📝 Detailed information
💼 What the programme involves
The “Children’s Village” is a welfare institution for youth. It takes care of children and young people who cannot live in their original family: due to this unfavourable socialization condition, they are disadvantaged in many fields, and are in need of support. In the “Children's Village” live 42 children and kids from 7-19 years. The staff of the “village” consists of professional workers, such as psychologists, teachers, social workers and youth workers. You will be one of three European volunteers, engaged in different houses. You will assist the staff in the daily activities: meeting the children after school, helping them to do homework, playing and spending free time together, cooking, doing house chores. You will accompany the children in excursions or when needed, and organise activities for the kids. Your work starts in the afternoon, and it is 35 hours/week.
🏠 Accommodation on site
You will live in an apartment shared with the other two volunteers: the bedrooms are single, while cooking, washing machine, laundry area, bathroom and facilities are in common. You will receive 150 euros/month as pocket money, and 230 euros/month as food allowance: but you'll save a great part of this latter, since you can have lunch and dinner for free at the “Children's Village” on all your working days. The travel from Italy to Austria and back is reimbursed, and you will be provided a monthly ticket for the public transport, because you will need to take the bus to go to the “village".
🎒 Leisure activities
You'll attend 3 training sessions: a pre-departure one before leaving Italy; an on arrival one a few weeks after your advent in Austria; a midterm one, at half of your volunteering. You'll be provided with an intensive course of German. You'll receive a continuous mentoring through regular visits by the staff, several informal moments of evaluation, feedback and support, and also a mediation and crisis management service, if needed. You'll improve your interpersonal skills, getting an insight into social work and therapy methods, and understanding how a national social welfare system works.
⚠️ Requirements
The Participant profile: The basic requirement to participate in this project is the will of carrying out activities with and for youngsters with a difficult family background. You should possess an easy approach to children, without either fears or prejudices in taking care of social disadvantaged people. The project is looking for really mature, responsible and tolerant volunteers. Graz is a big and nice city where to live, but you must be prepared to work in the extreme outskirt of a smaller village, in an isolated and calm place. You must also be available in learning a bit German, to volunteer more effectively.
Deadline: No application deadline
ℹ️ Additional information
Participants are entitled to receive a Youthpass certificate from the organiser, for recognition of their competence development during the activity. Read more about Youthpass:https://www.youthpass.eu/en/
This organisation holds a European Solidarity Corps Quality Label. The Quality Label certifies that the organisation is able to run projects in compliance with the principles and objectives of the European Solidarity Corps.