Project – UNITY

Action type: Volunteering teams in high priority areas, European Solidarity Corps

Partners involved: Italy, Jordan, Turkyie, Spain, Romania

Volunteers: 12/country from which 2/country with fewer opportunities

Topics: childhood games and Giant Doll House activities for refugees/immigrant/displace  children and youth

Dates: 1^st July – 8^th August 2024

Duration: 37 days + 2 travel days

Facebook: Voluntariat pentru Comunitate

Learning methods and activities

The activities proposed in this project have the broader effect of fostering and strengthening the solidarity in communities that are dealing with influx of refugees and to foster and support the social inclusion of children/ youth that are refugees and/or displaced.

The connection between the activities and the objectives of the project:

• the 7 days training course at the beginning of the mobilities will help prepare volunteers for their tasks, but also for their follow-up plan in their sending communities.
• themobilities will provide measures for empower refugee children and youth for their meaningful participation in the resettlement country.
• The activities of WP 4 will bolster the capacity among partners to support children and youth experiencing this dual transitional process.

Main methods used:

• GDH Method and Exhibitions will help enhance receiving communities understanding of the impact of forced displacement and resettlement on children and youth with the consideration to the fact that they are negotiating these challenges while at the same time navigating developmental challenges like any other child or youngster. At the same time this method of casual craft (making, tinkering, using your hands and everyday materials) has proven a great success (see their website for all statistic and testimonies). Thinking through craft and making has resonated with a wide range of participants that took part in this project, encouraging us to choose this method over others, while using mundane easily reachable materials, further implementing it in our EQUIP plan. Description of the method can be found here: https://giantdollshouse.org/making
• The EQUIP plan – small, rapidly set-up projects aimed at helping creating more stable conditions in the longer-term while fostering social cohesion (according to UNHCR). Following a community-based needs assessments each consortium partner can replicate  the knowledge gain through this project in regards to using EQUIP already tested ideas and twitch them to suite the realities of their target groups.  In WP 4 EQUIP will be presented to all partners, from the need analysis, to the process of choose and up to implementing an EQUIP. We will use “Quick Impact Projects – A provisional guide” developed by UNHCR, identifying for each partner one of the 3 main areas of work: Development Assistance for the Refugees (DAR), Development through Local Integration (DLI), Framework for Repatriation, Reintegration, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (4R) based on their area of expertize and available resources. Description at: https://www.unhcr.org/partners/guides/41174ce94/quick-impact-projects-qips-provisional-guide.html

Through the activities we will facilitate for the refugees children/youth:

• Access to peer-to-peer support, both through the refugees ESC volunteers
• Access to leisure activities that provide culturally sensitive and familiar environment
• Social interaction with children and youth of their age from their resettlement community
• Availability of language assistance tailored for children and youth
• Avoidance of using children and youth to translate for other members and therefore lacking in actual involvement in the activity
• Capacity building activities in the communities
• Awareness raising activities targeting receiving community members on the strengths and capabilities of , as well as the challenges faced by refugee children and youth
• Creation of a network that can beyond the timeline of the project can generate opportunities for refugee children/youth to come together with their peers in the receiving community
• Staff developed initiatives and volunteers developed initiatives through EQUIP

Accompanying  Activities (further described in section  Project Management)

– Monitoring & Evaluation: will play a key-role throughout the project entailing the wide promotion of the project according to high-quality indicators;

– Dissemination (all participants through their record and network): is key to the success of this project and therefore will be promoted throughout its duration. For this specific activity a set of results will be produced, including (i) Branding of the Project: design of logo, brochure and promotional materials to be distributed via Online and Offline channels; (ii) 30 Tik-Tok’s; (iii) Promotional videos of the project (to be launched at the Local GDH Exhibitions); (iv) Communication actions: including mailing, press releases, articles and attendance in events not organized by the consortium.

– Exploitation:  Will set the ground for the outreach of the project results.

Timeline of the project

Volunteers profile

• Aged between 18-30 years old
• Resident in partner’s country
• Good communication in English, minimum B2
• Motivated to participate in the project
• Be open-minded, motivated and ready to share ideas in the frame of the project
• Flexible for accommodation and working in difficult environments
• Experience of working with children and disadvantaged groups
• Having a Europass CV and a tailored motivation letter for our project
• Able to disseminate the results according to the project requirements

!!! Fewer opportunities candidates will represent an priority in the selection process

Learning outcomes

5 main competences will be tackled by each activity:

• Self-awareness: Self-awareness is the thinking skill that focuses on a child’s ability to accurately judge their own performance and behaviour and to respond appropriately to different social situations. Self-Awareness helps an individual to tune into their feelings, as well as to the behaviours and feelings of others
• Self-management: Self-management refers to the ability of a person to regulate their own activity with little or no intervention with others. This will include staying on task even when distractions are present and making good choices in terms of actions and behaviour.
• Responsible decision making: Responsible decision making involves being able to demonstrate making a reasoned decision that considers the views of various stakeholders (other people) with a clear rationale behind the decision-making process. This may involve seeking the views of others or experts.
• Relationship skills: Relationship skills refers to the skills, tools, knowledge and understanding to create, communicate, evolve, grow, trust and maintain a relationship. This involves being able to work effectively with a broad range of individuals from different backgrounds
• Social awareness: Social awareness is the ability to know and feel the people around you and the ability to interact with them in the most efficient and proper manner. This includes being to empathise with various viewpoints and consider how your own actions may be interpreted by others.

How to prepare

• Prepare mentally to focus on the needs of the beneficiaries and not on your own discomfort, that is normal anytime arriving in a new community and living alongside new people
• Attend all preparation meeting and read all documents and information provided by both the sending and hosting association in order to come informed
• Be aware of the European Solidarity Corps philosophy
• Be familiar with the Henner insurance, for EU volunteers also with European Health Card
• Comfortable clothes and shoes according to the summer temperatures in Romania
• Bring any medication you may take regularly or verify in advance with ANTER if the medication you are taking is available in Romania and if you need a prescription for them
• Bring your own laptop/tablet and phone etc to be able to develop the project activities
• Bring some traditional sweets to be shared for the intercultural evening, during the training course in Craiova

Financial aspects

• The volunteer is entitle to travel costs in the maximum amount  accordingto the Distance Band Calculator, such as: Italy: 275 euro, Jordan: 275 euro, Turkyie: 275 euro, Spain: 360 euro.
• The volunteer will receive 6 euros/day for food and 4 euros/day as pocket money. The payment will be done in Romanian currency, by bank transfer or in cash (for non-EU)
• All reimbursements or payments will be made by bank transfer/cash in LEI, Romanian currency, at the rate exchange of the project
• All the costs with accommodation, facilities and related with activities will be covered by the ANTER

Accomodation

The volunteers will be divided into 4 or 5 communities in Romania where is a need of support for children/youth with refugee/immigration/displacement status.

Accommodation will be provided in shared rooms (2 – 5 volunteer/room), same gender/room, with shared bathroom and kitchen. Pictures will be provided before departure with the accommodation location.

Volunteers are required to bring their own towels and other personal items.

Communities description

To be updated

Partner countries

La felca la InSport, doarscos GYE si pus NINAS DEL TUL

Las NiñasdelTul is a cultural association from the city of Granada, Spain, which has been in operation since 2004 thanks to a great team of professionals and volunteers. The people who have passed through our entity and who today make up the Las Niñas del Tulteam, have gone from being participants in volunteering and mobility projects to being organizers and trainers to promote the participation of other people in this type of activities. Our commitment to these programs is so strong that since we started, we haven’t stopped!

Our purpose is to support and help young people, youth workers and groups with diverse profiles to participate in activities and projects, providing them with training and information on forms of active participation, with special attention to the frameworks of the European Union. We are currently working with different programs of the European Commission, such as Erasmus+ youth, European Solidarity Corps, Europe for Citizens and for a few years, we have been a Multiplier point of the European network EURODESK Spain. We also carry out various activities at the local and regional level.

Our entity is a firm defender of European Youth projects, since they are actions that promote education in the non-formal sphere and that allow the people who participate, both directly and indirectly, to grow as individuals. These projects create active, responsible and entrepreneurial people thanks to learning experiences, where they can plan and manage projects, adapt to changes, face risk and acquire problem-solving skills.

Furthermore, we try to debate and work on the main obstacles to the active participation of young people at different levels and to understand the variety of contexts in which young people may have special needs (rural areas, large cities, minorities, young people with fewer opportunities , etc.).

If you have more questions about what we do, you can write to us and we will send you more information!

Ninasdeltul.net

How to register

If you want to register to the project you can complete the application form by clicking HERE (https://forms.gle/BrYaDi6Hm3hNubFp7 ), and be a  from one of the following countries: Italy, Turkyie, Georgia, Spain and Romania either as a citizen or resident. If you are selected, you will further receive more information about your participation in the phases of the project, practical information and next steps.

Team project in hosting community

Organizational aspects

Volunteers will need to register to PASS platform

Volunteers will receive Henner insurance once accepting the volunteering offer in PASS

Volunteers will benefit from local transportation with public transport according to the need for the activities

Volunteers are expected to work 5 days/week, 7 hours/day

Volunteers will begging their stage with a 7 day training course, in Craiova, Romania (1 – 7 July 2024)

Volunteers will receive a Youthpass certificate at the end of the mobility

Volunteers are required to fill the final report issued by the platform at the end of their mobility