The Refugee Project: Integration in Action 2

Call for EVS volunteers

(Italian, Catalan/ Spanish and Hungarian candidates)

In 2010 we started a very ambitious initiative – to create a space where people could meet people regardless of their background and current vulnerable situation. The Refugee project is a space where thousands of volunteers every year open their heart to asylum seekers in Bulgaria and give them a warm welcome through activities and quality spent time together. The project is managed by volunteer coordinators from CVS-Bulgaria and Caritas Sofia. Every year EVS volunteers join this team and make a difference by being part of this crazy, vibrant and hardworking crew.
The Refugee Project Brochure

About the EVS project 

Check out this dream EVS project below and if you are a volunteer from Italy, Catalunya/Spain or Hungary, do not hesitate to apply! We promise it is worth it!

 “The Refugee Project: Integration in Action 2” is a partnership between CVS-Bulgaria, SCI Italy and SCI Hungary (Utilapu Halozat).The project starts at the beginning of 2017 and  aims at joining efforts of three EVS volunteers, who in one year term will work towards the integration of refugees through organized educational activities in the reception centers and outdoors, promoting volunteering and its power to encourage active citizenship while integrating vulnerable groups and promoting active empowerment and inclusion of refugees. The projects supports the core initiative of the organization: The Refugee Project (www.refugeeproject.eu), which is implemented in partnership with Caritas Sofia since 2011 and  gathers local volunteers who organize variety of lessons and workshops for the asylum seekers and refugees in the main reception centers in Sofia – Ovcha Kupel, Voenna Rampa and Vrazhdebna, as well as excursions and different events.

Dates: 1.03.2017– 1.03.2018
Venue: Sofia, Bulgaria (some of the activities may require travelling within Bulgaria)
Working language of the activities: English, Bulgarian
Contact person: Katerina Stoyanova
Contact email: cvs.katerina@gmail.com
Project theme: Building bridges campaign, Antiracism, Antifascism, refugees, ethnic minorities, refugees/asylum seekers
Number of vacancies: 3 (Italy, Catalunya/Spain, Hungary)
Work starts: 1^st March. 2017
Work ends: 1^st March. 2018

Aim of the project

The aim of the project is to support and optimize the activities of The Refugee project and to promote the topic among the Bulgarian society.

Tasks of the volunteers

We are looking for three highly motivated volunteers for a 12 month EVS program who would be working in the framework of The Refugee Project in Sofia, Bulgaria: www.refugeeproject.eu

The  EVS volunteers will be busy with different activities, which are an integral part of the success of The Refugee Project initiative: Supporting the coordinators of The Refugee Project in implementing the volunteer management cycle:-recruitment, training, coordination, support and evaluation

-participation in the daily coordination and upgrading of the activities in the reception centers in Sofia.
As part of the project every volunteer will have specific tasks, which will contribute to the main aim of the EVS project and the specific goals:

VOLUNTEER 1 

Volunteer Academy: workcamp with refugees

• Supporting and leading the excursions working group within The Refugee Project
• Organizing regular volunteer meetings for team building and knowledge sharing within The Refugee Project
• Organizing Tolerance workshops (The Tolerance project) in schools, which will aim at raising awareness on topics such as: refugees, human rights, hate speech etc.
• Organizing CVS-UNI workshops for knowledge sharing among volunteers on different topics and inviting migrants, asylum seekers and refugees to take part.

VOLUNTEER 2

• Helping in updating the website content of The Refugee project
• Publishing website content connected with the topic of the project on the website of the organization
• Updating the interactive map for organization working with refugees in Bulgaria
• Organizing an international volunteer workcamp in a refugee center outside of Sofia

VOLUNTEER 3

• Supporting and leading the fundraising/events working group within The Refugee Project
• Increasing the presence of the project in the Social media/online promotion/info bulletin
• Supporting the Communication officer in working with the social media of the organization
• Supporting the organization of Volunteering circles (series of events dedicated to promote volunteering as an instrument for active participation and youth empowerment, EVS promotion, supporting of vulnerable groups, breaking stereotypes and building a positive image of the target group of the project etc. Involving migrants, asylum seekers and refugees to take part.

During the year of this exciting voluntary service the volunteers will be supported by CVS-Bulgaria, its staff and volunteers. They  will be part of a dynamic and amicable team of co-workers in the office of CVS-Bulgaria and will have the opportunity to be included in the ongoing events and tasks, concerning the overall work of the organization, will join the other EVS volunteers in their project activities and will participate in the process of planning the activities in CVS-Bulgaria.

Personal project

Volunteering circles: Human Library on Migration

Each volunteer will have the opportunity to develop its own personal project, while the volunteers will be introduced to already existing partnerships the organization has – Vlahi Nature School, Concordia Foundation, Sofia International Film Festival, Caritas Sofia, UNHCR, Bulgarian Red Cross, The Council for Refugee women, Multi Kulti Collective, Sate Agency for Refugees. They will have the chance to involve them in the development of their personal project which will definitely enrich their experiences and help them develop key competences.

Profile of the participants

An interest and some experience (or strong motivation to work) with asylum seekers is essential. Strong motivation to learn Bulgarian or basic knowledge of the Bulgarian language is an advantage. Volunteers are required to be flexible, independent and responsible, with good social and organizational skills. Most welcome will be candidates with strong self driven and self initiative personalities, creative spirit and open mindedness, ready to develop a great project within the framework of the suggested EVS program.

Practicalities 

The Refugee Project: Picnic at Pancherevo Lake, Sofia

Food: Provided money allocations for food every month
Accommodation: Provided – a room in a shared apartment; all utilities and Internet are covered
Pocket money: 70 EUR (per month)
Insurance: Provided (standard EVS CIGNA health insurance)
Phone: Phone and monthly plan covered in order to fulfill the project tasks
Transport: Monthly public transport card
Bulgarian language course: Provided
Support: Personal support will be provided by individual mentor; task related support will be provided by the coordinator/supervisor and other staff members of the organisation.

If you think this is your dream EVS project, please send at cvs.katerina@gmail.com:

– your CV

– motivation letter (mentioning the position/s/ you apply for and explaining the reasons why you would like to be a volunteer in this specific project and what skills/experience you think would add merit to your application.)

Deadline for applications: 20^th January 2017.  All shortlisted candidates will be invited for a skype interview. Final decision will be made by  15th  February 2017.

For any further questions, please contact us at cvs.kterina@gmail.com

Information about CVS-Bulgaria

CVS-Bulgaria is a non-governmental organisation that has been working in the field of international volunteer exchange since 1998 and was officially registered in 2002 as an organisation working in public benefit. CVS-Bulgaria is a branch of the international peace and volunteer-exchange network of Service Civil International (SCI – www.sci.ngo) and a full member of South Eastern European Youth Network (SEEYN – www.seeyn.org).

CVS-Bulgaria aims to promote the values of volunteer work through organizing variety of voluntary activities; to motivate young people to be active and participate in volunteer actions – thus taking part in the development of the civil society; to promote and support intercultural understanding and solidarity, social justice and environment preservation.

Main activities of CVS-Bulgaria are: organizing short- and long term volunteer projects, youth exchanges, trainings, hosting and sending volunteers for projects in public benefit in Bulgaria, Europe and the world, as well as working in partnership with other NGOs on local and international level to promote volunteering as a tool for active citizenship.

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