You want a avolunteer from Europe

You are a Moldovan NGO: you want a volunteer from Europe

                          You are a Moldovan   association or non-governmental organization and maybe you have
                          heard that it is possible to host a foreign volunteer in your organization, who will help you
                          with specific tasks you wil have designed for him/her.
                       Here is some information on the EVS (European Voluntary Service) program and on what it means for your organization to host an EVS volunteer.

What can a European volunteer bring to your organization?

You may ask yourself the question “why should I need a European volunteer”? There are multiple advantages to hosting a foreign volunteer!

First, European volunteers can bring a wealth of experiences, skills, competencies and ideas as they come with different backgrounds and had different opportunities than those usually offered in Moldova. According to your organizational needs, you may request an EVS that has more competencies in social work or in culture or in administration and we will do our best to recruit someone who will best match your requirements.

EVS volunteers usually come with knowledge of foreign languages, usually English and also their mother tongue, which is a resource you should not hesitate to tap into. Of course, as per the EVS programme rules, EVS volunteers are committed to learn in an intensive way either Moldovan or Russian for a better and quicker integration to your organization.

On top of that, EVS volunteers bring fresh ideas, new opinions, a way to think “out of the box” which can only be beneficial to the development of your organization. Beyond volunteerism, you can bond with a volunteer like a friend and exchange ideas and life experience.

What do you have to provide to the EVS?

Depending on the type of work your organization is active in, you should provide the volunteer with a computer and a desk if you want him/her to do office work; or with a formal or non-formal training if you want the volunteer to do social work or animation activities with your beneficiaries.

In any case, you should provide the EVS volunteer with a dedicated mentor/tutor in your organization, a resource person who can answer questions and guide the volunteer during his/her placement in your organization.

Please keep in mind that volunteering in your organization should also be a valuable experience for the volunteer him/herself and that the volunteer should LEARN from working in your organization, should it even be through informal or non-formal education (“learning by doing”). As such, the work experience is a strong motivation for most of our volunteers so it is very important that you give them tasks to do and discuss their workload with them. We know by experience that EVS often complain that they are not given enough tasks to do at work: please try not to treat them as guests but as young people who are eager to learn from you!

What does it cost you to host a volunteer?

Nothing! All the necessary arrangements (accommodation, food, insurance, city orientation, monthly pocket money) are covered by the European Program “Youth in Action” and managed by ICCD.

Will my organization receive money to host an EVS volunteer?

No. All the expenses related to the voluntary placement of the young European (accommodation, food, transport…) are paid by the European programme “Youth in Action”. Therefore, having a volunteer in your organization is at no cost for you and that is why your organization will not be provided with money to host the volunteer.

Specific dispositions for associations in Gagauzia and Transnistria:

ICCD is eager to work with organizations from Gagauzia and Transnistria and to place volunteers in these regions for a mutually beneficial experience of the volunteer and of your organization. In this case, if your organization is located in one of these regions and that you choose to provide accommodation to the volunteer, ICCD is ready to transfer you the money budgeted by the European Commission for accommodation. Your organization will then be responsible for managing these funds.

What do you need to do to request for an EVS volunteer?

Now that you are interested in hosting a European volunteer, please send us an email or contact us at the numbers below and we will define together what are your needs in terms of volunteer, what tasks will the volunteer perform, for how long and all other practical arrangements. You can also get in contact with us for any other specific questions you would have.

Please notice that there 4 deadlines in the year to recruit EVS volunteers, (1st February, 1st April, 1st June,1st September and 1st November) and it usually takes 5 months to process the application of the volunteer.
Therefore they may be up to a three month delay between the moment you request for an EVS volunteer and the moment the volunteer actually comes to work in your organization. Please contact us in advance if you know you will need a European volunteer for a specific period or event.

                                                                       Contact address of ICCD

                                                                             Str. Miorita 3/2, 148
                                                                         Chisinau, 2028, Moldova
                                                                      Phone/Fax: +373 22 731402
                                                                        evs@civildiplomacy.org
                                                                        www.civildiplomacy.org
                                                                        www.evsmoldova.org