SOS-Children's Villages

2011-PL-128

SOS-Children's Villages

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Accreditation Host organisation

Approval Date 30/05/2011

Validity Date 30/05/2014

Location Kotayq village (Armenia)

Theme 1 Art and culture

Theme 2 Youth leisure

Inclusion Cultural differences, Educational difficulties, Social difficulties

Project environment

PROJECT ENVIRONMENT:

Armenia lies in the surrounding the Biblical mountain of Ararat, upon which Noah's Ark came to rest after the flood. Armenia first emerged into history around 800 BC, as part of the Kingdom of Urartu or Van. The first Armenian state was founded in 190 BC. In 301 Armenia became the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion. In 405 Mesrop Mashtoc invented Armenian alphabet. The Armenian Apostolic Christianity is the dominant religion in Armenia as well as Yerevan. Yerevan is home to the largest Armenian church in the world, the Cathedral of Saint Gregory the Illuminator. Despite the hard history, now the republic of Armenia is making its steps in all sides of politics, has relations with lots of other countries and is going to become more developed and strong country.

Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country. It has been the capital since 1918, the thirteenth capital in the history of Armenia.

Yerevan is home to dozens of museums, art galleries, and libraries. Tourism in Armenia is developing year by year and the capital city Yerevan is one of the major tourist destinations. The city has a majority of luxury hotels, modern restaurants, bars, pubs and nightclubs. Zvartnots airport has also conducted renovation projects with the growing number of tourists visiting the country. The location of Yerevan itself inspires foreigners to visit the city in order to enjoy the view of the biblical mount of Ararat, as the city lies on the feet of the mountain forming the shape of a Roman amphitheatre. There is a plenty of historical sites, churches and citadels in areas and regions surrounding the city of Yerevan (Garni Temple, Zvartnots Cathedral, Khor Virap, etc.). On the other hand, visitors and tourists can enjoy the charming nights of Yerevan with a variety of several types of restaurants, street cafes, tea houses, pubs, discos, bars and karaoke clubs. Yerevan is named as the 2012 World Book Capital by the UNESCO.

The SOS Children's Village Kotajk is situated in the city of Kotajk, about 15 km north of the capital of Yerevan. The volunteer can easily reach the village by regular mini-busses and busses leaving from Yerevan. The volunteers also have the possibility of using the bus of the SOS-Kinderdorf for coming back to Yerevan after work. Upon completion of the vocational education and after finding a job the youngsters move to the phase of Semi-Independent living. At this phase the organization helps the youngsters in finding permanent jobs and in having permanent shelter. After the completion of this phase the organization keeps close contacts with the former children and continues to follow their successes and, whenever needed, provides assistance and guidance in their endeavors.

Since December 2007 construction works for Armenia's second SOS Children's Village took place in Idjevan, a town located in the north-eastern part of Armenia, and the second SOS Children's Village was populated in spring 2010.

PROPOSED ACTIVITIES FOR EVS VOLUNTEERS:

The main aim of the projects is to work with children, to educate and train them. The volunteer will be involved in all programs and will be encouraged to propose his/her own ideas and suggestions. The volunteer will work with the local community. Apart from working with the children, s/he will have the possibility to spend his/her free time with them and to learn a lot about Armenia. With the help of the EVS volunteer the organisation will be able to organize more workshops, in which the children (according to their health) can draw, sculpture, sing and dance. The volunteer will be involved in discussions and seminars about the future of the children and will be able to share his/her opinion on the situation.

The volunteer must follow the methods used in the village and kindergarten and play, work with children according to their private interests without making them do the things that he/she wants. Different educational games will be organized as well as physical training. The children can hear another language and learn about the volunteer's culture which will be a great learning opportunity for them. By the end of this project a big exhibition of art works done by the children will be organized. There can also be organized a performance on different interesting topics.

From time to time it is possible that the volunteer will have activities in SOS National Office in Yerevan, in 3 Youth facilities in Yerevan and will be having trips to village "Family Centers", but not more than once a week or once in 2 week period. But mainly the volunteer will be working in SOS-Kinderdorf village, with a possibility to come to SOS Office in Yerevan The volunteer will participate in most activities with the children and have a variety of different tasks:

- the volunteer will have the opportunity to participate in all arts workshops and to support the staff in organizing these activities (painting, sculpturing, handicrafts, etc.)

- s/he will establish social contact with individual children and their SOS mothers by chats and games.

- s/he will present his/her country and culture to the children

- organization of recreational activities for the children

- playing with the children

- social activities, group games etc.

- excursions and outdoor activities

- the volunteer will have the task to help organizing a big exhibition of the art works of the children on different topics

- organizing sport activities in the territory of the village

Support and training will be provided by the staff of the organization and by the community. The volunteer will be invited to social events and will be supported in learning and practicing basic Armenian language, according to his/her wish.

The volunteer will work 5 days per week (approx. 30 hours) and will have weekends off. Since the children are going to school in the first time of the work, the volunteer will start working mainly at 13:00-14:00 in the afternoon. But in case of necessity and need the volunteer will start working in the morning. S/he will have Armenian language lessons in a language center during all his/her stay in Armenia.

VOLUNTEER PROFILES AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS:

It is preferable that the volunteer acquires some skills and experience of work with children. By receiving several different CVs and motivation letters our "contact point for EVS", the HUJ pre-selects those volunteers, who are most suitable for the project and are willing to participate. If needed they make a phone conversation with the candidate. After the joint discussions with the hosting organsiation, the volunteer is selected.

We would like to cooperate with those types of sending organizations, who have experience of work with disabled, orphans, ecologists or with organizations of voluntary service. There are no gender, age and other requirements for the selection/recruitment of volunteers. The volunteer should be interested or have some experience in working with children; he/she should be kind, communicative and reliable, should live children and work with them.

SPECIAL NEEDS:

Our organization as well as our "contact point for EVS", the HUJ organisation have specialists with relevant education and experience, who will be always next to the volunteer and will help in case their help is needed. The director of the orphanage and the responsible person for the volunteer will be always having meetings and discussion with the volunteer. Besides, in the centre there are psychologists and specialists who will help them also. EVS volunteers are working in the orphanage already many years, so the organisation is very experienced.

HUJ also, in its turn, will help the volunteer if there is a crisis. There is a psychologist with whom HUJ has been working already 10 years. She is a candidate of sciences and is a lecturer of psychology at the university. For the centre it doesn't matter what social, educational or cultural obstacles the volunteer has. The most important is to love children-orphans and to treat them as with full and equal members of the society.

RISK PREVENTION, PROTECTION AND SAFETY:

The accommodation is in the big house in the centre of the city in a very crowded and safe district. In the workplace, a very qualified and serious person is responsible for the volunteer for the first days of her project, who takes care of the volunteer, helps to get to the work and etc.

HUJ office, as "contact point for EVS", will organize risk prevention and safety regulations training before the start of the work. Once a week EVS volunteers will have a personal meeting with the tutors in the local project to discuss achievements, troubles, future plans, so the volunteers will be prevented from psychological and methodological difficulties.

In case of sickness or some injuries the volunteer is taken to the hospital together with staff member from HUJ, where there is a person who speaks some international language and takes care of everything that the volunteer will need. In case of some everyday conflicts with local people or some personal issues, works and etc, the HUJ, as well as teachers or psychologists will help and provide him/her with necessary care. To prevent the difficulties with adaptation to new country and independent life, the hosting organization provides volunteers an opportunity to call home and friends in the country of residence by Skype or by telephone.

If the volunteers encounter a difficulty in communicating, are in cultural shock, don't feel fit, the local tutors are there to prevent things going in a wrong way by being available to listen, try to understand and explain. In case of big difficulties the sending organization is contacted to see if there is a solution that the host doesn't find for the problem. Till now, we haven't had yet EVS volunteers aged 16-17 and our organization is not able to host teenager volunteers.

The SOS Kinderhof is able to host up to 2 EVS volunteers at the same time. The organisation doesn't intend to work with short-term group EVS projects. The organisation would like to cooperate with volunteers with less opportunities such as: social obstacles, educational difficulties, cultural differences.

The SOS Kinderhof is supported by "Republican Headquarters of Student Brigades-Voluntary Service of Armenia - HUJ" as its "contact point for EVS".

Motivation and EVS experience

The motivation of SOS-Kinderdorf to host EVS volunteers is great, cause first of all it's children who benefit the most from the presence of international volunteer. The children are already accustomed to the presence of the international volunteer in the centre, cause it has been more than 9 years since SOS-Kinderdorf is hosting international European volunteers and the kids are waiting with impatience to their new friends from Europe, who will bring with them new ideas, new games, new culture, new language and just love and joy. Throughout all these years the volunteers brought only bright and memorable moments to children's and staff's lives. It is also very important to mention that the kids, seeing how a person is doing voluntary work, decide that when they grow up they will also travel to another country and will do volunteering by helping other people who are in need.

Description of the organisation

Following the devastating earthquake in Armenia on December 7th, 1988, SOS Children's Villages decided to offer immediate aid to the children who had lost their parents. In co-operation with the Armenian Lenin Children's Foundation it was soon possible to find a suitable plot of land in the town of Kotajk, just outside the area that had been destroyed and about 15 kilometres from Yerevan. Construction was started on the first Armenian SOS Children's Village and in 1990 the first children were able to move into their new homes together with their SOS mothers. In 1992, a SOS-kindergarten was added, which involves children from the neighbourhood as well. On 18 April 1998 the SOS Children's Village Kotajk was officially opened in the presence of Mr. Helmut Kutin, president of SOS-Kinderdorf International, and other guests of honour. In February 2001 a SOS Youth Facility was opened, where the youths live during the time of their vocational training or education and prepare themselves for an independent life under the guidance of their youth leaders.

The charity fund is organizing a long term care of children-orphans with the help of SOS mother. The aim of the SOS mothers is making a real family, bringing up and taking care of children, becoming mother for children for many years. Each mother has maximum 7 children-orphans and they live all together in a separate cottage. Here in the village children found their new mothers, brothers and sisters.

The SOS Children's Village Kotajk is situated in the city of Kotajk, about 15 km north of the capital of Yerevan. The plot of land measures about 6 ha and was donated by the local authorities. It is perfectly integrated into the public supply system. The SOS Children's Village Kotajk consists of 13 family houses, a SOS kindergarten, a Village Director's house, accommodation for the aunts, a Community House, offices and staff quarters. In spring 1998, the children together with an artist painted some of the family houses.There's a SOS kindergarten situated on the territory of the SOS village. The kindergarten is an international one, where there are 15 children who live in the SOS village and 8-9 children coming from nearby regions, where there are no kindergartens. This integration with village children gives SOS children a possibility and teach them to make friends with children out of the SOS village. The kindergarten uses the step-by-step method, which means that the main aim is centralized on child's interests.

There are 3 SOS Youth Facilities in Yerevan. The SOS Facilities are the places where children move after the SOS village (after finishing school at the age of 15-16). A this time they need to choose their own way, their profession. It's the most difficult and important period in their life. Here they try to build their own life. Here the life conditions are more harsh than in the SOS village, so to let youth to get used to real everyday life by their own, at this period they are becoming a personality. The teenagers are provided with monthly money, that they use on food, clothes, on the things of first necessarily. There mustn't be any pressure on children, they do whatever they want, they choose themselves what to do and how to live.

As of today there are 13 families in SOS-Kinderdorf and 13 mothers. Each mother is taking care of 3-7 kids in the family. There are 57 children at the moment in the centre. The staff of the Centre consists of 39 people, including pedagogues, psychologists, social workers, supervisors and technical staff.