📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
The "asylum" sector of the Office for Social Services of the Canton of Valais hosts a summer camp for children of asylum seeking families together with disadvantaged local kids. There are three groups coming over three weeks, while it is possible for volunteers to join ideally the first two weeks (9.-23.July), the second two weeks (16.-30.July) or all three weeks which is very intense (9.-30.July). The first kids group is aged 6 to 8 years old, the second group 9 to 10 years old and the third group is 11 to 12 years old. The purpose of the summer camp is to give relaxation, games and discovery for children of asylum seekers. These have often been faced with difficult situations in their countries of origin and live in an unstable situation since their arrival in Switzerland.
💼 What the programme involves
You will manage every day a group of children, together with other local caretakers and an assistant. You ll participate in the animation, the creation of activities for the children and the practical life of the camp. Most of the programme is prepared. The children will stay with us the whole week, they dont go back home at night; so you will also spend the evenings with them. Be aware that the working hours exceed the standard in SCI workcamps ( you will mainly be working from morning till evening. You will also be asked to sleep 1 night in the hallway in front of the kids bedrooms to support or to handle possible problems at nights. During two weeks all volunteers, the project partner and children live together as a community, so you will not spend much time alone.
🏠 Accommodation on site
You will be accommodated in a group accomodation in a mountain village. You will have mattresses, blankets and bed sheets provided - be prepared to share a room with other volunteers. Toilets and shower will also be shared. There is wifi. Food will be prepared by cooks.
ℹ️ Additional information
Please keep in mind that the work with the kids can be very exhausting and intense but at the same time it is also a very rewarding experience. - This workcamp is part of the international campaign 'Building Bridges' which aims to raise awareness and stimulate the reflection about the current refugee crisis and forced migration in general. Through non-formal learning methods, participants will be able to share knowledge and experiences about the situation of refugees and asylum seekers in different countries as well as volunteering projects that locally support refugees and asylum seekers. Volunteers will be encouraged to think about how they can make a contribution to peaceful living together of people from all origins in their home town.