Combating racism and discrimination in Amsterdam. Saving turtles in Malta. Working with disabled people in Finland. Running an alternative theatre festival in Macedonia. These disparate experiences have one thing in common: all are projects led the European Voluntary Service (EVS).
Every year, the scheme dispatches young Europeans aged between 18 and 30 to a foreign country for an enriching volunteer experience. Participants can stay abroad from two months to a year to fulfil their goals in helping organisations in need. Different projects require different skills, and volunteers are assigned accordingly. What’s more, some 90 per cent of travel costs, food and accommodation are paid for, and volunteers also receive a small allowance, which makes volunteering much more accessible to those who are interested.
Last year alone, 35 Irish people lent a hand elsewhere in Europe, while 84 people came to Ireland to volunteer in a variety of projects like the Simon Communities (which assist homeless people throughout Ireland) that benefit greatly from this exchange.
In Ireland, the volunteer projects are managed by Léargas on behalf of the Youth in Action Programme of the European Union. Léargas assesses applications received from hosting and sending organisations, organises on-arrival training for incoming volunteers, and is a point of support for organisations and volunteers alike.
In 2010 the NGO provided help to around 100 projects of different sizes in Ireland, while also collating feedback from Irish people volunteering abroad.
“The global word to sum up this experience is ‘challenging’,” says Naoise Byrne of Léargas. “To help people facing this new challenge, a mentor is present to look after each participant, make sure everything is all right in the project, and in daily life.”
While the experience is very rewarding, volunteers often must adapt to a different environment and develop new skills, with all the difficulties involved in that.
“EVS highlights personal learning,” says Des Burke, director of Léargas in Dublin. “[In EVS projects] you have a lot of social skills and language skills added to work experience that is great for someone seeking a job.”
Indeed, volunteering is increasingly seen as an opportunity for people in these times of crisis where finding a job is harder.
“Former volunteers can add something to their CV,” he says. “It adds value and encourages confidence about the things that they’ve done. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish candidates [so volunteering] could make the difference.”
It should be noted that EVS is not the only programme promoted by Léargas. Other programmes like youth initiative and democracy projects seek volunteers throughout the 27 EU member states as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Turkey, Croatia and Mediterranean countries.
Young people are also encouraged to devise shorter-term projects at home and abroad. An example of this could be organising a seminar supported by Léargas.
“Next year we will focus on entrepreneurship,” says Burke, “so people involved in a project will have to do everything: advertising and communications, promoting, asking for money... The goal is to look around and be active, not stay passive.”
