ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED IN THIS EVS PROJECT
Coordinating organization: NGO Stichting Tripin
Tripin is active now for four years in Almere. Tripin her goal is to help organizations with making their work more international. There could be said that Tripin gives other organizations the opportunity to give a whole different dimension to their work. As from this year on, Tripin functions under the flag of NGO Multiversum wich works with art and music workshops for urban youth in Almere. In the last four years we hosted eight youth exchanges, sent two EVS volunteers, hosted seven EVS volunteers and attended a lot of other projects all around Europe and the world.
Hosting organization: NGO Stichting AAP
AAP is a European sanctuary for exotic animals. The animals that end up with AAP often come from illegal trade, research laboratories, circuses, illegal zoos or directly from private people. The foundation specialises in hosting apes and monkeys. Other small exotic mammals can also find a shelter there, including raccoons, skunks and prairie dogs. When they arrive at AAP they often have been seriously abused and severely neglected. At AAP the animals receive the professional care needed for their recovery. Its aim is to make the animals mentally and physically healthy and to place them in a more natural environment, such as in a natural enclosure or in a renowned zoo. Originally, AAP served as a temporary shelter only. However, AAP has developed a special retirement plan for those apes which cannot be placed anywhere else. It consists of the Islands in Almere, which were put into use in 2001, the Chimpanzee Complex, put into use in 2006, and the Primadomus project in the south of Spain wich is just put into use a few months ago.

SOCIAL AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
As EVS volunteer at AAP you will be part of a large group of volunteers that work with AAP. The volunteer will be in close contact with the other volunteers. AAP is located on the country estate from Almere. It is a beautiful area with different organizations working with nature. There is a biological farm, a place where youngsters get informed about nature, a place where children with less oppurtunities can have a free vacation and of course AAP. This country estate is located 8 KM from the city center. A website with information can be found here: http://www.aap.nl/. We also want to point out that AAP has a special house in one of the residential areas of the city. Here you will live together with other EVS volunteers and with other volunteers who work at AAP but have nothing to do with EVS. This gives you a good opportunity to participate in social activities and learn more about the Dutch culture. AAP also organizes different meetingsfor all the volunteers and friends of the organization once a while. As coordinating organization Tripin will arrange the necessary things like the obligated training courses for EVS volunteers, language courses, pocket money etc. (if you want to know more about your rights as an EVS volunteer, please download the youth in action program guide) Tripin wil also be a social platform to get in touch with EVS volunteers from other projects and activities held by partner NGO’s in Almere and the rest of the country.

ACTIVITIES
The volunteer is working in a very active and flexible foundation. Despite there is a project description, the volunteer will have a lot of personal freedom. This means that there is enough space to grow in the organisation besides the fixed activities. Of course the foundation will give a structure in which the volunteer can find his challenge. The volunteer can learn how it is to work in a field with a small power-distance. If there are things that you think can be changed to benefit the organisation in the volunteering work you are doing, you are more then welcome to share your opinion with the teamleaders.
Because AAP and Tripin prefer to have volunteers for 1 year. The volunteers will have the oppurtunity to grow in the organization. Also there are possibilities to see all the aspects of working in AAP. For example to take care of the animals for six months and the other three months work in the technical service. Or help with promoting activities. There will be fixed patterns and tasks you have to perform on the application form but after some time there will be oppurtunities to change tasks. This kind of changes will be in cooperation with the sending organisation, hosting organisation, volunteer and AAP (hosting organisation)

WHAT KIND OF EVS PLACES STICHTING AAP AND STICHTING TRIPIN OFFER
1. animal fostering: (2 volunteers)
Works together with an experienced animal caretaker and get functional help.
Cleans and take care of the places where the animals stay.
Helps in creating the places where the animals stay (putting the attributes on the right places) and make this places ready for the animals.
Does forticifation and does behaviour observation on the animals.
Feed the animals.
Doing small maintenance.
Doing combined activities on the division.
Registrates anomalies and report this to the experienced animal foster.

In Aap everything is about the animals. They will always come first. The team leaders decide if you are up to more responsibilities. It has happened that one EVS volunteer has a lot of responsibilities and the others have less. This has to do with motivation and reliability. It is up to your attitude towards the work, NGO AAP, and other colleages, if you are choosen to join this project, how your responsibilities and tasks evolve during your EVS project.

PROFILE OF THE EVS VOLUNTEER
As this project is the maximum amount of time possible in a EVS project the volunteer must realize that AAP as hosting organization and Tripin as coordinating organization have some desires due to skills the volunteer must have.
Being able to speak good English.
Almost everybody in the Netherlands speaks very good English. You will develop your English skills further on in communicating with your fellow volunteers at AAP. Without the volunteer speaking English we will have a lot of problems to communicate. This is the most important criteria and this will be checked if you are pre-selected to do your EVS at stichting AAP.
Being motivated.
A project that last for 12 months is in need of motivated volunteers. Please show us in your motivation letter why you want to join one of the two projects
mentioned above.
Having experience with working in a NGO.
It would be good if (s)he would have a small experience in being active in an NGO in his/her own country to show that the person really wants to take part in exactly this project
Having affinity and experience in the work with animals.
Aap his main activity is taking care of exotic animals wich have no other place to go. The volunteer must realize that the most of the animals are being prepared to go back in the wild. This means they will not be handled as pets. We call this the ‘hands off policy’ The interaction between the caretaker and the animal will always be as low as possible. You will need to get your satisfaction of the fact that the animals grow towards their life in the wild.
Being able to deal with strict protocols
For your safety and for the sake of the animals there are strict protocols to work by. You must be able to work by these protocols. Mistakes can be dangerous for you, your colleages and the animals.
Being able to find a decent sending organization or being member of one.
It’s important for the project that there is a decent sending organization which prepares you to join this EVS project. They will provide you a pre-departure training and give information about The Netherlands.
Having no problem to work one day in the weekend
Unfortunatly exotic animals don’t have a weekend brake like we do. This means you have to work one saturday or sunday every week. Of course in return you will get one day free during the mid-week.
Understand that this EVS is very hard and fysical work.
This EVS project is a lot of fysical work depending on the apartment where you will work there will be 30% up to 60% of cleaning. This cleaning is not a bad thing, you can enjoy the animals while you are doing it. Unfortunatly we cannot make exeptions in this amount of cleaning because other non-EVS volunteers at AAP will not agree to this. That is why you need to be passionate about the animals. Otherwise you will not enjoy this EVS.
Having no allergies.
Having allergies for cats for example is a bit problematic if you have to feed a lion. (yes we had one last year)