We are looking for a male volunteer from Programme countries for an already approved project, in Debrecen, Hungary.

Project environment:
The Sound-Picture Association is working with communication, so it is necessary to have all the facilities to carry out good communication programs. The project will take place mostly in Debrecen. The building of the association is situated in the heart of the city (Debrecen is the second largest city of Hungary with about 250.000 inhabitants). The building is well equipped, there is a radio studio in it, and there are two rooms available for the trainings (one equipped with several computers). The volunteers will work here, either collecting information or editing sound and video files. All of the computers have Internet access, in case of nice weather it is also possible to take out a laptop to the terrace of the association as there is WIFI all around the place. Most of the PCs can be used for editing sound, photo and video files and the studio is equipped with all the technical facilities to record good quality of sound. The association has 2 camcorders (Canon XL1) with tripods and 1 camera (Canon D10) with different lenses that can be used by the volunteers and other local youngsters as well. Most of the times - depending on the topics - we are travelling around Hungary for filming and recording different activities and landscapes. The association has a minibus that can fit 9 people.
As Debrecen is a university city (with more than 23 thousand students) the volunteers will have the chance to participate at the Hungarian language courses offered by the University of Debrecen. It will also give them the possibility to meet local and foreigner students as well. Debrecen offers a wide range of other programs as well (theatre, cinemas, sport centres, concerts, etc.).
Debrecen lies close to the Romanian border (about 40 kms) and it is 220 kms away from Budapest, the capital of Hungary. There is a very good train connection between the capital and Debrecen.
The association has been hosting volunteers in the EVS program since 2006 and we also have experience about working with Hungarian volunteers. Formerly some of the volunteers of our association were living in the building of the association and they found it very useful to live and work in the same community. Naturally that part of the house that is for the training is separated from the part where the volunteers can stay. We also have a rental apartment about 10 minutes walk from the association where 2 or 3 volunteers can stay at the same time. That apartment is also well equipped as for meeting high living standards, but we can provide only 1 PC there for common use. The work will be done mainly at the association's building.

Proposed activities for EVS volunteers:
On the one hand the volunteers will actively participate in the trainings of the communication courses that are organised for high school students, university students and other youth workers. Besides these different programs (team building, open speech training, photography courses) the volunteers will be involved in the youth action teams that we are doing together with local youngsters (action teams for communicating different issues to other young people and to the members of the local community with different purposes). These actions also include the promotion of the Youth in Action Program and the EVS itself, in which we will really much rely on the experience of the volunteers. These actions and the way of carrying them out are agreed on by the participants (volunteers and the local youngsters) - these can be films, vox-pops, animations, attention raising communication campaigns/actions, design competitions, etc.
On the other hand the volunteers will be working with the members of the association in making radio, TV programs (making interviews, editing, recording, gathering information, preparation, etc.) and doing short videos on youth activities. They will be involved in the different stages of the work depending on their interests and skills. In order to maintain these activities and develop these skills the volunteers will be helped to learn and to try out in practice all the activities (creation of an image for a TV show, editing radio and TV spots, doing interviews and reports, jingles, making "mock" press conferences etc.). This non-formal learning will enable them to decide which types of activities they would like to be more involved in and also develop new skills when working in teams.
We can host 5 volunteers at the same time (but not starting the project at the same time as the first period, the learning procedure requires more personal help). 2 of the volunteers can live in a house together (at the apartment of the associations' building), while 3 volunteers can stay in the rental apartment about 10 minutes from the association. The training centre and the studio is also in the house (separated), so those volunteers who live at the house will have the chance to use the equipments of the association (radio studio, computers) anytime, while the others living in the apartment will use these equipments mostly in the working hours. According to our experience it is useful for the outcomes of the programs if we give freedom to the editors in preparing their programs.
In order to make a good project it is necessary for the volunteers to contact local radio and TV stations (mainly community ones) in the community they live in at their home country. With the help of the volunteers we are planning to make different programs on Debercen and Hajdú-Bihar County. These programs could be broadcasted in the home region of the volunteers. On the other hand we are in good relationship with several community radio stations in Debrecen and some local TV stations in the North-Great Plain region, so we can arrange that introductory programs of the sending regions will be broadcasted in Hungary. This way not only the organisations but the inhabitants of the regions get to know each other. Naturally we are planning to put these programs to our web page as well and to different file sharing engines. The volunteers would be the managers of this exchange of 'image bits'. Please find underneath a proposed schedule for the weekdays of the volunteers:
Monday: Editorial meeting, preparation, gathering information, Trainings/ language shcool
Tuesday: Gathering information, press conferences, consultations, Editing, mixing
Wednesday: Gathering information, interviews, Trainings/ language shcool
Thursday: Editing, mixing,
Friday: Gathering information, interviews, mixing, post-mixing, Action team communication activities with local youngsters.
Of course this schedule can change according to the activities (if there is a shooting at an other city or there are ongoing trainings). At he beginning of each month we are preparing together a plan of activities with proposed deadlines. Every Monday there is a staff meeting where the activities of the week will be jointly discussed. The volunteers also have the possibility to have personal discussion with the project leader in the mornings between 8 and 9.
Besides the professional skills development and the work in a good community we can offer the volunteers several other things as well:
- mobile phone use that enables them to call the members and other EVS volunteers of the association free of charge and local call up to 5.000 HUF
- use of the bikes of the association
- occasionally tickets to the local thermal bath
- (season) ticket for the local transport
- consultations with special local experts of different fields (journalist, online designer, designer, photographer, artists etc.)
- participation at the programs of our partners (we are working with several other NGOs of the region)
- availability of the mentor 24hrs a day by phone
We offer the volunteers meals 3-times a day (breakfast mainly at home, lunch and dinner on decision: either restaurant or home delivery or home cooking or a mixture of all of these). Most of the volunteers prefer cooking, so it is also possible to learn the Hungarian cuisine or to introduce the cuisine of the sending country to the others.
The pocket money will be paid to the volunteers every month till the 5th day in Hungarian forint.

Volunteer profiles and recruitment process:
The association is searching for young people who are interested in making TV and radio programs, but are open not only for becoming a reporter, but would like to learn the ends and bits of the profession as well (graphic design, photography making, filming, information gathering, news writing and reading, editing, vox-pops, reports, sound recording editing and mixing). The volunteers should actively participate in the trainings of the association not only as students, but also as helpers. The volunteers should be able to work out complex communication programs - on a chosen topic - by the end of the program. It is an advantage if the volunteer has experience in working for a youth or school TV or radio. Personal traits: 'community person', able to work individually and as a team member as well, has a healthy exhibitionism, open, tidy, hard-working and is not afraid of dogs (as the association has a dog).
We do not have expectations concerning the sending organisation but it should be youth focused and it is an advantage if it is interested in and has experience at the field of communication and the mass media.
We accept applications from volunteers and sending organisations continuously throughout the year. Applications should include a CV and a motivation letter from the volunteer. We inform every applicant in e-mail about when the project have open placement and about the day when decision will be made on the applicants.

Special needs (if applicable):
We are open to host volunteers with fewer opportunities. We have several years of experience in the communication and mental help of disadvantaged groups. We have worked with refugees and with minorities of Hungary as well.

Risk prevention, protection and safety:
The apartments of the volunteers are equipped with fire extinguisher and a box of basic medicine and a first aid kit. Besides these the mentor of the volunteers is available on phone 24 hrs a day, in case of emergency she can help. The volunteers get an AXA insurance for their service, the mentor can help with managing the administration in connection with it too. The volunteers after arrival get an information package about the country, the city and the traditions and other basic information that can be essential at the first time. As the volunteers will be using techniques that may be new to them, after arrival we are preparing them how to use these and what to do in case of emergency.

No former experience at this field is necessary, but it is an advantage.