The Youth in Action Programme offers young Europeans a chance to make a real difference in the world – and to change their own lives – through the European Voluntary
Service .
About EVS
The European Voluntary Service (EVS) is a programme offered by the European Union to all people aged 18-30. Main focus is on the process of intercultural learning by sending young people to different countries of Europe, where they work as volunteers in a project of their own choice.
The EVS spans a wide range of working areas, including projects about culture, sports, the environment, youth, social care, cultural heritage, arts, civil protection, development, co-operation, etc. Depending on the wishes of the volunteer and his/her hosting organisation, the duration of the engagement can be between two and 12 months.
A successful EVS project requires close co-operation among at least three key players: a sending organisation, a host organisation and the volunteer. One of the organisations involved in this partnership also plays the role of coordinating organisation and applies for an EU grant on behalf of the partnership. Organisations perform a number of roles: they identify volunteering opportunities and develop projects that benefit the local community. They also recruit and prepare the volunteers, host them, and ensure the follow-up.
EVS activities can be carried out both individually or in group. Up to 30 volunteers can now participate in the same EVS project!
Here are some testimonials of AEGEE members:
Agne (EVS volunteer in AEGEE-Las Palmas)
” Hola! My name is Agne! In February I came from Lithuania to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to be a volunteer in AEGEE organization. I will stay here for 11 months and I believe that this period is going to be one of the best in my life! I have met some people who understood volunteering, they were happy, active, intelligent people, but I have also met a lot of people who heard about it, but did not realise what it was. The main message of volunteering is experience, learning, and cultural exchange. I have it all and even more! No one asks me ARE YOU HAPPY, because they see a smile on my face. At the moment I am starting to be a volunteer and it is amazing – I am meeting new people every day, seeing new places, preparing new tasks. I have energy to do things that I have not done before, do new activities, new ways to express myself, to find new beauty in life. Being an EVS volunteer means breaking the language barrier, travelling, communicating, exploring new lifestyle, finding a new inner self. Can volunteering change the world? YES, because we are the world!”
Gulay (EVS in AEGEE-Las Palmas)
“l am Gulay from Turkey. No, l am not a European but that does not matter in EVS. Everything is possible for you with AEGEE members. EVS is a huge space of opportunities. lt opened a new door for me. It brings mutual understanding (empathy) and friendship between me and young people from different cultures. This article is an amazing chance to share my experience, to act and react and to show my power and it is the best way to discover myself during my project with AEGEE-Las Palmas. l am so happy that they are involved in youth exchanges. Finally, l feel freedom in my blood with European people. Life is meant to show respect towards other cultures and lifestyles. l am volunteer and l am proud of being a volunteer every day.”
Thomas from BEST and AEGEE Santander (EVS in Santander, Spain)
After graduating as an engineer Thomas felt that he did not know the world well enough. He wanted to travel and heard about the EVS program which he wanted to take advantage of so he sent some e-mails, prepared his suitcase and his EVS adventure was ready to start. In the Spanish city of Santander he helped supervisors at a youth centre in a disadvantaged area. A centre in which young teenagers aged 11 to 17 receive help for homework, they go on excursions, they practice sports and much more. By helping out with this, Thomas learned about this environment but also about himself whenever he felt useful helping others. The EVS experience also gave Thomas the opportunity to discover a new country (he got to visit cities like Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and Zaragoza), a new culture, a new language and new people. About the experience Thomas says “This adventure helped me grow as a person and made me look at life in a completely different way, I definitely recommend it to everyone to grab this opportunity!”
Ezter from AEGEE-Pécs and AEGEE-København (EVS in Lille, France)
“Wanting to prolong your AEGEE experience but you don’t know how? Do you want to live an international life, be creative and help others do the same? Are you
passionate about ecology? What do you think of saving turtles in Turkey? Are
you all crazy about rhythm and salsa? How about giving dance classes in Sweden? Are
migration studies your thing? Would you be up for working with refugees in
Spain? You can have it all and even more with EVS! The “L’auberge espagnole”
feeling and the improvement in many different languages are really only
pleasant side-effects of the long term adventure, an adventure which is more
than highly recommended.”
So the question you may ask yourself now is why is my local not already an EVS host organization? And why are we not already bringing volunteers from all over Europe to help us with our local antenna projects?
You can also go abroad and have an amazing European experience. Find more information on the
following website or contact me at luis.alvaradomartinez@aegee.org
http://ec.europa.eu/youth/youth-in-action-programme/european-voluntary-service_en.htm
Try it out! Go on EVS, and bring EVS to your AEGEE Local!
Let us all EVS! VAMOS!
Written by Luis Alvarado Martínez, AEGEE-Las Palmas