Volunteering is a great way to help local communities, whether at home or abroad, while developing new skills and becoming friends.
The European Voluntary Service (ESS) offers opportunities to volunteer in other countries in Europe or around the world. All young people between the ages of 18 and 30 can participate. It’s not paid, but it covers all expenses.
Do you look ready and are willing to do between 2 and 12 months of volunteering abroad? If yes, read on:
To go abroad with the European Voluntary Service, start by figuring out which projects are actively looking for volunteers in the volunteer database. If you don’t find a project that meets your interests, you’ll need to find a shipping organization. If you don’t know of any, you can search here:
- Your country’s national agency.
- Your REGIONAL RESOURCE Centre LEAP, only for projects in Eastern Europe and caucasus, South-Eastern Europe and euro-Mediterranean region.
- The database of accredited organizations.Your shipping organization will help you develop your project and find a position that meets your interests and can accommodate you for as long as you have available. It may not be easy, but you persevere and you’ll see how it’s worth it.
Next steps
Finding a project is just the beginning. Before you go on your new adventure you have to make a lot of preparations.
- Contact associations of former volunteers. They can give you an idea of how a project is developed, what you can expect and how to prepare you better.
- Learn about the mandatory procedures, both in your country and in the project: visa, residence permit, health insurance, etc.
- Attends previous training. It’s a good opportunity to meet future teammates.
- Collect information about your destination country. The more you know about where you’re going, the better.
European Voluntary Service
An SVE project is a partnership between two or more promoters that are responsible for selecting volunteers for your project.
Volunteers participate in theVE through a shipping organization in the country where they live and a host organization that welcomes and hosts them during the mission.
The projects last between 2 and 12 months, and as a volunteer you can work in many fields: culture, youth, sports, children, cultural heritage, arts, animal welfare, environment, development cooperation, etc. At the end of your SVE service period you will be issued a certificate confirming your participation and describing your project: the “Youthpass”.
You will receive free accommodation and food, insurance and pocket money. You may have to pay a small contribution to travel expenses.
