The European Solidarity Corps (2018-2020) is the European Union's program to promote solidarity by involving
organizations and young people in solidarity activities that address societal challenges,
improve young people's competences, promote social inclusion and strengthen European values.
European Association "World-Our Home" has received the European Solidarity Quality Label for the period of time 2021-2027.
The program is open to:
Young people between the ages of 18 and 30 who are registered in the European Solidarity Corps database;
A legal entity (NGOs, companies, social enterprises, local governments and their institutions, state institutions, informal youth groups, etc.) that already works or wants to work for the benefit of society and has received the Quality Label.
European Association “World-Our Home” works with Volunteering projects. Our accreditation number is 2021-1-LV02-ESC50-003788. We are hosting, coordinating and sending organization.
Volunteering is individual or group activities for the benefit of the local community carried out by young people aged between 18 and 30, including young people with disabilities with the support of the host organization.
The aim of volunteering is: to promote solidarity as a value; to help to address the challenges facing to the local community; to improve volunteers’ competencies.
Individual Volunteering:
The work of an individual volunteer lasts 30 - 38 hours per week. A volunteer works from 2 to 12 months in one of the European countries.
Group Volunteering:
Volunteering projects are from 2 weeks to 2 months, carried out simultaneously by a group of 10 to 40 volunteers together, including the involvement of young people with fewer opportunities.
If you want to be a volunteer, please contact us for possible volunteering vacancies in the organization.
European Association “World-Our Home” coordinates the projects in 3 organizations in Rezekne, Latvia.
Hosting place: European Association “World-Our Home” office
The volunteers help the staff of the Association to fulfill their daily tasks, also the volunteers can realize their own ideas in order to aid in the provision of information for Rezekne young people in the field of European awareness and Active European Citizenship.The Association works a lot with international projects, and it is interested in volunteers who can help in the daily work of Association, as also to develop new contacts with European organizations in order to strengthen relations between Rezekne and Latgale region inhabitants and people from other European countries. This project will give the volunteers new knowledge and practical experience in their future professional work. During the project the participants will have the opportunity to develop their team-work skills, communication abilities, to learn how to manage conflicts and take responsibility, to show initiative, to improve creativity, to work in the multicultural environment.
The volunteers work at the European Association "World-Our Home" from Monday to Friday, from 11:00 till 18:00 in order to support the staff in their daily work. The general activities include helping with preparation and running of courses, seminars, meetings, cultural and youth events within the organization and also maintaining a basic service to inform young people who visit EA WHO about volunteering projects in partner-organizations.
The main common task of the volunteers will be to interact with Rezekne society, to share information about their own national culture, to exchange views about European culture, previous experiences in youth and cultural work and to learn some new things from each other. The volunteers will be trained and will work on administrative issues linked to WOH youth exchanges and voluntary service programmes, for example, public relations, quality assurance, project management, financial management, networking and partnership building, presentations at schools and local communities, etc. The volunteers' learning process in the above fields will be supported by on-the-job training whenever needed, structured and informal discussions as well as regular planning and sum-up meetings.
Volunteers also help to develop the official Website of WOH by collecting some information and pictures about international projects, seminars, trainings and workshops, about volunteering projects, sharing opinions about their projects, life and experience in Latvia.
Volunteers lead language workshops in different places in Rezekne, like schools, youth or social centers.
Volunteers usually help to organize local youth camps, sport activities, cultural events for young people and children.
Hosting place: Pre-School “Namiņš”
Volunteers who work in Pre-School “Namiņš” have the possibility to gain practical and professional skills (for instance, they will learn Latvian and Russian languages, practice PC skills), as well as social skills (communication, intercultural learning). The volunteers get to know both theoretical and practical principles how to work with children. They learn alternative ways of communication and being patient. The volunteers get to know special education methods that are used for children education, and they learn how to approach and take care of kids and how Latvian education system works.The volunteers are supposed to work under the guidance of our special education teacher and to cooperate with our educational assistants and other staff-members. The volunteers participate in all daily activities.
Typical activities are as following: self-help training, talking with children, language lessons, music, dance, sport, "locomotor" games, fine motor skills training, communication, help for children in a swimming-pool.
The volunteers are supposed to participate in the following activities: assisting the teacher during the workshops, support activities related to meals serving, preparation of lessons and educational tools.
Everyday activities: helping children to change clothes after their arrival to pre-school, before and after walk in the garden, going to a swimming pool, going for a walk and swimming in a pool with children, strengthening of self-help activities, hygienic and eating habits of children, music lessons, development of children's music perception; giving English lessons through games; development of the motor skills, assistance to children while working with toys, puzzles, educational tools, assistance to children during working with non-traditional materials, development of children communication skills, work with children in a swimming pool, preparation of exhibitions of paintings and drawings made by children, participation in events organized by the pre-school.
According to the wish of the volunteers, they will be offered to organize common intercultural activities in the coordinating organization in order to interact with Rezekne society and youth, share information about their own cultures, exchange their views on different traditions, experiences and learn new things from each other.
Hosting place: Rezekne Pensioner Social Health Care Center
The centre requires four volunteers who will be included in two different activities: 1. in Centre for Social and Health Care which hosts 200 residents per year, and also there is a group of disabled young people consisting of 20 persons; 2. in Pensioners’ Day Care centre where the volunteers will work with active pensioners who are attending the center for different day activities.In the Pensioner center the volunteers can help social workers in the daily life with old people, they can create different games and activities for them.
The volunteers work on week days between 9am and midday and between 1pm to 5pm. Sometimes the timetable will be changed according to different events and celebrations organized in the centre, for example, working in the evening or during the weekend, to accompany residents on excursions, to arrange birthday celebrations or national celebrations, etc.
In the Pensioners' Day Care centre the volunteers are involved into animation activities of the centre, as well as leading discussions, workshops or preparing celebrations, and they will have to stimulate the most isolated people to integrate within the group. The main tasks will be as following: organizing art workshops such as painting, drawing, handicraft; gentle fitness activities or sport games; playing music; making decorations for parties; doing some handicraft; providing language lessons and some games using non-formal educational methods.
Typical activities in the Center for Social and Health Care: the volunteers will be considered as members of the team and will take an active part in work meetings and discussion groups. They will be a company for the pensioners by talking and listening to them, reading books, playing and organizing games, going for a walk and also talking to the people who are very ill, especially those who cannot leave their beds or reading them newspapers to keep them connected to the reality of the world they live in.
They will also be in charge of organizing and developing new social and cultural activities inside and outside the centre such as games, cultural events and visits, art and craft workshops. The centre is open to any suggestions which the volunteers may bring from their own previous experiences or for the implementation of new ideas.
The volunteers will have a continuous aid during their voluntary project. The volunteers will learn through day to day activities and have the support of a tutor in these activities and a mentor who will help with other issues such as accommodation, money, problems or adaptation to the community. These people are also responsible for providing any changes that the volunteers might need, and they will meet on a regular basis.
To sum up, this experience will provide young Europeans with the opportunity to discover life in another country, it will also allow the residents to experience different cultures in an enthusiastic way and to promote European awareness.
See our Projects
Latvian participants can see our NEWS
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06/11/2024
Hi! My name is Olya and today I want to share my story! At the beginning of October 2024 I finished my European Solidarity Corps volunteering […]
30/10/2024
European Association “World-Our Home” participated in the “European Solidarity Corps” annual event “Evaluation event for quality label organizations” which was organized on 25th-26th October in Ādaži, […]
21/10/2024
European Association “World-Our Home” / Pasaule mūsu mājas, Rēzekne invites all interested people, especially young people, to visit our EURODESK Information Center, your gateway to opportunities […]