EVS na Cyprze, children in need

evs na cyprzeEVS na Cyprze to wspólny projekt Fundacji Rozwoju Społeczeństwa Przedsiębiorczego i organizacji HFC “Hope For Children” UNCRC Policy Center. Poszukujemy wolontariuszy na zaakceptowany już projekt EVS w stolicy wyspy – Nikozji.

Zgłoszenia zawierające CV oraz list motywacyjny w j. angielskim prosimy przesyłać na adres natalia.podbielska@frsp.eu.

Termin nadsyłania zgłoszeń: 25 września 2016

Zaakceptowany do realizacji projekt pt. “Children in need” przewiduje udział 2 wolontariuszy z Polski w schronisku dla dzieci i młodzieży o nazwie “Dom Nadziei” w Nikozji przez okres 12 miesięcy. Wolontariusze EVS angażowani będą w codzienne aktywności z podopiecznymi organizacji m.in prowadzić będą zajęcia j. angielskiego dla dzieciaków, zajęcia sportowe i artystyczne. Będą mieli okazję prowadzić badania i dowiedzieć się znacznie więcej na temat praw dziecka, działać przy programie łączenia rodzin czy integracji dzieci. Więcej szczegółów w opisie poniżej.

Tytuł projektu: “Children in need” EVS w Grecji
Numer projektu: 2016-2-PL01-KA105-026907
Miejsce: Nicosia, Cypr
Organizacja koordynująca i wysyłająca: Fundacja Rozwoju Społeczeństwa Przedsiębiorczego
Organizacja przyjmująca: HFC “Hope For Children” UNCRC Policy Center
Daty aktywności wolontariuszy: 02.11.2016 – 02.11.2017 (12 miesięcy, 367 dni)
Ilość wolontariuszy: 2 ( jedna wolontariuszka już została wybrana) – dostępne wolne miejsce 1

Receiving Organizzation description:
Hope For Children” UNCRC Policy Center (HFC) is an international institution with its headquarters in Nicosia, Cyprus. HFC is an active organisation aiming to protect and promote youth‘s and children‘s rights in society. The organisation is founded in the principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), espouses all related initiatives, policies and legislation undertaken at EU level that aim at the protection and promotion of children’s rights. Particularly, HFC follows the ‘EU Guidelines on the Rights of the Child’, and takes steps towards developing measures that combat any form of violence against children. These steps are mainstreamed through national, European and international efforts and ensure that children, despite diverse characteristics, receive an adequate level of social and legal protection.
HFC constantly engages a diverse and growing number of stakeholders (social partners, institutional actors, civil society and policy makers) urging for the development of child-friendly justice in Cyprus and the establishment of a juvenile justice system, and promoting participatory approaches for children and youth. At the same time HFC initiates public information campaigns and awareness-raising activities for the general public on specific topics within the children’s rights agenda, e.g., bullying or sexual abuse against children.
Additionally, HFC contributes significantly in the area of children on the move, following EU laws on asylum and family reunification through Dublin procedures. It directly provides rehabilitation, integration and durable solution services to migrant children primarily through the operation of a children’s shelter for unaccompanied minors, called “Home for Hope“. Such activities are complemented by research and policy-making together with solid collaboration with national authorities in the social welfare, migration and asylum sectors.

Project aims:
By our project – “Children in need” – we would like strongly support voluntary initiatives that promote cultural exchange and understanding, furthering therfore social acceptance and diversity which can in turn provide the soil for a strong civil society. Historically, socially culnerable groups such as ethnic minorities, migrants, foreign workers, unaccompanied minors etc. are excluded from the participation in civil society.Thus,we believe that the strengthening of inclusive civil society in Cyprus is an extremely important step in developing a safe and healthy community.We believe that the invitation of young volunteers form Europe will create a great opportunity for informal education and learning and will constitute a platform for introducing youth dialogue with increased respect towards others,despite cultural differences.We will have the chance to participate in a multi-cultural setting and to raise first-handedly awareness between young Cypriots and young Europeans in order to share their knowledge about engagement in social activities.There is a multitude of benefits received from hosting and certainly such an activity is extremely valuable for others’ too, including the European community.
Furthermore, we believe that motivated young people from Europe can significantly contribute to activities conducted by our organisation and can support us by introducing new approaches and ideas to our projects and to the organisation’s methods. Hosting people from a variety of countries will also incline our work to be more multi-perspective and richer in outcomes.Finding the optimal combination of tasks (facility,research and creative responsibilities) and supporting an atmosphere of creative involvement for the volunteers will be one of HFC’s priority principle in order to produce positive effects and nourish healthy and strong relationships among staff members,interns, volunteers and beneficiaries.

The EVS programme through its activities aims to foster mutual understanding amongst diverse young people, promote tolerance and acceptance and develop their transferable skills.The main theme of the project is “Children in need” as well as the issues that surround unaccompanied minors such as social exclusion and discrimination.The EVS project is structured in a way so as to offer an inter-cultural learning experience within a non-formal education environment by developing an individual learner’s plan.
The planned activities will take place at the private Children’s Shelter “Home for Hope” set up by UNCRC Policy Center in the capital of Cyprus, Nicosia.There are accommodate unaccompanied minors under the legal guardianship of the Director of the Social Welfare Services and provides multi-disciplinary and holistic services.There is high importance of this structure, particularly at time when refugee crisis in Europe is so prevalent. EVS volunteers will assist in daily activities of shelter,where accomodated are 25 young people in age between 5-18 years old.Through the daily interaction with young people and children from different backgrounds, and accomplishment of the facility tasks the EVS project will foster mutual understanding, develop solidarity and promote acceptance among young people. Through the research (e.g. volunteering in a shelter) and creative activities (cultural events) the volunteers will be encouraged to initiate projects and activities they are passionate about.

Proposed activities:
The activities in the project are planned to participation of 2 Polish volunteers for period of 12 months and will take place at the private Children’s Shelter “Home for Hope” in Nicosia.Volunteers to work directly with our children in care at the Emergency Shelter, Residential Treatment Center, Foster and Adoptive Programs, and Family Strengthening Programs

At the shelter, the volunteers will be involved in the following diverse activities and motivated to take initiative:

1. Facility activities and support activities, where the volunteers will assist in the progress of the regular schedule and activities of the center/shelter,
a)Rehabilitation services
-Intake of social history
-Assisting in the procedure of age assessment
b)Integration services
-social counseling service and psychological support: preparation art theraphy training session/ themed workshop, preparing and providing drama process workshop
-preparation and provide English language lesson to the proteges
-afternoon educational classes and entertainment activities: Leisure time, playing with the minors, e.g. basketball, art workshop, chess, volleyball and gardening
-help in learning process,help with homework,assistance in finding place in a school for them
-preparation and providing the computer, ICT technology lesson as well as cultural workshops
– accompanying proteges in schools, in other classes, to the hospital if needed/ to vocational training, e.g. internship workplace
c)Durable solution services
-support during the transition to adulthood and integration to the society (help in searching a job, accomodation etc)
-human rights trainings
d) work in the office: correspondence by e-mail, technical assistance; assisting the staff for updating individual care plans of proteges
e)promotional activities – preparing press releases, updating web page,
f)help in preparation meals,assistance with serving lunch or dinners

2. Research & surveys tasks about the themes and topics connected with:
– children’s rights
-disadvantaged children
-the integration of foreign children in Cypriots schools
-investigation of possibility for placement in foster care

3. Creative activities that can take place one time or be repeating and are not part of the regular program of the center/shelter but have complementary value like:
-helping in organizing social projects
-organize campaignes and workshops to equip children, their families/carers and societies at large with knowledge and tools to prevent and report sexual violence against children, thereby raising awareness of its extent.
-organizing Beat Bullying campaigns: the campaign aims to raise awareness within the educational community and the public, as well as aims to create a code for recognizing, preventing and dealing with this phenomenon. It is all about creating a world where bullying, violence and harassment are unacceptable. Working with families, schools, and communities to understand the problem, campaign for change and provide a sustainable efficient and proven solution.
-organizing international campaignes together with workers about migrant children- the project aims at raising awareness on the needs of Children on the Move, as per the definition given in the concept note, and developing and promoting the adoption of appropriate policies within the EU agenda to respond to this phenomenon at EU level and throughout Europe. The focus of the project is on improving coherence between EU migration, development and human rights policies as a specific issue of globalization through the active participation of children and youth
-Fundraising (preparing letters to organisations fundraising or activities, identifying and connecting possible donor

The working methods used will be mainly learning by doing coupled with directed guidance so that volunteers will focus on developing the key competencies. Non-formal education methods, like discussions, demonstration or experimental, are used by HFC staff on a daily basis. Furthermore, the volunteers will alternate weekly shifts in each project so that they have the chance to know all staff and activities of the Shelter. The exact weekly timetable depends on the specific area of the shelter, in which they will be integrated, and the activities they will implement. Normally, they will work 5 consecutive days a week and have 2 consecutive days off (the exact days will depend on the weekly schedule). Nevertheless, they may be asked to reschedule their working days/hours if specific activities or needs of the minors require this change.

Who are we looking for?
No specific skills or qualifications are required but the candidates must show a strong motivation to do voluntary work, understand the aim of the European Voluntary Service as well as be eager to work with children. Furthermore the candidates should be enthusiastic, dynamic and have good communication skills since the volunteer must be prepared to coexist and share, teach and learn experiences with people from different cultural backgrounds, also from local minorities. We are interested in people who are enthusiastic, creative, communicative, open-minded, socially sensitive and supporting the idea of tolerance, respect and cooperation between cultures, willing to share their experience and knowledge with the others and willing to turn their ideas into action as one of the aim of receiving organization is to create space for the personal development of the youngster creating space and opportunity to express themselves and their will.
There will be an open and transparent selection process, accessible to all interested youth. To choose the volunteer we will spend particular attention to the motivation letter and a previous communication with them to clarify different issues. There will be no discrimination due to religion, sex, nationality or race.
To apply for our project the volunteer should send us their CV in Europass format and motivation letter. Before taking the final decision it will be important to realize short phone-interviews (skype) with the candidates and know eachother. After making a decision who was chosen to participate in our project, all interested parties (SO as well as all of candidates, will be informed abuout selection results. We know that also for those candidates who was not chosen shall be provided the information.
No previous experience, knowledge and skills are required for carrying out the tasks of the project activities. All the necessary skills
and knowledge for carrying out the tasks can be gained during the project. Of course previous experiance in work with kids and youths or even better with minorities,refugees or migrants will work in favor of the candidate.
Necessary requirement will be major age (18-30, according to Erasmus+ rules), while no minimum level of language is required. We think that EVS is a perfect tool and chance to learn a new language, altough a basic level of english is recommended but not compulsory.

evs na cyprze

Zgłoszenia zawierające CV oraz list motywacyjny w j. angielskim prosimy przesyłać na adres natalia.podbielska@frsp.eu.

Termin nadsyłania zgłoszeń: 25 września 2016