh, more than 2000 metres above sea level, for a panoramic view into Kosovo. It was hard to believe that, just a few years earlier, this tranquil setting had provided the backdrop for the horrors of some of Europe’s worst ethnic strife since the Second World War. Kosovo’s recent declaration of independence was bitterly contested by most of the Serbs we met, many of whom blamed the NATO airstrikes on Serbian targets in 1999 for accelerating the province’s moves towards self-determination. As we returned to Kragujevac, we enjoyed spectacular views of the mountains as well as the Ibar River, which the road followed for much of the route; our journey also included a visit to the Studenica Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Back in the 21 October Elementary School, our work complete and our two-week project sadly behind us, it was time to pack our bags and go our own separate ways; for me this involved an enjoyable few days visiting the Serbian capital, Belgrade, as well as Novi Sad, dubbed the ‘Gibraltar of the Danube’, and Subotica, Serbia’s gateway to Hungary.

Back in my adopted home, Kuwait, where I teach French at one of the Gulf state’s British schools, I find myself in a setting which could not be more different. The rivers and mountains of the Balkans have been replaced by the palm trees and the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula; hills and rolling countryside by dust and sand; church spires by minarets; the sound of the disco by the call to prayer; the da and ne of Serbian by the na'am and la of Arabic; pubs and clubs by coffee houses and the diwaniya; the latest Western fashions by traditional Arab clothing. It is this diversity which for me makes world travel in general, and international volunteer projects in particular, so fascinating and so rewarding, and why I look forward with so much enthusiasm to my future travels.

email: barney.smith@gmx.at
SR21-09 Kragujevac was hosted by Young Researchers of Serbia – Voluntary Service of Serbia from 17/07/09 to 31/07/09.

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POST SEASON EVENT 2009

2009-12-10T14:32:00.010Z

Francesco, our International Volunteer Programme Co-ordinator, reports on the Post Season Event held from 23rd – Sunday 25^th October 2009 in Brighton at the Whitehawk Youth Centre.

Every year it is great to meet up with many Concordia volunteers during the annual Post Season Event: the atmosphere is always extremely friendly and I do enjoy meeting new friends and catching up with old ones. This year there were 20 of us, 3 Concordia staff members and 17 volunteers, and we spent the weekend between volunteering in the local area, games, drinks and cultural activities.

On Friday evening, we had an abundant and delicious meal prepared by Fiona with the help of the volunteers and, following the consolidated tradition of all Concordia’s events, we played a few silly games and then had a few drinks and time to chat.

On Saturday, we woke up to a grey and rainy day…not the best thing to have when you are supposed to do some outdoor volunteering. However, our group wasn’t discouraged at all and managed to work hard and cheerfully for the Moulsecoomb Forest Garden and Wildlife Project. This project is a collection of allotments which was converted in 1994 into an environmental project for the benefit of the local community. The work consisted of building a path and at the end of the day we were very pleased to see the big difference our efforts made.

(In the picture: working at the Moulsecoombe Forest Garden)

(In the picture: our brand new path!!)

We headed back to the accommodation in the late afternoon, had a warm shower, a hot meal and then ready to go out into town to enjoy the Brighton White Night, with lots of music events and clubs open until late at night. A large part of the group ended up in an 80’s and 90’s revival disco, which had everybody dancing until 3 am.

On Sunday we had the great opportunity to meet a group of 11 volunteers from the UK and Barhain in the Middle East who are currently participating in an exchange programme through VSO called GLOBAL EXCHANGE and whom we invited to spend a morning with us. It was great to hear about their experience and Concordia volunteers offered in exchange a drama performance of the highest quality which had as the theme “Volunteering with Concordia!”. It was absolutely great and hilarious! I don’t remember laughing that much in ages… :)

(In the picture above : group from Barhain giving a presentation)

(in the picture:...one of our great performances!)

So, 3 days went really fast and we had fantastic time together. I would like to thank all the volunteers and staff who attended and helped with the running of the event, with a special thanks to Helen B and Helen P for arranging the volunteer work and the driving.

(Francesco Bonini, International Volunteer Programme Co-ordinator)

Moscow Backwoods – Bitsevsky Park -2009

2009-12-02T16:23:00.007Z

(In the picture: the volunteers at work!)

Moscow Backwoods is a two-week, environmental project based in Bitsevsky Forest, a Natural Historical park located at the South-western edge of Moscow. This once in a lifetime experience provided an opportunity to better understand conservation and Russian culture. The ability to live with and be shown around Moscow by Muscovites helped the group to gain an insight that we would not have gained had we visited as tourists. Despite it only being a short-term project, I believe that Moscow Backwoods was an excellent life experience.

I have to admit to having some apprehensions before going to Moscow, which were primarily caused by what I had seen on television. So after arriving at the Park, late Thursday evening, after having got lost on the Metro during rush hour (thankfully a female attendant acted out where I should go in front of a crowd of people) I was starting to wonder what I had gotten myself into. However, all my worries disappeared after the warm welcome I received from the people of the Park and by the rest of the group.

During the project we stayed in the gym of a local school that was one stop by metro away from the park. The accommodation was more than adequate as we slept on gym mats and had the use of a shower and warm running water. The volunteers of the camp prepared the food with two people taking it in turn each day as part of the cooking team. This was a great idea as it gave us the chance to experience the national dishes of each other’s countries.

We arrived at the park at 9 a.m. each day to start our conservation work. On the first day we played various games to help get to each other better. The work took place at various locations around the 18 square kilometres of territory that the forest covers. Our main task was to deal with clearing the forest of both litter and areas that had been damaged by fires which are prohibited within the park. Other work was centred around the main administration buildings of the park. This included maintenance on a special nature trail for blind people and helping to design and decorate an open-air classroom. My personal favourite was helping in the planning and execution of the Bicycle rate that is organised every year in the forest for members of the local community. During the two weeks we also had the opportunity to work in another park within Moscow and to visit many others. This gave us all a great overview of the different environmental work that is being carried out in Moscow in order to preserve the city’s natural habitats.

One of the best parts of the project was the large number of excursions that had been organised. There was very little that was not covered, with many tours of the city and visits including the ballet, Moscow Zoo and a local monastery. This was fantastic as it allowed us to see the different elements of Moscow life and experience a bit of what the city has to offer.

(In the picture: Graham with the rest of the group during a night out in Moscow)

When I decided to go to Moscow, probably the last thing that I expected to be doing was to be giving a television interview to Channel 1 Russia, but it happened. The previous day we had been told that a camera crew from a local channel would be waking us up the following morning, as they wanted to film the project and the daily life of us volunteers. This was a big surprise and a very weird experience trying to act normally and not look at the cameras. A few days later we had to do the same thing all over again as the main television channel in Russia came to film us for the day. This trend continued over the two weeks and three television and two newspaper interviews later, I can safely say that we became well accustomed to life in the media.

Despite visiting some of the best sites in Moscow and being on national television, it was often the smaller activities and the free time spent at the school or the park that provided the highlights of the camp. One such highlight was ‘Moscow Families’, where the group split up to spend the evening with a family from Moscow. This was great as it allowed us to meet other people from the Moscow area and get a taste of home life in the Russian capital.

(In the picture: Graham and the group of volunteers)

What truly made the time special was the effort that the Russian host volunteers and theemployees of the park put into welcoming the foreign volunteers. I believe that this was the key factor to the success of the camp as it allowed the group to become great friends in such a short period of time. Their enthusiasm for the project and their willingness to help out with translation and problems faced by the foreigners of the group was incredible. This invaluable contribution to the experience of the international volunteers cannot be overstated.

The project was a very rewarding and authentic experience that went way beyond the work at the park. It allowed the group to make a difference and help the local community. I would recommend the project to anyone.

Graham Haselgrove

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Joe's arrival to EVS in Austria - 2009

2009-11-11T11:15:00.012Z

"Doing an EVS really makes you feel part of an international community, and already I feel like I'm making some great friendships through it."

Hello all, my name's Joe and I'm currently doing my EVS project in the town of Klagenfurt, Austria, where I'm working for 12 months in the office of the Landesjugendreferat Kärnten - the youth department of the regional government. I got here at the beginning of September, and was welcomed by Heidi, my boss and mentor, who picked me up from the airport and showed me to my accommodation before taking me out to try some of the local cuisine (which is amazing, I hasten to add!). I'm living in a student hall attached to the university in the town, and my room is basically a small studio flat - bedroom, bathroom and a little cooking area are all included.

At the project so far I'm mainly helping out in and around the office, doing odd admin tasks related to the office's work as the EVS sending organisation for this part of Austria. I'm in the fortunate position of having studied German before, so the language isn't posing too many difficulties - although I am having a bit of trouble getting the hang of the local dialect, which is idiosyncratic to say the least. I've also had the opportunity to take a 3 week language course at the university, which was really useful and has also helped me make friends among the Erasmus students studying here. The hall where I live is very international, full of students from across the world, and it's been really interesting to get to know them all. I've also been attending far too many dodgy student parties, but that's neither here nor there...

I've also managed to do a bit of travelling, with visits to Graz, Salzburg and most recently Vienna for my on-arrival training. The latter especially was really rewarding, as I got to meet volunteers from all over Europe working across Austria. Doing an EVS really makes you feel part of an international community, and already I feel like I'm making some great friendships through it.

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The First Three Days in Morocco- Summer 2001

2009-10-27T14:30:00.006Z

I was about to leave for a year in Russia. I’d been there before, and had memories of endless blocks of concrete boxes, gruff people and knotted bureaucracy at every step. I wanted some sun before I left. I wanted mountains and blue skies, a complete change of scenery and culture, something exciting before the slog! In fact, I got far more than I’d bargained for.

I picked a workcamp in Morocco. It wasn’t my first choice, which was in an isolated village in the Atlas Mountains, but in Chefchaouen, a touristy town in the “Spanish” north where we would be renovating the Casbah. I got hold of guidebooks – and panicked!! The Rough Guide leads the way in painting a terrifying picture of Moroccans and their country. I was expecting constant hassle from taxi drivers, gangs of street-children, shop keepers, men, pick pockets – everybody, in fact! I dug out old baggy clothes that covered me from the neck down, and scarves for my hair just in case. It’s impossible to buy Moroccan dirhams outside the country, and the guidebooks assured me that airport currency exchanges were bound to be shut. My flight would arrive early evening, and I had visions of finding myself in Tangiers (according to the guidebook, the worst introduction to the country), penniless and with nowhere to sleep.

My heart sank as the flight was delayed – we were now due to arrive at midnight. The heat was still radiating from the runaway as we walked to visa control. The queues stretched out of the building, and, sitting on my rucksack during the hour-long wait, I started talking to a young couple who were also heading for Chefchaouen. The boy had been once before, but the town is famous for its hash, and he wanted to show his girlfirend. We got a taxi (later I realised what a luxury it was, only 3 people in one taxi!) and, at 4 o’clock in the morning stopped to ask some men smoking by a fountain for a hotel. Half asleep we followed one of them into the maze of streets of the Medina, or old town, and found ourselves a space on the roof of a tiny hotel. It wasn’t long before I was woken by the call to prayer, and soon the sun was too hot to sleep any longer.

My first glimpse of Morocco was staggering. Somehow, during the night I had been transported from a Gatwick departure lounge to this rooftop-terrace. The town was white – chalky white-washed walls against the folds of stony white hills. The sky was the bright summer blue that we so rarely get in Britain, and the walls were painted to waist-height in the same colour. Looking down I could only see one narrow path – the houses were so close together as to obscure all the rest. There was a sense of calm, and peace and the sounds of a market in the distance. Two women came by, in colourful skirts and red and white head-scarves. It all looked so beautiful that I couldn’t believe this was the same country that the guidebooks were so scathing about!

I wandered down tiny cobbled lanes in the shade of the blue and white houses. They all led down to a wide, open square, with the Casbah on one side, and a row of cafes on the other. In the corner was a mosque, and a woman was white-washing the walls with a brush tied onto a long stick. The couple and I ordered glasses of tea, which came in tall glasses encrusted with sugar and crammed with a handful of mint. I left to explore the market, a bustling crush of people inspecting mounds of vegetables, chickens squawking in coops, baskets piled with spices, pots, clothes and things I could only guess the use of. Every-one was far too busy to pay the slightest attention to me, and I soon completely forgot the warnings of the guidebooks.

The camp wasn’t due to start until the next day, but I decided to go and see if anyone had already arrived at the Casbah. I found an old man poking at rows of beautiful flowerbeds with a hoe. He led me up the sandy steps to the director’s office, where I explained that I was looking for a group of volunteers who would be working with him. He listened politely, and told me it would be very kind of me to come and work. In fact, it would be a very good idea to organise the sort of thing I was talking about, but he would have to speak to his boss to see if it was possible. He had obviously heard nothing at all about the project so, somewhat confused but not unduly worried, I set off to the school where we would be staying.

The school was locked for the summer. The old women sitting in the playground looked at me suspiciously, and definitely hadn’t seen anything resembling a workcamp. I set off to call the emergency number. It was an answer-phone. Still, I wasn’t too worried, as I had all the following day to find the camp. I didn’t find it. The answer-phone was still on. After having searched all the schools I could find, traipsed to the bus station and the taxi halt, and still no hint of a workcamp I decided that, if I couldn’t find it tomorrow, I would ignore the guidebook’s warnings and leave Chefchaouen to explore the rest of the country. If it was anything like this town, it would be a fantastic journey.

The third day. I decided to go to the town hall – somebody must know about this workcamp! An usher in polished uniform led me past queues of men in their long djellabas and yellow pointed-toed babouches. I sat on an ancient carved bench in an upstairs balcony, watching the men milling around the tiled courtyard below. The mayor called me in to his office, - a beautiful, stately traditional room filled with more men in djellabas. They looked at me curiously as I again explained what I was looking for – and suddenly some-one knew where it was! At last – the workcamp was found!

The usher hand-delivered me to a school – 32 people rushing about preparing dinner and playing cards and banging derbouka drums and talking and lying in the sun – this was definitely a workcamp! I leant my rucksack up against the wall, added my shoes to the pile at the edge of the carpet and went to say hello to the nearest person.

I didn’t realise it at the time, but the very first person I met at that camp, I would meet at a camp the following year, and the year after that – and now, I see him every day. We were married in Morocco last October, so it was a good thing I put all that effort into finding the camp!

Click here for a country profile of Morocco

From Russia, With Love - Summer 2001

2009-10-27T14:25:00.005Z

When I applied last summer for a placement in Russia, the advice given was to be flexible and be prepared for basic living conditions. This was to be my fifth visit to Russia, and my fourth volunteer project, so even before I was on the train to Heathrow in mid-July I knew this to be good advice. After a short stopover in Moscow, I soon found myself with a Dutch and a Swiss volunteer on an overnight train to Ioshkar-Ola, capital of the remote Republic of Marii El, about halfway between Moscow and the Urals. On arrival we met up with our Russian counterparts and together boarded a bus bound for Elektron, a camp hosting up to around 200 children aged 8 to 15. There was no forgetting its past as a Soviet pioneer camp: the children were grouped into detachments and bedtime was known as 'retreat'. Each detachment consisted of up to forty children and was supervised by several counsellors, of which I was one. The 'pioneers' were lined up and almost marched from activity to activity, while those who lagged behind were reprimanded.

For a Western European volunteer, such discipline took some getting used to. Brought up to believe it to be polite to take time over meals, I now found myself in a country where the opposite seemed to be the case, at least as far as camp life was concerned. I had to explain to my Russian friends that in this situation, as in many others, children in our two countries were brought up in different ways. What was acceptable in one country was often unacceptable in the other. I always found it paid off to take the time to explain these differences. Nobody I met at Elektron had ever been to the West, many had never spoken to a foreigner before, so my friends realised that a British perspective would often be very different from a Russian one!

Given the poverty of the region - Marii El is one of Russia's poorest - I never ceased to admire the way in which, with so few resources, children in Elektron were looked after, entertained, and kept busy from morning to night. There were games, sports, competitions, music, drama, stage productions and, for the first week or so, swimming in the beautiful neighbouring Tair Lake. Then of course there was the weekly banya - a kind of glorified sauna - which more than made up for the lack of showers and became one of the many highlights of my stay. Two misfortunes interrupted the swimming. The first was the end of the sweltering temperatures towards the end of July. The second was the outbreak of a dysentery epidemic, caused by polluted lake water. Over several days, convoys of ambulances and medical staff arrived and took around a third of the camp's children to hospital. There was even talk of Elektron being closed, but fortunately outside polluters, not the camp, were proved to be at fault, and those of us still in good health were able to stay. Despite all that had happened, the surprises were not over yet. Within days of the dysentery outbreak, one afternoon a hurricane struck. It may only have lasted about half an hour, but it brought with it hailstones the size of golf balls, and its force tore down power cables and trees. For several hours the camp was plunged into darkness, but when power supplies were finally restored we were just relieved that no-one was hurt. By the end of that season (project), I was the only foreigner left, and was excited at the prospect of staying for the final season which, by comparison, was uneventful!

My first three weeks at Elektron had not exactly gone smoothly, but I was fascinated and full of admiration at how my Russian friends had coped with the adversity. I was convinced that if the same had happened in many other countries, there would have been a knee-jerk response and the camp would have been forced to close. This being Russia, however, only when the causes of the epidemic were fully known was a decision taken on whether the final season should go ahead. What struck me most was the maturity of the children throughout the crisis. They did not understand any more than we did what had caused their friends to be taken to hospital, but knew that life went on and kept themselves busy by playing cards, reading and often talking to me about life in the West.

My first season also included an English summer school, so many of our discussions took place in informal English lessons, where the children also played games and were shown postcards and photographs from my native United Kingdom. Many Russian children do not distinguish between different Western countries, and when occasionally I was introduced as an American, I would point out that Marii El was far closer geographically than the United States to the UK and that these Russians were no less European than I. Their culture is rich, their hospitality unrivalled by any other nationality I have encountered, and their humour and endurance in the face of discomfort and hardship humbling to the outside world. With state salaries and pensions at such a low level, those many Russians who survive only by growing fruit and vegetables in their back gardens would put many Westerners to shame.

I for one would have no hesitation in applying to a Russian volunteer project again. A sense of adventure, a fascination and tolerance of other cultures, and a knowledge of the language are all you need. If that sounds like you, then go for it. Barney Smith, barney.smith@gmx.at Û

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Partying in Denmark! - Summer 2001

2009-10-27T14:23:00.002Z

I chose to do a workcamp in Denmark last summer as the year before I had worked in Finland and I instantly fell in love with Scandinavia! However, working in Copenhagen was slightly different to living the rural, permanently daylight experience in most northern Lapland.

The workcamp in Denmark was organised by MS, a Danish organisation for international co-operation, and we were to take part in the “Solidarity 2000” week of lectures, seminars, conferences and, of course, parties. We stayed in a converted church in central Copen-hagen, five minute’s walk from the train station, shops, and plenty of pubs and cafes. After the Solidarity 2000 week, we had to prepare for the MS tent at the Roskilde festival. At the festival, we were allocated shifts which comprised giving out flyers and promoting MS, and putting on activities in the tent, but most of the time we were free to go and see the bands.

The whole three weeks were extraordinary. I met some of the best people I have ever met and the memories will stay with me forever. Although it was perhaps untypical in the way that there really wasn’t much work to do (and we spent most of the time partying), the learning experience for me was living and spending time with so many international people, along with all of the Danes involved with Solidarity 2000.

A complete diary of the time we had on the workcamp, written by all of the volunteers (and pictures too!) can be found at:
http://www.ms.dk/Kampagner/Solidaritet2000/

Workcamp/Default.htm

Click here for a country profile of Denmark

A bit of Information about Slovakia - Summer 2002

2009-10-27T14:20:00.003Z

My name is Petya and I'm from Bulgaria. I came to the UK to work at Concordia as a medium term volunteer for six months. I also participated in one of the UK projects in Seaford as a co-ordinator and I will participate in one more, which is in Brighton. I've had a great time here in the UK and for me this kind of work is very interesting and gives you opportunities to learn more about different cultures, to travel, to know how to deal with different situations and people.

In my country we also organise a lot of interesting projects, so if you want to have an exciting holiday and in the same time to do something useful you should think about Bulgaria. It is a very beautiful country with a lot of mountains, which offer excellent skiing terrain, and a big part of the Black Sea coasts if you like hot weather and lovely golden sands.

The geographical situation is very interesting; the country is like a crossroad for the Balkan Peninsula. Serbia lies to the West and Macedonia to the Southwest. Greece and Turkey share the southern border, Black Sea is at the East and river Danube is the natural border with Romania on the North.

The country has a Mediterranean climate and the weather is warm for most of the year, but it also can be very cold in the winter especially in the mountains.

Bulgaria has a very old history; it is more of an ancient Slavic nation than Russia. The country was something like a cradle of civilisation and it is national pride that the Cyrillic alphabet which Bulgarian people use has its origins in Bulgaria and should have been exported to Russia and Ukraine.

Bulgarian people are famous with their incredible sense of humour and hospitality. Even in tourist areas curiosity about foreigners is considerable.

Bulgaria has many different and very interesting folk music and customs. In the Rodopi Mountains you can see people playing on pipe as they do it in Scotland and it is very typical for this region. In the middle part of the country, where Sredna Gora is situated there is very interesting custom to dance over embers. It is very beautiful and picturesque to see.

In March there is one special tradition in Bulgaria – all over the country people make a kind of ornaments from white and red strings - a man figure (in white) and woman figure (in red). They are called Pijo and Penda and the whole ornament is called 'martenitca', which comes from Mart - the Bulgarian word for March. It brings health and happiness and people give them to their friends and family.

Curious to know is that Bulgarian people has opposite way for head movements for yes and no, they move their heads from side to side to signify ‘yes’ and up and down for ‘no’.

Bulgaria is moving fast from the previous communist politic situation to a new democratic future. Soon the country will be a member of The European Community and will continue developing easier and faster.

Viktor, a volunteer from INEX Slovakia, who has also co-ordinated our Peak National Park project this year, explains why Slovakia is an appealing destination for all bear - or maybe beer(!) - lovers

First of all, please, forget Yugoslavia!!! Although Slovenia sounds similar, it’s not what I am writing about. Slovakia (or Slovak Republic) is a former sister country of the Czech Republic and those two countries are still very close to each other: common history, similar languages (in Slovakia you might get by with your Czech...) and the love for the beer (where else can you buy a pint for 20 p???)

Slovakia is very favourable for hikers and “nature-lovers" as there are all kinds of landscape ranging from green plains near the river Danube to the exposed peaks of 2500 metres high Tatra mountains. INEX Slovakia is running more than 20 workcamps all around the country, so everybody can find a niche for him/herself. If you do like wine, there is a workcamp in a small village in the middle of the vineyards near the Hungarian boarders, but in case you prefer more action, you might come across a bear (and plenty of beer too....) in the surroundings of the Lom/ Cierny Balog workcamp campsite in mountainous Central Slovakia. Last year I was co-ordinating the latter project and it was a really extraordinary event for everybody. Imagine being daily driven to the worksite by a small forest railway, taking a bath in a fresh stream or cooking in an old military field kitchen....just amazing.

If you feel more like being “urban-type“ you should definitely come and see Bratislava , the capital, where the INEX ‘s office is based ( sorry , but no workcamps run here....). Visiting its two castles, historic centre and experiencing the pedestrian zone atmosphere with plenty of cafes and beer cellars is what you shouldn’ t miss. Besides calling in our office, of course....

Click here for a country profile on Slovakia

Changing Rooms - Summer 2002

2009-10-27T13:38:00.003Z

This was the first time I had ever really travelled anywhere new on my own and I was so nervous. Emma from the same camp was travelling on the second leg of my flight with me so we were able to meet up for a while. We had to meet in the train station the next day and with both of us staying in different places we split up and met the next morning. The station was like a cattle market with people heading off all over the country on different camps. We were herded into the main square where we met our group leader Povilas and the rest of the people on the camp. I remember realising just how far people had come from to be there, I was one of the closest! Ulrich, from Germany, asked me if I spoke any German and I replied yes, to which he babbled on in German and I panicked thinking what on earth is this bloke talking about!

We travelled about two and a half hours out of the capital Riga to our home for two weeks; the 'Pargauja' orphanage in Valmiera. We were greeted by the adults and children from the orphanage and spent the evening together playing cards and trying to organise ourselves. At that point I remember thinking some of the group were much more confident than I was.
Povilas has asked us to bring photos of home and family to share with each other which was a great start to getting to know one another.

We soon became more involved in the daily running of the orphanage and gradually became experts at mixing paint, painting bedrooms, stripping wallpaper, putting up wallpaper and then catching wallpaper as it fell down! The children helped as we worked in the bedrooms. We totally changed the feel of some of them which was brilliant, all we needed was Carol Smiley and we would have had it all! We managed to find a local hardware shop to buy more things for us to use and by the end we had decorated three bedrooms, the kitchen and done other things like mended tables, fences and cleaned floors in preparation for a party!

Looking back now I can't believe how close we all grew over the two weeks we were there, from not knowing each other at all to being able to insult each other and joke around and we have stayed in contact since the camp. Since coming back from Latvia, I have recommended camps like this to so many people who I think get fed up with me talking about it. I can remember hearing people talk about the travel they had done, the people they had met and the things they had seen. I can also remember not taking much notice - until now! When I am the one talking and doing the convincing! I can't believe what an amazing time we had; I look forward to seeing everyone again!

Matthew Perret