Short-term Voluntary Service in Germany
Short-term Voluntary Service is about bringing people together to make a big difference to individuals, to groups and to the wider community, to get in touch with new cultures and mentalities, brake the stereotypes and prejudices.The contribution of each single person helps to reach successful results in every workcamp. Many participants can find new friends, gain new experience in different fields, improve their language skills, brake stereotypes about other nations and get their first experience abroad.
Being involved in voluntary work of youngsters I find quite interesting to share the voluntary service opportunities for incoming volunteers in Germany on the basis of short-terms projects (workcamps) of ICJA. Firstly, some basic information about short-term voluntary work (workcamps).
What does voluntary work mean?
Basically voluntary work does not mean to be a real paid work. Usually it is light repairing or gardening work outside. Normally your bonuses are free place to live and meal.
What profit can you get?
Many people see the voluntary work abroad as a challenge that helps them to discover their strong and sometimes weak points of character, their talents. Besides that it is a great opportunity to practice your language skills and gain new experience. Volunteering can help you meet different kinds of people and make new friends. By the way it can help you feel part of something outside your friends and family.
What is the sense of voluntary work?
Volunteering is about bringing people together to make a big difference to individuals, to groups and to the wider community, to get in touch with new cultures and mentalities, brake the stereotypes and prejudices.
What problems can face the volunteer in the home country?
The main problem is a visa to enter Germany. Unfortunately, bureaucracy is on a top level related this question. To apply for a visa in some cases you have to wait for an appointment at the embassy and prepare a lot of proofs to confirm your reason to stay in Germany for requested period of time.
What problems can face the volunteer on arrival to Germany?
Many youngsters have language barrier because of lack of speaking skills. However after several days in workcamp many of them feel comfortable to speak English or sometimes even German. Another problem is «missing home» feeling. It can be overcome by different team building activities and games with all group.
Coming back to the voluntary service for incoming volunteers in Germany on the basis of short-terms projects (workcamps) of ICJA I would like to share the range of projects with different topics and goals organized this summer.
More then 65 year ICJA involved in intercultural exchange , one part of it are workcamps. Every summer take place around 17 workcamps in every part of Germany organized by ICJA with help of local partners. The standard duration of the workcamp is up to three weeks. More then 200 international volunteers from 18 to 26 years old coming every year to Germany to get in touch with native-speakers, get to know German mentality, see the life of ordinary people and make their contribution in local community.
The main language of all camps is English. On weekends volunteers are free to organize short trips to neighbor cities and get to know more about German history.
2018 were managed 15 workcamps all over the Germany. They were:
ICJA01 University in Farmhouse Gossberg 01.07. - 15.07.18
ICJA02 Ban Nuclear Weapons Mutlangen Buechel 07.07. - 22.07.18
ICJA03 Muellerhof Mittweida 13.07. - 27.07.18
ICJA04 Eilenburg 14.07. – 28.07.18
ICJA05 Heavens Rock Spangenberg 14.07. - 06.08.18
ICJA06 Moehrenkamp - Hut Goslar 21.07.-04.08.18
ICJA07 Asylum Centre Giessen 28.07. – 11.08.18
ICJA09 Peace Center Sievershausen 29.07. - 12.08.18
ICJA10 Nature Discovery Park Prenzlau 06.08. – 18.08.18
ICJA11 Farm Community Kotthausen 18.08. - 01.09.18
ICJA12 Laakenhof Neu Beckum 18.08.-01.09.18
ICJA13 Peace Barn Zempow (Friedensscheune e.V) 25.8. - 8.09.18
ICJA14 Youth Club Kelkheim-Ruppertshain 25.08. - 08.09.18
ICJA15 Bedheim Castle Bedheim 1.09. - 15.09.18
ICJA16 VSS-Ilmenau 11.08.-25.08.2018
The contribution of each single person helped to reach successful results (built new fences, promoted peace movement, renovated some facilities in the town and in the local zoo, etc.) during the summer campaign. Many participants found new friends, gain new experience in different fields, improved their language skills, broke stereotypes about other nations and got their first experience abroad.
Every small thing but done with good intention makes the World better!
Russland
Deutschland