Promotion of Volunteering

Since October 2007 I have been a long term volunteer for SVIT. My project is called promotion of volunteering. To describe my project and what I do is a little bit difficult since it is different each month, but I will tell you about the main parts.

The first three months was full of seminars and trainings. It started with on arrival training and then I had the opportunity to take part in the strategic planning for SVIT, last year’s evaluation of workcamps, antiracism seminar and fundraising training. I even had the opportunity to be in the prep team for two international events. “Discover Join and Act” - international festival about human rights, antiracism, social inclusion and volunteering; and “Hosting projects- what can we do?” - training on finding and preparing hosting partners to host long term volunteers.

The beginning of 2008 have I mostly spent in Artemovsk. It has given me the chance to look for funding for the gender workcamp, study more about long-term volunteering, human rights and informal training, and also given me the chance to run a few projects here in Artemovsk. Every Thursday since the end of 2007 a group of young people eager to practice their English gather at the local library in Artemovsk. For each week, Linda (another EVS volunteer) and I prepare a new discussion topic, game, exercise or role play. I have also started a Peace Club at the local pedagogical college. We talk, play and learn about communication, cultures, conflict resolution, democracy, gender roles and our own opportunities to make the world better. To make shore that all participants understand, Katya comes to every session to help with translation. A few times I have also helped Linda with Eco-school.

In spring I will more actively start promoting volunteering. I will visit universities in Kharkiv and Donetsk and inform the students about the opportunity to go to workcamps abroad. I will also be in charge of placing the volunteers from abroad that wants to participate in a workcamp in Ukraine.

Being a long-term volunteer for SVIT is not all about work. It is also an opportunity to discover a new country and their culture. While traveling in Ukraine for seminars and meetings I have had the opportunity to discover the incredible Ukrainian hospitality. I’ve tasted homemade Ukrainian food and I have even learned to make my own borsch.

The time with SVIT has given me a lot of opportunities to learn and experience new things. It feels like I’m getting a lot more than I give.