The Project Discription is:

The KOBIETY.LODZ.PL is a non-profit, apolitical, non-governmental consulting-educational organisation. Its activities focus on supporting educational initiatives and programs in the areas of women activity, human rights, media, social and legal reforms. Established in 2000 (as Niezalea Inicjatywa Kobiet NIKe(Independent Initiative of Women NIKe) and located in  (Poland) the organisation deals with the promotion of the development of womens;s activities. Our organisation concentrates mostly on the webside ! Among members of KOBIETY.LODZ.PL there are experienced trainers, lawyers, sociologists, teachers, and culture's animators. Our volunteers are mainly students of the humanities: sociology, pedagogy and law. The director is a graduate philosopher; the coordinator-tutor of EVS in our organisation is a student of sociology and anthropology. Providing services include:- Promoting democratic citizenship and raising women's awareness of social quality- creating better condition for women's professional development and wider participation in the public sphere- helping women adjust to the new democratic developments and market economy dynamics- promoting and support of women's entrepreneurship.

We are already experienced in hosting volunteers from EVS from many different countries - Holland, Germany, Portugal, Slovenia etc.

The project will take place in Lodz, second city in poland according to the amount of inhabitants. It is located in the middle of Poland. Weather conditions are according to the temperate climatic zone (The temperature in winter is about 5 degree and it it snows very often; autumn and spring are warmer, the days are sunny and the sky is often clear). Lodz is an industrial city with electronic and textile companies and factories due to its history. But despite this fact in our city there are many universities, colleges, academies, polytechnic. Lodz is becoming more and more a cultural and cinsumer city with lots of cultural places, shopping centers, historic monuments, beautiful parks and others.Our organisation is co-operating with other NGO in our city. We make contacts to work together and to keep companionable contacts, of course, with another women's organisations, non formal groups of sociology students, with ecological and citizen organisations. The co-operation between organisations gives different advantages. Our volunteers can participate in many events and activities. For example: dance workshops, yoga, drum music rehearsals, other special events etc.Volunteers will live in flat shared by students (with the common kitchen and bathroom). All habitants will establish principles of the common living at the beginning of the stay.


We are interested in promoting activities to grow stronger and confirm themselves among women and girls. We research the conditions and stereotypes, which influence the role of women and men. We also study the subject of gender role. We have the look conditioned by our experience and our (Polish) stereotypes. We suppose a new person with new look based on another experiences could give us a new point of view. And, of course, because we are in the united Europe we need more intercultural diversity.We can offer the volunteers a nice atmosphere, co-operation with young people and possibilities to:

- Preparing and providing sociological public opinion poll
- Working out practical examples for educational needs
- Improving computer skills
- Acquiring a knowledge about sociology, psychology, gender studies etc.
- Learning about Polish language and many Polish customs, get to know a new unique city and very open inhabitants
- Many different methods such as making questionnaries, writing articles, searching information in internet, making presentations, leading discussions, photography, making films, etc. and get the knowledge in this fields.

The volunteer working in our organisation and by the project will have a possibility to develop himself, his own skills, become more awerness of his culture and more self – confident. He would also develop his interest by realising his own project. Volunteers will be working 5 days a week for 6 hours a day, spending at least one to two working days in the office. One day they might be also working in the afternoon. Working time will be consulted with the staff and other members of our organization. It will depend on the timetables of our Polish members (mostly students), who will co-operate with the volunteers in this program. We suppose that our volunteers will preferably be working in the morning or in the early afternoon. Most of the weekends the volunteers will have free. If sometimes they will have to work during the weekends, they will have some other days free during the week. In our organization we have two holiday breaks during the year: a Christmas break (December 20 - January 3) and an Easter break (5 days from Good Friday to Tuesday). Of course, this time is free from work for volunteers as well.

The activities for volunteers will be:

First weeks:

- getting to know the city, members of the organisation and other volunteers,
- learning polish language
- preparing to a sociological research ( in cooperation with the tutor )

Next months:

Regular tasks that outcomes will located on the webside www.kobiety. lodz.pl:
- searching websites in internet about prblems and themes useful for the target group of the organisation
- writting articles ( one per week ) about gender, woman, discrimination and other topics that will be inserted on the webside
- gathering ( or making ) gender photos that would be putted on the webside and used in proper time
- the series ˜Lodz in the eyes of an european volunteer

( making photoreports about interesting fevent, habits, curiosities in Lodz ). We propose lot of fascinating activity in our city – festivals, concerts, places, monuments, exhibitions, customs, etc. that could be very interesting for the local poeople and also for the volunteer.

Unregular tasks:

- making a sociological research ( in cooperation with the apprentices ) and making reports summing up the research.
- cooperation in preparing and conducting occasional events and campaigns. Volunteers will be working with the whole team from our organization as well as local volunteers. One day a week shall be spent on taking part in the CCC (Creative Conversation Club) run in English or in volunteer's national language. CCC will be an occasion for our Polish volunteers as well as other people interested to practice using English language in a creative way and in a friendly (not school) atmosphere. Realising the volunteer own project
- making presentations, leading discussions about interesting and important problems on suach fields as gender, disrimination, human rights, minority, tolerance, citizen activity, sociology, psychology, media, education.  optional task
Last month:
- summary of the data about the public opinion polls and writting a report
- preparing an event presenting volunteers country and culture
- evaluation of the volunteership
- preparing an ˜EVS Lodz Volunteer Survival Kit including tips for new volunteers

Type of sending organisation, country, sex and age doesn't matter. Courageous, open, comunicative, active, responsible and optimistic person would feel in our organisation and in this project the most comfortable. Project assumpts also lots of writing, that’s why a volunteer liking in writting is welcome.

We will contact with candidates bafore to choose a volunteer would feel in this project the most comfortable and suitable.We tend to contactt with volunteer before his arrival to Lodz to recognise his expectations, needs and to match it to our project and our expectations.