The Refugee Project: Integration in Action

Sep 022015

Call for EVS volunteers

(Italian and Polish candidates)

In 2010 we started a very ambitious initiative – to create a space where people will meet people regardless of their background and current vulnerable situation. The Refugee project is this space where thousands of volunteers every year open their heart for asylum seekers in Bulgaria and give them a warm welcome through activities and nicely 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 difference by being part of this crazy, vibrant and hardworking crew.

This autumn we are also looking for two highly motivated volunteers for 12 month EVS program who would be working in the framework of The Refugee Project in Sofia, Bulgaria: www.refugeeproject.eu

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

Dates: 15.10.2015 – 15.10.2016

Venue: Sofia, Bulgaria

Working language of the activities: English, Bulgarian

Contact person: Katerina Stoyanova
Contact email: cvs.katerina@gmail.com
Project theme: Antiracism, Antifascism, refugees, ethnic minorities, refugees/asylum seekers
Number of vacancies: 1 (Italy) and 1 (Poland)
Work starts: 15^th Oct. 2015
Work ends: 15^h Oct. 2016

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

VOLUNTEER 1(Poland)

Supporting the coordinators of The Refugee Project in implementing the volunteer management cycle: recruitment, training, coordination, support and evaluation
Upgrading the daily activities in the refugee centres
Support the working groups in the project: fundraising and events/excursions

VOLUNTEER 2(Italy)

Organizing events which contribute to breaking stereotypes and building a positive image of the target group
Increasing knowledge and information about refugees and asylum seekers among the local community;
Creating an interactive map for organization working with refugees in Bulgaria
Increasing the presence of the project in the Social media/online promotion

During the year of this exciting voluntary service the volunteers will also have the task to organize and coordinate work camps, workshops and activities related to the main project topic. The volunteers will be supported by CVS – Bulgaria, its staff and volunteers. He /she 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.

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.

Food: Provided money allocations for food every month
Accommodation: Provided – a room in a shared apartment; all utilities and Internet are covered
Pocket money: 65 EUR (per month)
Insurance: Provided (standard EVS insurance)
Phone: Phone and monthly plan covered in order to fulfil the project tasks
Transport: Monthly public transport card
Bulgarian language courses: Provided
Fees: None

If you think this is your dream EVS project, please send:

– your CV

– motivation letter (explaining the reasons why you would like to be a volunteer in this specific project)

to evs@sci-italia.it (for Italian volunteers) and agnieszka@jedenswiat.org.pl (for Polish volunteers)

Deadline for applications: 10^th September 2015.

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.sciint.org) 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 organising 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: organising short- and longterm 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.

Since 2003 CVS-Bulgaria has been sending, hosting and coordinating EVS volunteers. For those 12 years we have been working with more than 90 longterm and shorterm EVS volunteers.