Volunteering – a trip abroad

These are the usual expectations of people who travel abroad for job. Some people are content to pick apples or serve guests in a fast-food restaurant. However, if an applicant searches for a job that offers pleasure and satisfaction rather than good earnings, he or she can try volunteer work in a foreign country.

Young people aged between 18 and 30 years can use the European Voluntary Service (EVS). It is financially supported by the European Union, which thereby contributes to the informal education of young people through different projects where they are involved in various activities of various European communities. 

How does it work?

First of all, the applicant must find an accredited organisation and a project (for the list see http://ec.europa.eu/…d/hei_en.cfm). The database contains hundreds of organisations from nearly forty countries. Therefore, there are many options from which to choose. Projects concern the protection of the environment, art, culture and media, work with children, young people and elderly persons, unemployed, immigrants and refugees, protection of cultural heritage or sport and leisure activities.  As the number of applicants for volunteer jobs is equally high, the applicant should choose several projects. Then, he or she must send an information and motivation letter, his or her CV, and a photograph to the selected organisations. The next step is to search for a sending organisation in Slovakia that will take care of the documents, insurance, and other required formalities for the applicant for EVS to travel abroad.  The sending organisation also provides training for the volunteer, which can include e.g. language preparation, purchase of books, or other items that he or she will need. The list of sending organisations in the SR is available at www.eurodesk.sk.

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After the volunteer’s de­parture from his or her home country, the host organisation will ensure accommodation, meals, and pocket money (amount depends on the respective country). Moreover, work on the project under the direction of a supervisor who supervises the volunteer is, of course, provided. Volunteers work 30 to 35 hours per week and are entitled to two consecutive days off and two days of leave per month. The applicant pays no fees for the mediation of or participation in EVS. 

Slovak volunteers in the UK 

Among the organisations offering volunteer work are organisations from the United Kingdom that also employ several Slovaks.
Lucia is twenty-six years old, comes from Košice and decided to travel to the United Kingdom as a volunteer after leaving school. „I did not want to start a serious career yet and considered my options as to how to gain an overview,“ she says. As I wanted to help homeless women, immigrants, and battered wives, she chose Church Army, the Marylebone Project in London. „I work in the Women’s Day Centre and perform many things,“ she described concerning her work. „Starting from administration and reception to various activities such as piano lessons.“ To the question as to how she chose this particular country and the project she answered: „I’d rather say that the project chose me. I only defined my preferences as to what I’d like to do, and I’m very glad to be here because this work is giving so much.“ In her opinion, EVS is a good opportunity for young people to get somewhere without experiences and high financial costs.

Jana, 27 years, from Teplička nad Váhom works for the Avon Tyrrell Activity Centre in New Forrest. The Centre specialises in environmental and outdoor activities. Jana chose it because she wanted to try something new. „I was an accountant, spent a lot of time in the office, and longed badly for outdoor work. I like nature very much, so I started to search in the list of organisations for work that I would like,“ she describes her search for a project. In the Centre she helps to manage activities, but she also works on the maintenance of the surrounding area, in the kitchen or in a souvenir shop. Her other motivation was to learn English and about the country. „My expectations came true. I live in a forest and permanently work outside. My work with the people here has enriched me and my life among the English has allowed me to get to know their culture better. On the other hand, I learnt that an accountant’s work is good as well – when the weather it bad I at least have my feet dry,“ she jokes when evaluating her work as a volunteer. She regards volunteering in a foreign country as good experience. For young people it brings an opportunity to become independent, realise the value of work, but also acquire various skills and experiences for their further development.

An activity for all generations

Although volunteers in Slovakia are mostly young people, in other countries volunteering is also spread among older generations. In particular seniors, who have already terminated their active employment, and who often remain active and do, for example, voluntary work.

One of them is Harriet Longman, a 60 year old volunteer from London, who has spent almost all day in the establishment for seniors and mothers with children Naruc zachrany in Bratislava for four months. She came to Slovakia through the National Volunteer Centre (CARDO) that specialises in the development of volunteer work, also among seniors.

Harriet studies Czech, Slovak and East-European languages at a London university. It is one of reasons why she chose Slovakia as a country where she wanted to work. „In the third year we should attend practical training abroad. I could have stayed in Prague or Bratislava as a student in the framework of the Erasmus Programme, but I preferred to work and talk with people.“ So she approached several Slovak organisations and finally found CARDO. Harriet Longman already had experience in volunteer work before her arrival to Slovakia. „To become a volunteer is nothing unusual in our country,” she says. "I worked on a project in Bosnia for three years. As I wanted to become a viola player all my life, I was giving viola lessons to children who had lost their parents due to war.“ In Slovakia, she was accompanying clients – seniors with reduced mobility. „I like old people,“ she says about her work in the establishment. „Sometimes we only talked together, sometimes we played games, and sometimes I massaged their heads. I felt honoured that they trusted me and knew that they could open their hearts to me. They also felt useful because they taught me how to speak Slovak properly.“

Harriet Longman warmly recommends the volunteer work to people of middle-aged people and seniors. "You can use your pension benefits to travel the world, but to be a tourist is a passive experience. To become a volunteer and work actively is certainly better, she said.

Author: Ivana Brezinská
Photo: Ivana Brezinská

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