Blue for : the sky, the lakes and the sea, as well as the loyalty
Black for : the past oppression, the colour of the native land
White for : the fight for liberty, the virtue, the quest of happiness
It appears as the flag of a students association from the Tartu’s University since 1881. Quickly linked with estonian nationalism, it is utilised as national flag since the independance announcement in 1918. At the end of the World War II, Estonia is occupied again and annexed, this time by USSR. Officially, it was choosen as national flag a few time after the independance re-establishment on the 20th of August 1991(only 16 years ago!) when the Soviet regime parcelled out.
Here is a few words of Estonian, to help you trying to become familiar with this language a little bit strange with two infinitives and 14 declensions and which haven’t the same roots as French or English. In fact, it looks like a mix of Hungarian and Finn (so nothing that we know).
For anyone who would like to have a virtual walk in the Estonian Capital Tallinn, it’s now possible ! Click on the picture, then select “virtual tour”, and you will can move the little men on the map. Click also on the pictures (up and on the right from the border to have some panoramic views of different places in the city. Don’t miss the webcam which is well done too. It is the best we can do to show you how it is like! And for those who weren’t still satisfied, there also are 150 pictures of the city online.
Would you like to learn more about our projet? Ok, let’s go then!
It is a volunteering project in a nature reserve in Estonia called Rebala. This reserve is located on the northern coast of Estonia in about 20 kilometers East from the capital : Tallinn. It is managed by the Jõelätme (name of a little village) municipality. Inside of this reserve protected since the 10th of February 1998 by a national decree, can be found 300 archeological sites. The aims of the reserve are protecting so far as they can this historical sites, the surrounding environment, as well as welcoming visitors indeed the reserve is open to general public. In order to make easier the discover of this place, there is also a little museum there which displays some archeological vestiges among others.
Our volunteering project will consist then in taking part in daily work which enable the care and animation of the reserve, that is to say for example doing some physical work (creating paths, helping in the archeological excavations), helping to make the heritage inventory, holding the museum or welcoming and guiding visitors. In case of bad weather, we probably will do some indoor activities such as promoting the reserve by creating brochures or updating the website.
But all are only some ideas of actions we could do, just to give you a little idea of what is waiting for us. In fact, Rebala nature reserve, keep certainly a lot of surprises !
If you would to learn some more, you can refer our project descriptive (in english) on the database of the European Union at this adress.
Estonia is bordered in the north by the Gulf of Finland, in the east by Russia, in the south by Latvia and in the west by the Baltic Sea. Estonia owns 1 520 litle islands ; the two widest, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, divide the Riga’s Gulf from the Baltic Sea.
It is a land of low plains and hills, scattered with numerous lakes and watercourses. The average altitude is about 50 meters, the peak of the country is only 318 meters high. The rocky coastline is about 3 794 km long. The marshes and the lakes cover about 25% of territory. The two most important lakes are Peïpous lake on the oriental border and Võrts-Järv in the southern center of the country, which both represent almost four fifth of the whole lake surface.
The climate is continental type, tempered with seaborne influences. The rainfalls are moderated with an average pluviometry which varies from 500 to 700 milimeters a year.
WHY AN EVS ?
First of all, you maybe wonder how this idea of a european volunteering service occurs? All began of a talk with a friend from Amélie ’s class (thank you Anne-Gaëlle) who had realized a european volunteering service in Slovakia the past year. This idea really interested Amélie, that’s why she suggested proposed it to Jonathan. We already both feel like going foreign at the end of our studies and we were studying different possibilities to realise this desire. The idea of a departure as volunteers in Europe was really attractive. Amélie’s sister had also heard a broadcasting on the radio about it and which specifies that the programme was looking for new volunteers.
OUR METHOD ?
After asking for information, especially to Anne-Gaëlle, who was happy to share her experience with us, we decided to thrust this adventure. From March to July, we often refer to the projects in the database from the European Union.
We had chosen to concentrate especially in projects directly linked with our studies that is to say in the tourism, heritage and environment fields.
But it is only in July that we really change up. We reached our regional structure in France (to know the contact of your department go on this site ) which give us more information about european volunteering service and the method to follow.
Then, we sent numerous covering letters in english or in the language of the country when we knew it in all over Europe, in the structures which proposed projects related with our main interests. After, it is time to wait a positive answer. The structures sometimes answer a little bit late but never become discouraged ! At the beginning we received a lot of negative answers because the structures often already have a volunteer or because they could only host one of us. In addition, it is not easy to find a common project for a couple because one of the objectives of the european volonteering service is to encourage cultural meetings. As a result, people who come from different countries and who don’t know each other at the beginning have priority.
Although it may daunt sometimes, you must persevere ! One day, the positive answer will come.
Our positive answer finally came in October, after a phone call to one structure which haven’t answer yet : a nature reserve in Estonia. The director had been interested by our application and was ready to accept both of us.
Only once the project found, the approach become quickly, meeting with our regional coordinator in France, exchanging emails with the estonian structure, making a lot of administrative work to set up our application dossier. And then you had to wait for a definitive positive answer : in fact the dossier is examined before by numerous commissions.
WHY ESTONIA ?
First, we both rather be interested by a change of scene. We both already have traveled different european countries, and it appears us exciting to leave and discover together a country that none of us really knew. Then we discovered our predecessor’s blog which feels like a lot going there.
A LAST PIECE OF ADVICE ?
Keep in mind : Getting a european volunteering service takes a long time : about 6 months minimum from the seeking and the departure, but the only thing to succeed is motivation. Then if you have the will, don’t hesitate, come on !
Here is a satellite view from here we are located. You can click on to see the map more detailed and zoom in on the parts that interest you the most for example the old town of Tallinn.
WHAT ? The European Volunteering Service is an european programme for young people that enables them to do a volunteering activity in an european country except their original country and in different fields such as health, communication, environment, art and culture, education, social, europe awareness, etc… The spendings due to the travel, the accomodation, the food, the insurance and the training (in language of the country for example) are payed by European Union. A part of the worktime is reserved to developp own projects, the volunteer can then received other aids from European Union to carry through them. This experience gives also a chance to Europeans of meeting each others.
WHEN ? This programme has been created in 1996, its 10th birthday is celebrated this year !
WHO ? Every young people from 18 to 26 years old can enjoy it : 4000 volunteers take part in it each year. Every project is created with a close partnership between the structure in an other european country that will host the volunteer during his project, the regional structure in your original country, and the volunteer himself.
HOW LONG ? A short time volunteering period can take from 3 weeks to 6 months. A long time volunteering period can take from 6 to 12 months. At the end of his EVS, the volunteer receives a diploma of skills and experiences he gained during his project. This diploma is delivered by the European Commission.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ? You can refer to the following websites :
Here is a little movie to present the capital of Estonia : Tallinn which is located on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. It will enable you to have some pictures in mind of this european capital that we know too little in spite of the efforts made there to promote it especially international-wide. With its 450 000 inhabitants, Tallinn is the main harbour of the country too.
Plunge a few moments in its historical neighbourood which is included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and look up to its more modern buildings. Also a few insights of local customs, of way of life, of gastronomy, etc… So, doesn’t it enamor you?
