Mira

 

This week the weekly workcamps selection is focused on projects in Armenia, where we can find a variety of projects in a place with a really rich and interesting culture.

If you haven’t found your camp, you can browse and choose through more than 600 other workcamps at www.workcamps.info.

Also, if you want to learn more about workcamps and how to apply, read the
information here>>.

For further questions contact our placement officer Boryana Nikolova at
placement@cvs-bg.org

 Posted by Mira at 10:21 Volunteer activities, Volunteer news Comments Off on Weekly Selection: Workcamps in Armenia
 

The weekly workcamp selection is focused on projects in Slovenia and Slovakia. Among the workcamp settings you may find medieval castles, mining trails, Pippi Longstockings, saltpans at the seaside and lots of other beautiful places.

Weekly camp suggestions_30.06.2013

However, if you want to volunteer in an ecofarm, ro renovate social centre or to rebuilt traditional houses, you can browse and choose throughout more than 600 other workcamps at www.workcamps.info.

If you don’t know what is a volunteer workcamp and you want to learn more and how to apply, read this information http://cvs-bg.org/workcamps/?lang=en

For further questions contact our placement officer Boryana Nikolova at placement@cvs-bg.org

 

 Posted by Mira at 16:17 Volunteer activities, Volunteer news Comments Off on Weekly Selection: Workcmaps in Slovakia and Slovenia
 

This week the weekly selection of workcamps  is focused on projects which work with refugees, because although the refugee week is finished (June 20th is the World Refugee Day),  we should not forget that topic.

If you haven’t found your camp, you can browse and choose through more than 600 other workcamps at www.workcamps.info

Also, if you want to learn more about workcamps and how to apply, read this information http://cvs-bg.org/workcamps/?lang=en

For further questions contact our placement officer Boryana Nikolova at placement@cvs-bg.org

Weekly Camp Selection – 24.06.2013

 Posted by Mira at 10:05 Volunteer activities, Volunteer news Comments Off on Weekly Workcamp Selection: Volunteer activities with refugees
 
Camp Photo

Camp code: BG-CVS 6.2:

Country: Bulgaria
Start Date: 21 Jul 2013
End Date: 03 Aug 2013
Topic: 6: Environment
Number of volunteers: 8
Free places last update: 2013-06-13
International age: 18 – 99
National age: 16 – 99
Extra Costs: 0.00
Optional Language: English

Description: Vlahi Nature School is a long-term initiative, based on the principles of sustainable living, volunteering and environmental education. Over 7 years of volunteer labour revived the old village school building, using traditional building techniques, combined with modern energy technologies in order to create a demonstration and education centre for sustainable lifestyle practices and interaction with nature. The School features dry composting toilets, rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation, integrating the principles of sustainability and permaculture in the design of the garden and in the house

Type of Work: The camp has two main goals: – build a small artificial lake in the garden of the school(digging the lake, putting insulation, plastering the bottom etc.) – finishing the summer kitchen (work with wood, cutting tools, nails and hammers) – small renovation work It is expected to be hard physical work and will be 6 hours a day. As it is very hot during the day the working schedule will be 4 hours before noon and than 2 hours after a long siesta (i.e. 7.00-11.00 and than from 16.00 -18.00) The schedule will depend on the actual weather. Finally, we will be working in groups and rotating work.

Study Theme: Study Theme: During the workcamp you will have the possibility to learn about biodiversity conservation and energy efficiency. You will be introduced to the traditional building techniques used in the Nature school. There will be workshops and discussions on the following topics: • History of SCI International • Peace education • Intercultural understanding; working in small international teams • What are the environmental issues and main challenges in Bulgaria etc. The facilitators will be experts in the environmental field, peace education and/or intercultural understanding.

Accommodation: Tents in the yard or on the floor in the house. Bring a sleeping bag and sleeping mat. Please bring a tent if you have one. Food will be prepared by you. The kitchen is fully equipped. Food will primarily be vegetarian. The shower is outside, the water is heated by solar collectors. It is possible to take a bath in the river. The toilets are outdoors and composting.

Requirements: Motivated volunteers, ready to live for 14 days in basic conditions and prepared for hard physical work. Bring working gloves, strong boots and working clothes. Please be prepared for the conditions described above. They are part of the sustainability of the Eco-center.

Approximate Location: The village of Vlahi, municipality of Kresna is at the foothills of the Pirin mountains (declared as a National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site) Vlahi village is very small and rural. Only 7 people live permanently there, however many families have summer homes there. It is 500-600 m above sea level and the climate is Continental Mediterranean, which means it is very hot in the summer.

If you want to apply for this workcamp, contact your local SCI Branch. You can check them here>>

 Posted by Mira at 13:12 Volunteer news Comments Off on Workcamp Nature School Vlahi
 
Balkan Map

SAVA working group works mainly with volunteers on Balkan

SCI SAVA working group (more info at www.sciint.org) is calling for volunteers from Balkan organizations to join our MTV (does not stand for Music TV) projects for up to 3 months. Enthusiastic volunteers can apply for one of our 4 projects – in Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria and Croatia. 

In Kosovo you can support GAIA in organizing their summer workcamps and Art in Action project in Plemetina village. With CVS Bulgaria you can spend 2 months volunteering in Eco-center Vlahi, with VCV team – spend 2 months in Novi Sad, working with them on different projects. Finally, you can choose volunteering in Kuterevo Bear Refuge in Croatia for up to 3 months, joining their environmental summer programs and working with their international team. More information about each of the projects can be found in the document attached.

All interested volunteers from the Balkans, regardless of age (but still 18+), experience, underwear colour and so forth, can apply to these projects by filling in the application form which should be sent to savawg@yahoo.com (subject: SAVA MTV application) as soon as possible and before 20th of April.

Volunteers should read descriptions and apply for only one of the projects. Besides that, volunteers should:

  • come from the Balkans
  • be at least 18 years young
  • be willing to spend one, two or three months in challenging volunteering projects in the Balkan region
  • should be supported by SCI branch or partner from the Balkans (please check www.sciint.org)

All costs of volunteering can be covered by the project, although certain contribution by the volunteers is welcome (ie. travel costs, health insurance). For any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us via email to savawg@yahoo.com.

Looking forward to receiving your applications,

SAVA MTV crew

PS. MTV stands for Mid-term volunteering 🙂

 Posted by Mira at 13:38 Volunteer activities Comments Off on Volunteering on the Balkans – Kosovo, Bulgaria, Serbia and Croatia are waiting for you
 

The autumn is quite here and in the beginning of the weekend we suggest we dream about volunteering. And specifically long-term volunteering. Your work is dull and unexciting or you feel tired, or may be you just finished school or university, you need to change something – what about volunteering? Take a look at the Vacancies’ List with Long-term volunteering positions around the world. If you find your project, contact Natalie at longterm@cvs-bg.org.

Note that some of the projects are European Voluntary Service (EVS). In EVS the accommodation, food and activity costs are covered and 90 % of the travel costs are reimbursed. The other type of projects the so-called LTV projects have specific financing conditions for each project which are described in the file. To participate in a LTV project you have to pay administrative fee to CVS Bulgaria of 150 lv. and the volunteer covers their own travel and visa expenses. There is a specific form to be filled in for LTV projects, which you can find attached below.

In case you have more questions or you want to apply, don’t hesitate to contact Natalia.

Application Form-LTV-2011-12

SCI_Vacancies_List_-_November_2012

 

 Posted by Mira at 16:40 Volunteer news Comments Off on Long-term volunteer. Why not?!
 

At this year’s CVS General Assembly in May there was a decision taken all of the members to meet more often. Therefore we kindly invite you to the Cooperation for Voluntary Service CVS – Bulgaria General Assembly, which will be held on November 25th at 10:00 in our office (Sofia, 30 Gurgulyat Str., fl. 1 –http://www.bgmaps.com/link/075498D80F7D376D195EE9F9DEC0E19B).

All full and associated members are invited to take part in the Assembly. Note that the associated members have the right of only advisatory vote. The aim of the GA is to have the members discussing the plan of action for 2013 and the strategic development of the organziation.

The GA will have the following agenda:
  1. Plan of action for 2013
  2. Questions and issues for ICM 2013 (SCI International Comitee Meeting)
  3. CVS strategic development 2013-2017
  4. Development of www.dobrovolec.bg
  5. Removal of the associated membership
  6. Recruiting of new members through privilliges
  7. Change of the CVS – Bulgaria name to SCI Bulgaria
  8. Update on the working groups set up during the GA in May
  9. Editorial changes to the CVS Statute
  10. Others

Members who want to suggest a topic to the agenda, should do that via email (office@cvs-bg.org with cc to cvs.mira@gmail.com) or at the venue.

Everyone who has been an associated member for period longer than year and a half can apply to become full member and thus having a decisive vote in GA. The candidates should send short cover letter to office@cvs-bg.org (with cc to cvs.mira@gmail.com) no later than 18.11.2012. It’s crucial to attend the GA to present your application personally.

The documents for the GA will be at disposal to all of the members in the CVS office no later than a week before the GA.

We wish you a great week and see you soon!

The Steering Board of CVS – Bulgaria

 

 Posted by Mira at 09:13 Comments Off on Invite for General Assembly November 25th
 

It smells like autumn and cooked paprika! You are welcome in the village of Vlahi where will be cooking true luitenica with no E-s and coservants. The dates are September 22nd and 23rd. Let’s cook on the fire, prepare the paprika, eggplant and the ingredients while enjoying the autumn sun! We will bake bread and smear lots of delicious luitenica!

Please bring matts and sleeping bags, because we don’t have beds yet. In the village there is no store, so prepare food in advance!

Everybody is welcome as long as they are involved in the process of making luitenica!

The event in facebook – https://www.facebook.com/events/205310142933869/

 

 Posted by Mira at 14:14 Comments Off on Let’s make luitenica in Vlahi – September 22-23
 

 

September came and with it arrived the updated Vacancies List with Long-term Volunteering Positions in SCI. From the link below you can download the list, take a long look at it and check if there you can find YOUR project. If yes, write to Natalia Zhivkova at longterm@cvs-bg.org.

Note that some of the projects are European Voluntary Service (EVS). In EVS the accommodation, food and activity costs are covered and 90 % of the travel costs are reimbursed. The other type of projects the so-called LTV projects have specific financing conditions for each project which are described in the file. To participate in a LTV project you have to pay administrative fee to CVS Bulgaria of 150 lv. and the volunteer covers their own travel and visa expenses. There is a specific form to be filled in for LTV projects, which you can find attached below.

In case you have more questions or you want to apply, don’t hesitate to contact Natalia.

Application Form-LTV-2011-12

SCI_LTV_Vacancies_List_September_2012

 Posted by Mira at 12:41 Comments Off on Long term Volunteering Positions in SCI – September 2012
 
Тhis year SCI-Germany started cooperation with a new contact in Kyrghyzstan, ADAC (parents of disabled). Below is interesting feedback of the coordinator of the first international workcamp that they organised with SCI Saadat:

IMG_0559The summer work camp in Kyrgyzstan was a big success! Thanks to all management team and SCI and national APDC volunteers we organized the huge summer activity for kids and parents of APDC in Issyk-Kul! That was really hard to make fundraising… A lot of potential sponsors refused to help us because that project did not look sustainable. So, despite all these refusals we could find sponsors who trusted our ideas!

We were really excited to be the very first hosting organization in Central Asia for SCI volunteers! That was really great experience for all of us! My future plan is to enhance cooperation APDC and SCI in other Central Asian countries!

IMG_0704

That was interesting experiment to do such international work camp in KG. Both SCI and national APDC volunteers were so helpful, they were working all the time: playing, preparing concerts and swimming with all kids. Despite the kids had disabilities that was very easy to find common language for all of them! At the same time, they communicated with all parents, also helping them to do their stuff. Thanks to our psychologist volunteers and campleaders we were able to make a schedule for camp and every one was involved into working process.

During our work camp there were psychological consultations for parents. Our 2 psychologist volunteers were helding 1 hour sessions almost everyday. As it’s supposed, that would help to parents to handle that stress and other kind of worries about their child`s disability.

That was 1 consultation for parents with experienced lawyer. She is from APDC staff and that was important for our parents to get an advice from lawyer who had a practical skills in disability sphere.

The first 2 days SCI and APDC volunteers were on preparation seminar on dissability which was given very briefly. After seminar we went to Issyk-Kul to participate in our work camp. We held our camp in rehabilitation center for children. As I said, all days were full of activities! There was no time to take a rest!
Also you can visit our web site www.kelechek.kg and find schedule, more detailded information

The children were actively socializing with all participants and parents as well. Also we helped the kids to be prepared for new school year! All our activities within this camp were like a lesson for our future initatives!

IMG_0625 IMG_0611 IMG_0674

And I started planning a new work camp for kids with special needs. This time the main component of camp would be home-based training. And I really looking forward to meeting new SCI and our kyrgyz volunteers in our new camp!

hope for our future cooperation!
Good luck!
Saadat

More pictures here.

 Posted by Mira at 12:03 Comments Off on Very first SCI workcamp in Kyrgyzstan