…about the projects
Ø
What is an
international volunteer project?
Ø
what about food and
accommodation?
…about applying
Ø
how are volunteers
selected?
Ø
who
else will be in my group?
Ø
am I too young/too old
to go?
Ø
what if I don’t
speak any other languages?
Ø
do I need any skills
or experience?
Ø
can people with disabilities apply?
Ø
how does the placement process work?
Ø
how
long will it take to apply?
Ø
can I do more
than one project?
…about preparing
Ø
how do I get to
the project?
Ø
is
there anything else I need to prepare?
Ø What is an international volunteer project?
An IVP is a short
term project (sometimes known as a workcamp), usually lasting from 2-4 weeks,
that brings together a group of volunteers from around the world to take part
in a community based project. Volunteers gain an insight into local culture
though working within the community.
The type of work you
do could be anything from planting trees in Tanzania to organising activities
for youth groups in Turkey; from renovating castles in the Czech republic to
maintaining national parks or clearing beaches in Italy. Projects fall into the following general
categories:
–
Environmental
–
Construction
–
Renovation
–
Archaeology
–
Working with children/youth groups
–
Cultural
–
Festivals
–
Teaching
–
Study
Volunteers have many different reasons for wanting to take part in an
IVP, and often, after you’ve come back, you’ll
find even more things you’ve gained from your project that you
weren’t expecting to before you went.
If you’re looking for a new challenge, want to meet people from all over the
world, learn about other cultures, broaden your horizons, learn new skills, ,
or do something more meaningful with your 2-week summer holiday than just being
a normal tourist, then maybe an IVP is what you’re
looking for…
You can do a project
at any time of the year, although most of the projects take place between June
and September. Projects run between set
dates and are usually between 2 and 4 weeks long.
Main Programme
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Canada
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Greenland
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Japan
Latvia
Lithuania
Macedonia
Montenegro
Nepal
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Serbia
Slovenia
Slovakia
South Korea
Spain
Turkey
Ukraine
USA
Wales
North South Programme
Bangladesh
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Cambodia
Ecuador
Ghana
Guatemala
India
Indonesia
Kenya
Lesotho
Malawi
Malaysia
Mexico
Mongolia
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Philipines
South Africa
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Ø
who organises the
projects?
Each project is
organised by one of our international partner organisations. They work in co-operation with local
community organisations, who act as the project hosts, providing food and
accommodation for the volunteers.
Our partner
organisations are responsible for co-ordinating the placement of volunteers and
the co-ordination of the projects in their own countries. They also provide one or two trained project
leaders, who will help run each project.
Ø
what about food and
accommodation?
Food and
accommodation for the duration of the project are provided free of charge by
the host organisation (unless it is stated otherwise in the project description).
Volunteers are usually self-catering and money is provided for you to buy and
cook food together. It’s a good idea to take some recipes with you, because you
might be asked to cook a traditional dish from your home country, but bear in
mind that you might not be able to get hold of all the ingredients you need, or
have the ideal cooking facilities (so Sunday roast for 15 people might be a
little ambitious!)
The type of
accommodation varies but generally you’ll be staying in tents, local schools, village halls,
hostels or youth centres. On virtually
all projects you will need one essential item – a sleeping bag. Sometimes no
beds or mattresses are available and you’ll be asked to bring a carry-mat
to sleep on. You should be prepared for
very basic living conditions in some cases, especially on a North South
project.
Ø
will I have any free
time?
Yes, you will usually
work up to eight hours a day with free evenings and weekends. Social activities
are often organised by the group together with the project leaders. It can be a good idea to have some
suggestions of different games or other activities that you could play with
your group in your spare time.
Ø
how are volunteers
selected?
As a rule volunteers
are not ‘chosen’. Each partner
organisation places as wide a range of nationalities as possible on each of its
projects. Therefore your chance of being placed on your first choice of project
will depend on when you apply and the number of remaining places. We will
always look for an alternative project if your choices are not available. We
encourage volunteers to do a project alone to maximise the experience and to
allow group life to develop easily without sub-groups forming. However, we can
place a maximum of two British volunteers together on the same project.
Ø
who
else will be in my group?
Each project has a
mix of volunteers from many countries, and there can be between 5 and 30 volunteers
in total, depending on the project. The average age range of volunteers is
usually (but not always) between 18 and 25. On certain projects, many of the
volunteers are nationals of the host country. On most projects there will be
one or two project leaders who live and
work with the group and are usually volunteers themselves. They are chosen and
trained by our partner organisations, so are often nationals of the host
country. The leaders depend on the full participation of each volunteer, so it
is the responsibility of the whole group to ensure the project’s success.
Ø
am I too young/too
old to go?
Although the minimum
age for participation in most countries is 18, there are an increasing number
of projects open to 14 to 17 year olds. There is usually no maximum age limit.
Some projects do have a maximum age, often due to the funding they receive.
However, we have regular volunteers who are in their 40s, 50s or 60s. As long
as you are happy living in a group then there is nothing stopping you.
Ø
what
if I don’t speak any other languages?
Speaking other
languages always helps when travelling but volunteers come from all over the
world, so there will be many different languages spoken. The official language
on most projects is English and you will not be refused a place because you do
not speak the language of that country unless this is stated as a specific
requirement. We advise you to have conversational language skills if you
are applying for projects in certain countries (Spain, Morocco, Mexico, etc.).
Some projects may ask for volunteers who can speak the local language. Any
language requirements are stated and underlined in the project description.
We always recommend that you learn some basic vocabulary wherever you go, at
least some greetings and to explain that you don’t speak the language. You will get much more out of a project if
you make some effort to learn even a little of the local language first.
Ø
do I need any skills
or experience?
No! Much more
important are enthusiasm, a sense of humour, and a flexible, open-minded
attitude. You do not necessarily have to have any experience of the type of
work you will be doing, but you should be motivated for it. Some projects may
ask for volunteers with a particular skill, for example a language. This will
be written in the project description so you will know if the project is
suitable before you apply.
Ø
can
people with disabilities apply?
We believe that anyone can
volunteer. If you have special needs, we will try to find a project that can
accommodate this. Obviously each project is different and each volunteer is
different so each case is looked at individually
Ø how do I get involved?
To join a project
overseas you need to choose one from our latest project list or our website.
The website will contain the most up-to-date information about project availability,
but if you would like to receive a paper copy please contact us. Once you have chosen which projects you are
interested in, send us an application form (see the apply page) accompanied by
the appropriate fee and we will start the placement process.
Please
see the apply page for more information on the application process.
Ø
how
does the placement process
work?
Once we receive your
application and the fee we will contact the appropriate partner organisation
asking them to confirm a place for you. We will go through your choices in
order of preference. We do our best to place you on your first choices but this
is not always possible and sometimes we have to discuss alternative choices
with you. Once we have an answer, we will let you know which project you are
placed on. You will then receive detailed final information written by the
hosting organisation to help you prepare, at least 2 weeks before your project
starts.
Ø how long will it take to apply?
We will usually be
able to let you know whether you are accepted on a project or not within one or
two weeks, but in some cases it can take longer. It is a good idea to apply as
soon as possible, as many projects (especially in Spain, France, Italy and
Greece) become full quickly.
Ø
can I do more than
one project?
Yes! As long as you
can find projects that fit together you can apply for as many as you like in as
many countries as you like. You will need to pay a placement fee for each
project. It is good idea to leave a few days free between projects to give
yourself time for travel or recuperation.
Ø what about training?
For most projects in
Europe and North America you do not need to attend any special training or
preparation course. However, before applying for a project in Sub-Saharan
Africa, Asia (except Japan and South Korea) or South / Central America it is
essential to join a North South Orientation weekend (see page … for more
information). There are four North South trainings a year, usually in February,
April, July and November.
Ø
how much does it all
cost?
You must pay a
placement fee to UNA Exchange at the application stage (this fee is listed
alongside the name of the country). For
2005, the fee for projects on our main programme (Europe, North America, Japan
and South Korea) is £110 for members of UNA Exchange, £130 for
non-members. The fee for North South
projects (South and Central America, South and South East Asia, and Africa) is
£120 for members and £140 for non-members. The fee for members/non-members for
a particular country is given next to the country title in the final section of
this booklet. The annual fee for membership of UNA Exchange is £10 (students
and unwaged) and £15 (waged). You can
join UNA Exchange as a member at the same time as you apply. There is an
application form for membership at the back of this booklet.
You are responsible
for your travel costs, to and from the project, insurance and other personal
expenses. Some projects require an
additional project fee that is payable on application or to the host
organisation on arrival (pay special attention to projects marked +F in the programme). Food and
accommodation are provided free of charge for the duration of the project.
We will not be able to proceed with an application
unless it is accompanied by the appropriate fee, so please send it with your
application.
In some cases we are
able to waive the placement fee. You should contact us before making the
application if you have particular difficulties in paying. This applies to
families on low wages and people who are on long-term benefit. We will only
waive the fee for projects in North and Western Europe. Please send an
explanation letter and a copy of a relevant social security document to confirm
your financial status. While we recognise that they may have financial
difficulties too, we are unable to waive fees for students or those taking GAP
years.
The table below gives
some estimates of the total cost of doing a project. They are divided into lowest and highest case
scenarios. The majority of volunteers will require £250-£400 to participate in
a project.
|
Item |
Minimum £ |
Maximum £ |
|
UNA Exchange membership fee |
10.00 (unwaged) |
15.00 (waged) |
|
Placement |
110.00 (Main Programme |
140.00 (North South Project – |
|
Training |
0 (Main Programme) |
40.00 (North South Programme |
|
Additional |
0 |
200.00 |
|
Insurance |
20.00 |
50.00 |
|
Visas |
0 |
50.00 |
|
Transport/Travel |
50.00 |
500.00 |
|
Spending |
50.00 |
100.00 |
|
Total |
£240.00 |
£1,080.00 |
Ø where does my money go?
The placement fee you
pay to UNA Exchange covers administration, promotion of our volunteer
programmes, and helps to run our programme of projects in Wales. A percentage
of all placement fees is donated to a Solidarity Fund managed by the
Co-ordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS), part of
UNESCO. This fund supports the participation of volunteers from Eastern and
Southern countries who would otherwise be unable to participate in projects
overseas. We try to keep the fees as low as possible, but we rely on this
income to support our work.
Ø
how do I get to the
project?
Once you’ve been accepted on a
project it is your responsibility to make all your own travel arrangements for
getting there. It is a good idea to make the relevant travel enquiries as early
as possible, to avoid a panic at the last minute as well as a higher priced
ticket! If you are applying for projects further afield, it is advisable to
call a travel agency before you apply to get an idea of the cost and
availability of flights. However, don’t book anything until
you’ve been accepted on a
project incase the project is full!
Final details
(meeting point, address, etc.) of projects are sometimes slow to arrive. If you
plan to travel by air, it is advisable to book once you have confirmation of
acceptance from UNA Exchange. For rail travel we recommend the highly flexible
Inter-Rail ticket. For booking flights we recommend the friendly and reliable North South Travel who invest their
profits in overseas development projects.
There are also many good deals with budget airlines flying to many
European destinations available on the internet. Coach travel is usually still
the cheapest method and Eurolines, booked through National Express have
extensive coach networks throughout Europe.
Ø
do I need a visa?
For volunteering
outside the UK you will need a passport, which should be valid for six months
after you intend to return to the UK. Some countries also require you to have a
visa before you arrive. Approach the Embassy or Consulate of the country/ies
where you will be going for information regarding visa requirements before you
travel. We recommend that you obtain all the necessary visas before you leave.
We recommend you call the relevant embassies or visit www.embassyhomepage.com
as soon as you know you are going to a country that may require a visa. Don’t forget that some embassies can require a long time to
process visa applications, so make sure you don’t leave it too late!
Through our partner
organisations we can issue you with an invitation letter if required. When you
apply for a visa, remember that you are not going to work as a paid employee,
you will be a volunteer and have the same status as any other tourist.
Ø
what
about insurance?
Some of our partner
organisations provide various forms of insurance (usually only accident,
sickness and third party) for the duration of the project. However, these
policies are often only intended to complement other policies. They do not
cover you off the project or for theft, delay, or your rucksack being sent to
Vladivostok. Many partner organisations do not provide insurance for volunteers,
so you must take out your own insurance. Information on insurance is given in
the final project details, sent to you after you have applied for a project.
UNA Exchange
stipulates that all volunteers must have their own travel and health insurance. This can easily be
obtained as part of an overall package from the travel agent. This should
insure you against baggage loss, travel cancellations and any health problems
during and outside of the project. If you are attending a project within the
EU, you must obtain an E111 form from your local Post Office. NB: UNA Exchange cannot be liable for any
problems arising from accidents, illness, theft, loss of personal items or
cancelled/delayed travel.
Ø what should I take?
This will depend on
where it is that you go to do a project.
Some things that would be good to take include:
–
Sleeping bag
–
Hard-wearing, old clothes for working in
–
Strong footwear/hiking boots
–
Waterproof coat
–
Something smart to wear
–
Recipes, games, songs, photos and postcards from where
you live
–
Notebook and pen to record everyone’s addresses at the
end of your project
–
Good sense of humour and an open mind!
Check your project
info sheet for any other items you will need specific to your project.
For your peace of mind we advise
that you don’t take personal
valuables.
Ø
is
there anything else I need to prepare?
It is good to learn
about a country’s
history, culture, society and language before you go. Guidebooks are very
useful, particularly Lonely Planet or Rough Guides. You should check if you
require any vaccinations for the country you are going to. Make sure your
tetanus vaccination is up to date, wherever you are going.