Volunteering

Applicant of the project is ELIX - Conservation Volunteers Greece, www.elix.org.gr

When: from September 2020 to February 2021 (dates are flexible so indicate in your application in case there is any availability restrictions and we will take it into consideration)
Duration: for a duration of 5-6 months

Place: Athens, Greece

Profile of ESC volunteer required:
Young people from 18 to 30 who are ready to move to Greece and are available for a period of 10 months with residence in one of the ESC programme countries.

Each volunteer should possess the following:

• Strong interest in international mobility projects,
• Previous volunteering experience (preferably in workcamps or other volunteering activities) and/or international Youth Exchanges,
• Good understanding of non-formal education and informal learning,
• Adequate computer skills (Internet, Microsoft Office, Google Doc),
• Adequate level of English,
• Embraces the values of sustainability, gender equality and social inclusion.

Once this pre-selection is done, candidates will be invited to a Skype interview, in which we will discuss with them their motivation and their possible personal contribution to this project.

Hosting Organisation:

ELIX is a Greek Non-Governmental Organisation committed to promote active participation in public life and the evolution of individuals as global citizens. Founded in 1987, ELIX has used innovation to support and educate more than 10,000 local agents of change, in Greece and more than 40 other countries around the world.

ELIX realizes international actions of voluntary participation with main targets: the protection of the environment, the preservation of cultural heritage, the promotion of civilization and social service. In order to realize its actions, the organization cooperates with Local Authority Organizations, Government Bodies, Companies, Institutions as well as local environmental and cultural clubs and associations.

ELIX is registered organisation at the list of the First Reception Service (F.R.S) in Greece, also is member of the international network Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organisations since 1991, of the Pan-Hellenic Network of Ecologic Organizations and the Network Volunteerism and Environment.

Through its actions, ELIX:

• Offers young people the possibility to work in a group, to acquire skills, to meet new places and ways of living and become active citizens.
• Offers local societies the opportunity to show the natural and cultural wealth of their area, to come in contact with young people from all around the world, to share with them their customs and habits and also to familiarize with the idea of volunteerism.
• Offers the authorities the opportunity to take advantage, in a creative way, of the voluntary work that is offered to them and at the same time to familiarize with the value of voluntary service.

Partners:
Interested candidates from all programme countries are welcome to apply. Please note that the project does not foresee visa costs.

About the Project:
The activity will be hosted in Athens, in the office of ELIX and the different venues coordinated by ELIX such as its Learning Centers.

The volunteer is responsible for the support of the implementation of activities in ELIX and our partners. Daily tasks will include:

• Organize activities in the youth center of ELIX
• Support the teachers of the "Learning for the Integration Project"
• Teach English lessons for teenage refugees
• Teach computer classes for teenage refugees
• Collect and prepare promotional materials for the volunteering activities that take place in the organization
• Create audiovisual and web content to highlight the activity of the organisation
• Collect reports from the volunteers and publish them on the website
• Support the organisation for local actions, their coordination and implementation
• Be encouraged and trained to develop and implement own ideas,
• Support the daily activities of the office and participate in various actions of ELIX outside the office.
• Updating/ creation of tools related to volunteering and non-formal education projects implemented by ELIX

Each volunteer will be assigned with a tutor, a staff member of the organization, and will have the opportunity to be involved in all the necessary steps of the organization of several activities. This service enables the volunteer to have a significant experience within an organization active in sectors of youth and lifelong learning, acquire new skills, get in touch with volunteers of all ages from Greece and around the world and last but not least live in a multicultural environment.

Volunteers will have the chance to develop his/her organizational skills by being involved in the preparation and implementation of different kinds of activities, improve his/her sense of responsibility and initiative towards the tasks undertaken, work in a team in a highly multicultural environment, meet different people and cultures.
Besides that, he/she will have the opportunity to develop a social network and participate in seminars, trainings and other cultural actions of ELIX or partner organizations. ELIX is currently implementing a non-formal education project in cooperation with UNICEF supporting migrant and refugee youth, therefore the volunteers will have the opportunity to be involved in supporting activities.

Finally, all the services and advantages that the volunteer has the right to enjoy, will be provided, according to the European Solidarity Corps programme Guide.

Previous experiences:
You can read below previous experiences from volunteers who completed their service with ELIX in similar positions:
Lisa Thierry: What about my EVS in Greece?
Andres @ ELIX "12 months of constant learning" - 2017
For more stories click here.

Responsibilities and practical arrangements:
Rights and responsibilities:
Volunteers:

• Will work an average of 30 h/week, always under the responsibility of ELIX youth workers who will be supporting and advising them,
• Are entitled of 2 days-off per week, which will be mainly weekends. They may be asked to work during some weekend due to some specifically planned activity,
• Will have the autonomy to develop their own personal projects but won’t be responsible for an activity on its own,
• Can host a guest in the house only after the communication and the approval from the Volunteers Coordinator and for a period of maximum 7 days,

Practical Arrangements:

• Volunteers will be hosted in a rented apartment in Athens that will be shared among them. They may share their room with another volunteer,
• The volunteer will receive monthly food allowance – 120 Euro,
• Pocket Money - 5 euros per day (appr. 150 euros per month),
• Travel costs to and from Athens are covered up to the amounts mentioned below (section Financial conditions),
• Greek language courses will be provided by the Online Linguistic Support,
• Insurance is covered by CIGNA,
• On-arrival training and mid-term evaluation will be provided and organised by the Greek National Agency.

Risks and crisis prevention:
In order to prevent any kind of crisis, ELIX believes that the info given during the preparation of the volunteers plays a very important role.

• The detailed description of the activities, the possibilities for socializing, the accommodation and food and working conditions are very helpful for the volunteers in order to be orientated before their arrival.
• The volunteer receives a detailed info pack before arrival and a welcome pack upon arrival where she/he can find useful call numbers and emergency numbers as well as info for his/her better integration to the local society.
• The volunteer will participate in a weekly meeting in order to have the chance to talk about difficulties s/he is facing and find ways to overcome any possible issues occurred,
• Once the volunteer arrives s/he attends a 1 day orientation session in the ELIX office, where among other things s/he becomes aware of all the necessary instructions and measures for risk prevention for his safety in the house (house conditions, fire protection, use of electronic or gas devices etc), transport rules and habits, travelling, health prevention and local everyday life.
• The volunteer will be provided with mobile numbers of his mentor and the Volunteer Coordinator. He/she will be able to use these numbers 24 hours /7 days.

How to apply:
Please fill in the application form at the end of the article and send your CV by email to Georgia Gkountani at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject “ESC_Im4ALL_YOUR NAME”.
The pre-selected candidates will be interviewed (via skype).

Contacts:
For further information please contact Georgia Gkountani, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Deadline for responses: Review of applications will begin the 7^th of August 2020 and continue until the positions are filled.