As ex-volunteers (which is now the status that we have to accept), we have been asked by the national agency for volunteering, to participate in on-arrival trainings for people who have recently arrived in Estonia. Some might remember the article we wrote about us going to Pärnu, this time it was deep in the forest, about 16 kilometers from the main road, in the region of Kõrvemaa. The name is usually associated to vast landscapes of wetlands (as in Soomaa), but this time we stayed in the woods and though it was pooring rain, we joined the other volunteers on a hike.
Though we were very wet, a bit cold, and have been devored by mozquitos, we were relieved when we finally discussed different topics around a table, after a nice warm tee. Our fourty five minutes presentation lasted two hours in the end but trainers and volunteers seemed interested and asked quite a few questions.
It was also the occasion for us to meet new volunteers, from different horizons, trainers which we hope we will meet again, and surprise the few volunteers we knew already during their on-arrival training.
At the end of last week, we were invited by the National Agency Euroopa Noored, to give a presentation during an On arrival training near Pärnu. How great it was for us to go to a second On arrival training, these things usually happen only once in your life. There were about 10 volunteers from different countries and they were a very good group. We had been asked to give hints on how to mix with the local community during an EVS.
We therefore gave an account of our own experiences but also discussed several questions about volunteering.
The two days we spent enabled us to meet new people with whom we hope to keep contact, especially with a few volunteers who live in Tallinn.
Last Tuesday, only a few days after our arrival in Tallinn, we were invited to come to a workshop day organised by Euroopa Noored, the National Agency for volunteering in Estonia. Of course, we went, always ready to discover new things, a new place we didn’t no and to meet other people who, like us, liked the idea of volunteering. All of the discussions and debates were in estonian and it could have been close to impossible for us to participate at all, if everybody had not been so kind as to change language so we could understand and interact in the discussions at our table. We liked it so much that we stayed almost all day.
We ate with a very nice brazilian girl, who had been studying in Estonia for 5 years. Her estonian was almost perfect, a good hope for us who have been “only” here nine months and have had time to forget half of it during the few months we were in France.
The day was also marked by the meeting with the famous Indrek Pelterson… What? You do not know him? But of course, the famous judo estonian sportsman which won medals in the Olympic Games. For french people, he would be the estonian David Douillet, an adversary that Indrek Pelterson admitted never to have won against. This judo man had come to speak about how the mind could influence events around you and how it was important to have clear objectives to be successfull. Out of sixty or so people, he picked on Amelie and I of course and soon it became a dialog. I am not sure how interesting it was for all the other people in the room to know “how do you see yourself in ten or twenty years from now?” but it was something to remember for us.
After that, seeing the estonian minister of education giving out prizes for the best projects in 2007, didn’t seem such a big deal. Ok, maybe it’s because we were not chosen, though we were nominated, as four other projects, in the cultural category. A prize would really have made our day !
Recently, we’ve been giving a couple of presentations about our experience as volunteers in Estonia. We went back to the highschool where we had learnt estonian and given a tourism course, and spoke with some young people in their lastg year of highschool about volunteering. It was more to give them ideas rather than to convince them to stop their studies to volunteer, but planting these ideas early, can be useful for them one day. If they want to take a break or want to feel useful, or even try working in a domain which they’ve wanted to try, they can turn to the EVS program, or talk about it to their friends. Actually, that’s how most of the volunteers we’ve met got the information about this opportunity, including us !
We also went in a local school, in the nearby village of kostivere, a few minutes by bicycle (a little more riding in the snow). They were having a “citizen day” where they talked about being a citizen and what could be done to change things. We told about what we did here in Estonia, but we had them work in small groups, to discuss what they could do themselves to find solutions to problems near them. the answers were pretty good, especially one group which said they wanted to find a solution to bring more young people to a place where they can meet. They had the room and even some money already, but nobody was coming… we all tried to see what they could do about it. At least it got them thinking about it. Volunteering was proposed as only one of the aspects of being an “active” citizen, as opposed to a regular citizen. Being “active” is not about saving the world right now, but make little changes which make everybody’s life better.
Just after the Viljandi Folk Music Festival, we met with six other people , two trainers (Piret which we had had before and Margus, a sportive but nice trainer) and four other volunteers (Thomas from France, Simon from Germany, Lee from Portugal and Louice from Sweeden), with whom we spent 5 days for our mid-term training, halfway through our volunteering.
Our training took place in Kopra Talu, a great setting in a wooden ancient farmhouse, surrounded by forests and near a small pond. The activities were quite nice, a little too much philosophical discussions but it was still important to think about our experience here in Estonia.
The volunteers and trainers team was very friendly and we had a great time all together.
We really enjoyed the good food from the place, made a nice barbecue with original but delicious sausages (half wild pig meat, half goat meat). We went to the sauna, as usual, but this time with a refreshing swim in the pound just after.
So, we were not bored at all, we even made an excursion in an estonian national park called Soomaa all together, but an other article will talk more about that later.
Remember our weekend on Kihnu island… This report was realised during these few days between volunteers, thanks to the estonian association called Maailmakodanik , which mixes previous estonian volunteers who came back in their country after their EVS abroad, and some actual foreigners volunteers in Estonia, like both of us for example. This association regularly organizes some meetings and helps us to discover some places in Estonia hard to find by ourselves, everytime in a good mood.
Here are some interviews from different volunteers got together in this small report. Unfortunately we had to shorten it a little bit, to put it online. But we really hope that we will use the integral version to talk about the EVS program when we come back to France, in schools or youth organizations.
Last weekend, we went on a three day trip thanks to the association Maailmakodanik which had organized everything for us on Kihnu, a small island off the shore from Parnü. We all slept in a great campsite litteraly on the beach. There were 20 of us : a mixture a volunteers from all over europe and around, plus some estonians who were ex-volunteers and were part of this association. It was a great group with lots of good conversations and common experiences which helped us surpass the language differences.
We also met with some of the people from Haapsalu (Archil and Sario).
We played games, ate good camping-food and took advantage of the nice weather to explore the island with a local inhabitant ( still wearing the traditional costume as many of the people of this island) Some of us even had a little swim in the baltic sea. A good way to cool off !
On the trip back, everyone seemed tired, but happy to have spent some time together. As says the song on the movie clip, “it’s always better when we’re together “!
We’ve just come back from four wonderful days spent in Haapsalu, on the west coast of Estonia. It was an on-arrival training, to discuss and share ideas, points of views about the European Volunteering Service, but also discover a new part of Estonia and make new friends. All these objectives were met we think, and we have a little better idea on “how big is your EVS ?” the first question we had to answer.
There were only 5 of us, a very small group for a training, but which was a great opportunity to get to know each other quickly and better than if there had been 20 of us. Appart from Amelie and I from France, there was an Latvian girl, and an Italian and Georgian guy. Our two trainers were “authentic” Estonians and very good embassadors of their country (as well as for the values of the EVS)
We had a great time and met a German volunteer who lives and works at present in Haapsalu. We had a wondeful meal in a restaurant all together and she then showed us around town…
We’ll tell you more about it in other articles, especially about an Island Called Vormsi which we also discovered during these 4 days.
So keep checking the blog, there’s more to come soon !
The “Youth in action program” which covers the 2007-2013 period, replaces at present the “European Youth programm”, which Amelie and I are probably the last to benefit from. This change in title does not fundamentaly change the previous programm but is a way to show the evolutions of european mesures. For example, the new programm is now open to people from 13 to 30 years old (when previously it was only accessible to people between the ages 15 to 25). It also offers a larger selection of countries, enlarging the destinations to countries neighbouring Europe, promoting youth initiatives towards the construction of Europe. About 915 million euros have been dedicated to this programm in which the “european volunteering service”, “youth exchanges”, and “youth for the world” are part of. We discovered all of this during our training near Bordeaux. Important information for us for we might be interested in some of these actions during or after our european volunteering service.
“Euralp has for mission the development of international exchange, training, advice and research to encourage a better knowledge of the different european cultures”, this is how the association which is sending us presents itself. Created in 1992 (after the Olympic Games), its offices are located in Albertville. In a small discreet office, near the train station, two people work at informing young people on the different european programms.
From the 12th to the 16th February, we followed a special training to prepare us for our volunteering, in Villandraut, near Bordeaux. This seminar, was aimed that answering our questions about the volunteering period as well as allowing us to meet previous volunteers. We had the opportunity to meet the regional director of the Youth and Sports state departement, who presented the new programm in which European Volunteering Service will now be part of (since January 2007).
Out of 23 volonteers present, most people headed towards the south-east part of Europe (picture above). The training took place in a relaxed atmosphere, with games, debates, songs, etc… All of which were accompanied by delicious meals prepared by Gilles, the cook.
After these 5 days of meeting all the other volunteers in France, Amelie and I, had the impression of having already started our volunteering service. Not easy to put ourselves into the wait-until-the-end-of-March mode !
Hopefully this was for us the occasion of promoting our blog as well as to make contacts with very nice and interesting people with whome we are keeping in close contact (by email) which helps us patient until we leave.
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.
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 !
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 :
