PROJECT ENVIRONMENT:

Outline the project environment for the suggested voluntary activities, including the local community where the project will take place (e.g. geographical, social and economical environment). If the host placement is located in a live-in community, please include the rules and conditions that apply also for the volunteer.
Centro João Paulo II is located 2 km from Fátima that is part of Ourém council. Fátima, is located 120 km from Lisbon, 180 km from Oporto and 300 meters above sea level in the mountains of Aires e Candeeiros.

Fátima has 71, 3 km2 and around 15.000 inhabitants. It's main activities industry (marble and wood. The town has a considerable number of shops and stalls selling all kinds of religious articles, and the streets of the town have plenty of hotels, hostels and restaurants.
It is worldwide known for apparitions of Our Lady of Fátima to the three little shepherds in 1917. For this reason, Fátima is an important peregrination centre for catholic world. Fátima Sanctuary hosts thousands of people from all over the world. From May to October, on 13th day of each month, about 6 million pilgrims run every year the pathways of Fátima to be closer to the place where three little shepherds - Jacinta, Francisco and Lúcia - affirm to see Virgin Mary.

The construction of Fátima Sanctuary promoted the local development and due to that reason is a city since 1977. In Fátima is also possible to find several religious monuments like: Church of the Most Holy Trinity, Church of Fátima, Houses of Little Shepards of Fátima, Wax Museum and Etnographic Museum of Aljustrel.
The presence of a coordinating organisation in this project is important for the success, mainly because the hosting organisation don't have experience in EVS projects.

Centro João Paulo II is involved in a lot of projects and activities where EVS volunteers can be involved and have large experience and a motivated team that will give the necessary support to the volunteer.

ProAtlântico has high experience on EVS projects, will take care of the administrative and practical issues, in order to make this project fulfil all the expectation of all partners.

Concerning the stay of the EVS volunteer, Centro João Paulo II will provide accommodation in the central building of the organisation with all the conditions needed.
The hosting organisation will provide food during the entire project, by giving all meals in the canteen of the organisation.

The volunteers also may find a variety of eating choices in Fátima (small local restaurants, supermarkets, local food markets, etc.). The members of the hosting organisation will help him/her become familiar with these resources.

A monthly allowance (pocket money) is provided by the coordinating organisation to the volunteer.

The coordinating organisation ProAtlântico - Associação Juvenil will provide a monthly allowance to cover local transports and extra expenses of the volunteer.





PROPOSED ACTIVITIES FOR EVS VOLUNTEERS:

In Centro João Paulo II the EVS volunteers will be able to develop several competencies, in order to improve their performance. Therefore, the host organisation will provide the opportunity to EVS volunteers to have learning opportunities in different fields, such as:
- approach to the tasks of the project: develop responsibility for the project; become more open to new ideas; develop the sense of initiative; ability to plan and organize activities to the project; flexibility/adaptability and coping to new challenges; proactive attitude and independent work;
- leadership abilities: develop positive attitude in difficult situations; positive attitude in order to take pride in team performance; team work with colleagues to achieve desired goals; ability to maintain open communication; ability to contribute to an environment of motivation;
- team orientation: work effectively with others volunteers or with other members of the team; active attitude to contribute to the achievement of group and organizational goals; acceptance of shared responsibility and ownership of projects; maintenance of open communication among team members; assume commitment to team success; consistent contribution with new ideas to the organization / new projects;
- innovation and creativity: ability to develop and implement innovate ideas to the projects; ability to provide unique/different perspectives to improve activities; ability to encourage innovation in themselves and others;
- Personal characteristics: maintain a positive attitude on the work; ability to act responsibly; ability to share information willingly; ability to make judgement and to make decisions;
- Cultural expression: knowledge about Portuguese culture; willing to show volunteer's culture and spread the multicultural projects;
- Communication in a foreign language: ability to communicate in Portuguese in order to feel more integrated among the others; positive attitude in learning process of Portuguese language; persistence to improve communication in Portuguese language;

In the end of the Activity, the EVS volunteers involved can ask for the Youth Pass in order to get a certification of their learning outcomes.

The volunteers will have the chance to be integrated in Centro João Paulo II and to know an organisation with many experiences of working with disabled people. This project will allow the people involved to share several competencies, knowledge and will closer the solidarity strings between different countries and simultaneously promote benefits for all the people involved.

For the hosting organisation the presence of an EVS volunteer is an added value resulting from their different cultures and diverse experiences. This fact will give the chance to the organisation and to the volunteers the opportunity of enlarge their horizons.

- what will be the role of EVS volunteers in the Host Organisation, In general terms, the EVS volunteers will have to find the best strategy to integrate in a new culture, to learn a new language and to fit in a new reality, but also, will have the opportunity to improve their skills, discover new abilities and talents with a specific target group - children, young people and adults with disabilities.

The volunteers must have a proactive role, assisting the other members of the team, which are already running this project and help them in their tasks, by taking part in the animation and carrying out activities with disabled people, having always the necessary support, training, orientation in order to plan activities.

The EVS volunteers will be encouraged to implement their own ideas and experiences, according to their skills and interests, having in mind the team's objectives and the organisation possibilities. We believe this topic is important to the volunteer's integration and adaptation to the dynamics of the organisation, in order to make him/her feel part of the group.

The volunteers will learn important issues in the field of Disability, in order to become more integrated in the project and trained about the care procedures with disabled people.

The Mentor will give personal support to the EVS volunteer. The team will assist the volunteer in the definition of his/her tasks.

The volunteer will be integrated in one Residence and will get support from one Social Worker, one sector responsible and one Social Educator.

- the activities in which the volunteers could be involved and the activities the volunteers could create in your organisation.
Please give examples of typical activities for the volunteers.

The volunteers will take part in many different tasks, according to their interests, abilities and skills that will be planned together with the staff and the mentor. The target group of the project will be children, young people and adults with disabilities.

So, the specific tasks that volunteers can be involved are:

- Participation in therapeutic and leisure time activities: the volunteers will have the chance to participate in the regular activities helping the residents to accomplish the activities. The activities are run inside and outside the organisation: specific therapeutic activities (snoezelen and hippotherapy), occupational activities (a newspaper, library, playroom and occupational activities room), sports activities (boccia, water adapted activities, indoor rowing, adventure sports, traditional games) and recreational activities (visits,walking, religious events, parties, summer camps).

- Meals Time: The tasks of the volunteer can include helping in giving the meals to the residents, but most important, helping in creating a friendly, funny and home environment during the meal time. This can include establishing healthy conversations with the residents, inquiring about their activities during the day.
- Support in health routines: help the staff to assure that the residents can take care of their health routines (shower, washing teeth, get dressed, etc) and assist them when is needed.
- Promote European Voluntary Service and other youth activities: the EVS volunteers should give visibility to their own EVS activity, in order to motivate other young people to participate on EVS and in other youth activities as youth exchanges. With this purpose they can organise exhibitions, presentations in schools
and in youth clubs, etc.
- Personal project: according to the spirit of volunteering, learning and sharing that sets the philosophy of hosting an EVS project, the EVS volunteers will have the freedom and will be challenged to promote a personal project, an original idea or whatever they desire that comes in accordance with the regular philosophy of the institution, either in the formerly mentioned areas, or in different ones, for which they can count with support and monitoring from the staff of the hosting organisation and ProAtlântico's team.
- Participation in the planning of the work: the volunteers will attend to the planning meeting where the specific objectives and activities are defined on a regular basis. In these meetings they can propose ideas to implement, propose solutions for specific problems, become aware of the working methodologies of the organisation, place their doubts or questions about the work, evaluate, etc.

The tasks weren't designed to achieve profit, because the organization is non-profitable and doesn't intend to make financial gain from its activities.
The volunteers will start Portuguese lessons shortly after their arrival in Portugal, in order to help them to communicate with the residents and staff.
The first few weeks after the volunteer's arrival will be considered as a period of preliminary induction, during which the volunteer will be introduced to the project team and will gain familiarity with the new living and working environment.

During this time the coordinating organisation ProAtlântico - Associação Juvenil will welcome the EVS volunteers and create right conditions for the development of the project, giving the volunteers the opportunity to integrate in the new culture, different environment and new language.

ProAtlântico will provide the language course and will create the opportunity to EVS volunteers to establish the first contacts with the hosting organization and with the different projects that will be developed during their stay. At the same time, the EVS volunteers will be introduced in the hosting organization, mainly to the working team.

In this period, the EVS volunteers will have the opportunity to settle down, observe and plan the tasks in which they will be involved. The volunteers will also participate in activities organized by ProAtlântico - Associação Juvenil for the cultural training about integration in the Portuguese culture and dealing with cultural shock.

After this initial adjustment period, the volunteer will work directly in the tasks defined in the hosting organization with the staff. Before the beginning of each task, the EVS volunteers will have the necessary briefing and/or training by qualified people to obtain the necessary knowledge to perform well in their functions. During this process all the training will be structured according to the needs of the EVS volunteers and be provided by the staff.

At the first sight, it won't be necessary any formal training, just the practical procedures will be trained.
Although, if needed, will be possible to have more formation depending on the volunteers needs.
The team will meet regularly with the volunteer to evaluate the tasks and to check if the objectives are fulfilled.
The schedule of the volunteer will be 35 hours a week, 5 days a week with 2 days off (usually Saturday and Sunday but it can change according to the needs of the volunteer and the hosting organisation). The volunteer and the hosting organisation will agree one schedule between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. having in mind 6 hours each day in total of 30 hours a week.

3 to 5 hours will be used for personal support with the mentor and Language Course given by a school or by a private teacher.

The schedule will be set between the volunteer and the mentor, considering their interests and the kind of activities developed. The volunteers might have to be available during the weekend and in that case will have free days during the week.

The volunteer will have 2 days of holidays per month for the duration of the project, to be taken in agreement between the volunteer and the team of the hosting organisation.







VOLUNTEER PROFILES AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS:

In order to receive applications of candidates to this project, ProAtlântico - Associação Juvenil will promote a transparent recruitment process by taking different actions:
- send information about the project to European networks and to National Agencies by e-mail - create a website that can give information about the project and all the selection process.

The coordinating organisation will create a selection group that will make a pre-selection of the candidates, firstly based on practical issues (selecting only the candidates that had the CV, motivation letter, and sending organisation details). After reading the CV and Motivation letters, the selection group makes a choice, considering the interest of the volunteers to work with disabled people, their commitment to volunteering service and the reason presented to have chosen this project.

During this process all the information about the candidates, the selection process and the results will be available in the Internet site. The volunteers will be chosen taking in consideration that can bring something of their own experiences and culture, to enrich the hosting projects and local community.

The project is totally based in free activities to the participants. Therefore, the presence of EVS volunteers can't be at any moment seen as job substitution.
The profile of the volunteer will have general requirements: self-motivated, dynamic, versatile, good mood, flexible, with self initiative, creative, with handwork skills, willing to take on new challenges, opened to work with people of all backgrounds and cultures; enthusiastic to participate in the project; mature to work and to relate to a group of disabled people; willing to develop new activities and with sense of responsibility.

We will look for volunteers who are interested in working with a commitment to volunteering, with interest in social field, and had chosen our project because of the experience and development they will gain not only because it's in Portugal.










NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS HOSTED:

The organisation is able to host 2 volunteers at the same time.









RISK PREVENTION, PROTECTION AND SAFETY:

The volunteer will work with the team of ithe hosting organisation so it's already provided protection and safety.

Every EVS Volunteer will have a Mentor that will be directly responsible for his/her personal support and to whom he/she can turn in case of problems. The integration of the volunteers in the hosting organisation is responsibility of the mentor. The mentor will have meetings with the volunteers, depending on the duration of the activity and the kind of activities developed, in order to give personal support to the volunteer and identify the obstacles and difficulties that the volunteer may face.

The volunteer will do his/her activity with autonomy and supervision of the team. The mentor will be available to mediate conflicts and help the volunteer in his/her needs. To prevent risks, the EVS volunteers will be accompanied by a member of the team whenever possible, who will help the volunteer in the running of the activities.

Every EVS volunteer will have special training about: the organisation 0working methods; relationship and attitude among disabled people; prevention of risk behaviours. The volunteers will also inform the team about situations that put the beneficiaries of the hosting organisation in danger.

In order to guarantee safety and protection of EVS volunteers, they will know the general procedures in case of a dangerous situation. The volunteers will also be informed about the main telephone numbers and localisation of useful services like, national emergency number, fire department, police office, hospitals, and pharmacies. They will also be aware about the contact people inside the organisation like mentor, team, etc.

The volunteers will also be covered by health and accidents insurances, in order to guarantee their safety and protection.

For the preparation of the hosting of EVS volunteers will be created a Welcome Guide, which will provide information about the lodging, cleaning of the flat, consumption of supplies (water, electricity and gas), transports available, money issues (food, transport and pocket money), training and formation, extra information: cultural information, transports, etc.

The young people aged 16 or 17 will be protected and be under supervision of the hosting organisation team.

A mentor will be identified by the hosting organisation to assure their full protection, safety and will prevent crises and risks, by taking several meetings during the EVS activity. The volunteers will be informed about rules and procedures of the hosting organisation and also the law in Portugal for young people under 18.
The volunteer will have the support of ProAtlântico - Associação Juvenil team that is responsible for coordinate the project.

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_form_en.cfm?EID=60000178132