Be A Partner!

Your organization is developing a project in public benefit but you need help… Bulgarian and international volunteers are ready to help you realize your project. Become a project-partner and organize an international voluntary workcamp!

Who can be a partner?

A partner for an international workcamp can be each institution, non-governmental organization or a company which would like to organize a project in benefit of the public. By saying “in public benefit” we mean all projects which will help developing the local community and its social groups. Activities which are in the private interest of individuals or companies are not considered as “activities in public-benefit”. For example if you would like to repair the roof of your house and you would like to engage some international volunteers CVS will not be able to help you. On the other hand, if you would like to work together with volunteers to repair the roof of the local school building then CVS is the right partner for you.

Something important which you should know is that volunteers are not “labour for free”; paid personnel cannot be substituted by volunteers. In other words – if you would like the help of volunteers you should carefully chose the activities which are suitable for them. Do not expect volunteers to be experts in the specific are of the activities. We suggest you to use paid personnel for specialized and hard work.photo of volunteers
Here are some possible activities in which you can engage volunteer work:

  • Physical work (cleaning, restoration work, construction activities, developing a board/sign and different materials, ecological activities)
  • Organizational work (planning, coordinating, realising, promoting, gathering and distributing of materials, gaining public support for a project or an important social problem)
  • Social work (organizing activities with disadvantaged children and people)
  • Educational activities (organizing activities with school students, non-formal language education, green schools, etc.)
Benefits for you

If you become a partner for an international workcamp you will be able to:

  1. Realize your idea in favour of the community
  2. Implement your project with good quality
  3. Meet (and present to society) different cultures, culinary traditions and ways of living
  4. Experience an unforgettable summer with a lot of emotions and good mood
  5. Unify society resources and talents for realizing something good and important which will make everybody feel proud of it.
Conditions

When organizing an international workcamp the partner needs to appoint a coordinator who will be responsible for the volunteers. The coordinator will describe and distribute the tasks, will prepare (and update if necessary) the working schedule, will take care of the accommodation, food, spare time and the study part for the volunteers.

CVS Bulgaria for its part appoints a coordinator of the volunteers whose responsibility it is to ensure good communication between the Partner (host of the workcamp) and the volunteers, as well as good group dynamics.

The workcamp has to be organized at least 4 months before the starting date. This is extremely important because of the recruitment of international volunteers and their travel arrangements (including visa formalities if necessary).

In the given deadline the Partner should state the final number of volunteers, the timeframe for the workcamp (usually from ten days up to 3 weeks), the location of the workcamp and information regarding the following (click each topic for a description):

Partner Requirements

Accommodation

To be provided by the Partner (host of the workcamp). The accommodation can be either in a building (indoor) or in tents (outdoor). The basic necessity has to be provided – shower availability, space for gatherings (common room or space), the possibility to do at least hand washing and stretching.

Food

To be provided by the Partner (host of the workcamp). If the volunteers are provided with a daily or a weekly budget, a cooker and the needed things for cooking, they can cook for themselves. The Partner can organize the food (in a canteen or with a cook).

Work

All materials and tools needed for the work activities should be provided by the Partner. The work activities as well as the working schedule should be planned and organized in advance. The duration of a working day is max. six (6) hours. It is extremely important for the motivation of the volunteers to make sure there is enough work for every day. For this reason Partners should plan the number of the volunteers needed very carefully. It is not recommended to follow the motto “Let’s have as many volunteers as possible, we will think later on what to do with them.”

Study (information) part

The study part can be organized as an evening lecture or workshop, or can be as part of the work or a trip in the free time. The aim is to give the chance to volunteers to learn something useful, something connected to the work of the Partner or the specific project, something about an important social problem or a good practice.

Safety

The Partner is responsible for the safe working conditions. If any tools and/or electrical equipment are going to be used during the work then the volunteers should receive a proper training for secure and safe work. If any special clothes for the work are required those should be provided by the Partner or it has to be mentioned in advance so that the volunteers can bring anything necessary with them.


The Partner should prepare a document with information for the volunteers (the so called infosheet) at least two (2) months prior to the workcamp. This infosheet says where the workcamp will take place, describes the type of work which will be done, gives information regarding the working schedule and the spare time. It also describes when and how volunteers should get to the workcamp place and provides the contacts of the Partner.

Financing a workcamp

CVS Bulgaria does not charge Partners for the recruitment of volunteers. The Partner is responsible for the accommodation and food for the volunteers as well as for the materials needed for the work. All travel and visa expenses connected to the arrival and departure of volunteers are not part of the Partner’s responsibilities. All expenses for the daily transportation from the accommodation place to the workplace and back are to be covered by the Partner.

Examples

To encourage you to become a Partner for an international workcamp we would like to introduce to you some of our previous partners. You will see that it is not necessary to be a big organization or to be located in a big city:

Association „Dobarsko ”

Association „Dobarsko”, village of Dobarsko (a small village on the foot of the Rila Mountain), Razlog manucipality, has been a Partner for international workcamps already twice. The first workcamp was on an archeological topic – the volunteers have uncovered an ancient oven and a variety of objects from the antiquity.

The Manuciplity of Garvan
Foundation „School for Nature“, village of Vlahi