📝 Detailed information
💼 What the programme involves
If you are looking for a challenging volunteering place and enjoy working with people with a severe mental disability, then Eastpackers has the right project in the ancient Mediterranean coast city of Athens.
PAAPAV is a state institution that hosts about 100 handicapped children and youngsters from 1 to 30 years old. They have moderate to heavy physical and mental disabilities. Most are abandoned by their parents and have little contact with their family. Nurses take care of their physical needs but there is a lot to be done for the psychological, social and educational needs of the children and youngsters. Despite financial difficulties, PAAPAV is trying to become more modern, to improve services and to integrate the children into society. However, changing mentality and way of working is a slow and difficult process and a lot remains to be done. Even today, most children still receive very little stimulation and are and are heavily institutionalized.
🏠 Accommodation on site
Food: The volunteer will receive 40 Euros as food allowance each week, directly from the hosting organization.
Accommodation: Volunteers live in a house inside the institution with a terrace looking on the seaside. You are going to live with other volunteers that are part of the EVS project and you are going to share a kitchen living room and two bathrooms. There will be around 4-6 long term volunteers living together. Volunteers all live, cook, eat and work together all the time so be prepared for a very intense experience in community living!
🎒 Leisure activities
Language Support
Greek is necessary for communication because neither the children nor the majority of workers in PIKPA speak English. Of course, nobody here will force you to learn perfect Greek if you don’t want to, but a minimum level is required to participate actively in the project! During your stay you can attend a Greek course by a private teacher (about 1-2 hours per week) until two months before your departure. Of course it is possible to change this schedule if volunteers and the teacher agree.
⚠️ Requirements
The Participant profil: Young persons from from 18 to 30 years who would like to work with people with a severe mental disability.
- Willingness to learn Greek
- Interested in working with children/youngsters.
- Able to take own initiative
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.