The volunteer will take part in an EVS group project that aims to increase European awareness among youth in the town of Marche-en-Famenne and to improve a closer collaboration between local youth services. The volunteer will be hosted during the same time as two european volunteers who will work for other local organizations (Compagnons Bâtisseurs and Maison des Jeunes). However, the main part of his/her activities will only proceed within the hosting organization, Mic-Ados.

MIC-ADOS is an organization dedicated to youth work and located in the town of Marche-en-Famenne. It is composed of 9 employees (educational and social workers, criminologist and secretary).

Mic-Ados is recognised as youth service by the French Community of Belgium. It works wiith children and teenagers from 0 to 18 years old and with their families.

Mic-Ados offers them individual help and follows-up (support on various issues : family, school, administrative problems...), but we develop as well collective and communitarian actions (camps, street animations, support for homework...).

The town of Marche-enFamenne, located in the South of Belgium (French-speaking part) counts 16.640 inhabitants. It is surounded by the villages of Hollogne, Waha, Verdenne, Champlon-Famenne, Grimbiémont, Lignières, Roy, Aye, Humain, Marloie, Hargimont and On. It is located in a rural area. The cultural activity offers are not as numerous as in the big cities, but those -Liege, Namur, Brussels- are therefore easy to join by car and/or train (1h30 of journey maximum)·

During his/her work, the EVS volunteer will be mainly present in a part of the town called La Fourche. This neighbourhood is located not for away from the town center and composed of 150 social houses. These were built 40 years ago to accommodate Turkish families who had immigrated in Marche-en-Famenne to work for the local open quarries and the wood industry.Nowadays, a lot of inhabitants of La Fourche are still issued from the immigration. A part of them has Turkish origins (Turkish community in Marche counts about 350 people). Several other nationalities are also present there, as well as Belgians. Most of them have a low economic level.

With other workers of Mic-Ados, the EVS volunteer will propose animations to the children and the teenagers who live in La Fourche. This animation project, implemented by Mic-Ados to two years, aims to federate, not only the young people, but all the inhabitants of La Fourche. The aim is they can share leisure time, meet each other and create favourable social links. Proposing animations in La Fourche, Mic-Ados hopes other local services (Sport Centre, Art Centre…) will invest soon in the area.

IMPORTANT : Before participating in the project, the EVS volunteer will have to engage him/herself to respect the internal rules of Mic-Ados. He needs to present a certificate of good character or any official document proving he has no criminal record with children. Living in Marche-en-Fammenne includes regular contact with the target youth of Mic-Ados. For this particular reason the volunteer needs to behave as a good example, considering especially the consumption of alcohol and drugs during working time but as well during leisure time. .

Activity proposed to the EVS volunteer :

Activities with Mic-ados :

- Street animations in La Fourche (a part of Marche-en-Famenne). These animations are run after the school hours or during week-ends and hollidays. Animators from Mic-Ados are present in the area and propose open-air activities to the children and teenagers.

- Participation in a video project. A movie will be made with the children of the area in order to create more cohesion between the inhabitants of turkish and belgian origin.

- Participation in the development of a sport area in the district.

- After school support activity to the children.

- Participation in summer camps.

The volunteer will have the opportunity to suggest activity and to develop his/her own projects if these are in adequacy with Mic-ados'teaching project and financial possibility.

Collective activities with other EVS volunteers : The EVS activity within Mic-Ados is attached to a group EVS project that aims to increase european awareness among youth in Marche-en-Famenne and to improve a closer collaboration between the local youth services.

For that reason, some activities will be run with two other EVS volunteers (hosted by Compagnons Bâtisseurs and Maison des Jeunes). The volunteers will work together especially during special youth events organized once a year in Marche-en-Famenne: Rock festival, Carnaval, youth services open day, end of exams party…. The volunteers will help to the preparation and follow-up of these events. In some occasions, they will hold an information stand presenting EVS program and youth exchanges opportunities. They will have the opportunity to organize a "european night" in the youth house as well and to present their country and traditions to the locals. The EVS volunteers could help in the organization of any further common activity between Mic-Ados, Maison des jeunes and Compagnons Bâtisseurs, eg international youth exchange, local fest in La Fourche, mini-football local tournament.

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_form_en.cfm?EID=20000091016