EVS | What's EVS?
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| Credits: João Miller |
Increasingly known, but not much yet, the European Voluntary Service is a program funded by the European Commission that seeks young people between the ages of 17 and 30 to do a volunteer project, in another country that's not their country of residence.
There are lots of projects, in many fields like culture and arts, activities with children, youth or seniors, sports, recreational activities, environment, among many others.
So, it's easy to find a project of interest where we can put our skills to practice and acquire new ones.
High-risk interventions, such as immediate disaster relief, or post-crisis situations, are excluded.
The project can have duration until 12 months and there are short, medium long-term projects.
The accommodation, food and travel tickets are funded.
The volunteer will also have a monthly (money) or pocket money amount that he or she can use as preferred (the amount is set by the European Commission and it varies from country to country).
However, the money provided is not for the purpose of pay for the services and activities performed, but provide the best possible conditions of survival and ensure their physical and psychological
well-being.
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The place of accommodation and forms of payment are variable according to the country and the project that the volunteer takes a part in - it is, therefore, important that the candidate gets to know all these factors previously with the association or organization involved in the project.
An EVS project involves a partnership between the volunteer, the sending organization (in the country of the volunteer) and the host organization (in the country where the project will take place) and both have responsibilities, from preparation, training, and follow-up of all project.
There are several associations in Portugal working with this program.
ProAtlântico is one of them, and it is also the sending association associated with my project in EVS.
At the end of the project, the volunteer will receive a Youthpass, which is a kind of certificate describing the project and the activities that the volunteer was inserted, the skills acquired and developed during his/hers EVS.
This is a great alternative for those who want to know the world, learn new languages and experience new cultures.
Okay, I'm one of those people! What do I have to do?
Go to Proatlântico's website (or another association that works with the program), there you will have a list of projects, with the country, duration, and the date of the beginning of the project.
In most projects, you will only need to send your resume and motivation letter in English, but be aware if you need to respond to any specific project requirements (do not worry, if it is the case it will be specified in the information from the project).
On the Proatântico site, you also have some models of motivation letters and resumes to help you.
After the application, you only have to wait for them to contact you.
If you need any more information or a little push for what may be the adventure of your life, do not hesitate to talk to me and you can always read some testimonies of those who have already done EVS.
Go go go!
The EVS category of the Kalidioscope is officially open!
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