On Field Training Exchanges in Europe
After the Training for Trainers on Organisational Development, the participants (trainees) from America, Asia, Africa, participated in on-field job-shadowing and training sessions with European organisations.
In the first part of the training exchange, an expert and a trainee provided a 3-day training on organisational development to a European organisation. In the second part of the training exchange, trainees stayed for 7-10 days in the host organisation, doing a professional exchange in order to strengthen the strategic needs discovered during the STEPS training.
Here are the experience sharing of the trainees from Mariana García Berrueta (ICYE Mexico), Parin Charoenchanaporn (VSA Thailand) and Ratherford Mwaruta (ZWA Zimbabwe):
Understanding and Cooperation as a Path to Enhance the IVS Movement
On May, I had the unique opportunity to participate in a job shadowing experience with EstYES, Estonia. The main outcomes of the experience are understanding and cooperation. On the one hand, I am able to understand better European programs, inequalities within regions, and the power that lies within the youth and the voluntary service. On the other hand, the experience gave me the possibility to explore cooperation with countries that do not form part of the world vision of the Mexican youth. Overall, the job shadowing helped me to create new ideas about why IVS is vital in our path to build peace and justice.
I have volunteered abroad and currently I coordinate voluntary programs for foreigners in Mexico. Nevertheless, thanks to EstYES, I had the opportunity to become for the first time an observer and listener of youth in action. I was able to visit several youth organizations in Tallin and Narva (VitaTim, public youth centers, etc.), and talk with the volunteers and coordinators working in them. This new perspective taught me to valorize more the capabilities of youth as agents of change, and IVS as a platform for it.
The experience also brought into the surface common and particular challenges. While the impact and necessity of volunteering abroad are clearer for the people involved in it, it is getting harder to boost interest and transmit the value of it to new generations. If we aim to enhance the IVS movement, we need to join efforts, link IVS to the needs and interest of young generations and use vocabulary that evokes the purpose of IVS.
In addition, it became clear through discussions with the EstYES team and the Estonian Youth Agency that international volunteering is part of the European agenda, and therefore, European youth and organizations receive considerable support from their governments. Thanks to past south-north cooperation, EstYES Director was able to share some advice to balance the mentioned shortcomings, such as cooperation with local universities and governments.
Solidarity, understanding, respect, and cooperation are some of the values that the IVS movement try to incorporate in the global youth, but it is also the foundation from which IVS organizations can grow and move towards peace and justice. The job shadowing gave SIIJUVE a new ally and perspective, and for that, I am very thankful to EstYES and CCIVS.
Jobshadowing in Hungary with Egyesek
After 6 days training in Poggio Mirteto, Italy on Organizational Development with CCIVS trainers, I continue my journey to Budapest, Hungary. My task is to visit Egyesek organization to deliver the training that I have received and visit their project site to learn and exchange good practices. I will spend total 12 days with them. It is my first time in this beautiful country and rain is welcoming me (it is summer!). I give the training to the board members of Egyesek for total 3 days to find out their strengths and area that need to be strengthen. From the learning, they need to come up with some strategies. Then, I give them sometimes to think and discuss. I will meet with them again at the end of my visit. With limited preparation time for the training, I do not have time to see Budapest yet, I will come back later.
Next stop, I move out of Budapest to Hollókő by bus. The journey takes about 2 hours. Hollókő is a Palóc ethnographic village in Hungary and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, very excited to be there. Egyesek has a training center here. I have a chance to join “Coaching” Training which happening during that week. We play many games and learn new skills to become a good coach. The participants from the training are from everywhere in Europe in different field; student to freelance. It is a good chance to learn new culture and meet new people.
While staying in Hollókő, I visit EVS. There are projects for EVS in 5 different villages not so far from Hollókő. They are connected by bus. I have visited 4 of them; Szecseny, Varsány, Nógrádszakál and Magyargéc. EVS are lived in Szecseny. Their accommodation is a small house. It looks cozy and convenience, quite good conditions for volunteers. I have joined different activities here; English class at primary school, Youth Center for after school activities and Children day for gypsy kids (super adorable). I feel that I want to spend more time with them, but have to move on.
Last 2 days in Hungary, time to move back to Budapest. Egyesek has an event for launching software call “iPrepare” which aims to support organization for preparing volunteer to go abroad. Some organizations have no pre-departure program for their volunteer which iPrepare will come to support. In this event, I have tried the prototype, it is very useful.
Time comes to an end, last day, I have a meeting with the board member to discuss on their next approach for the organization. I believe the training that I have provided really give an impact and help them to move on. Also, it is time to say goodbye. Thank you for everyone from Egyesek for taking care of my visit.
Apart from work, I have a chance to try many cuisines when I am here, but except Hungarian food ironically.
One thing that my friend tells me to try is ‘Thermal Bath’, but until the last day, I don’t have a chance. I will have to come back here again 😊
Putting a Human face behind the Email
In order to enhance the spirit of south-north exchange as well as putting a human face behind the email, skype or phone call as well as improving effectiveness and efficiency in managing organisational change, I was attached to SCI Catalunya in Spain for job shadowing. This accorded me a very rare chance to put things in to perspective by seeing my own organisation with different eyes. The program was action packed, pregnant with opportunities because I was offered the chance of a life time to have one on one session with the entire SCI staff members, some few board members as well as one ex staff/ board member. This was a perfect learning opportunity because it offered me a very good chance to lean all the different departments at SCI Catalunya within a very short time. Working alongside the staff and board members created a very rare chance for mutual learning as well as strengthening our partnership. One of the greatest lessons learnt was the fundraising strategies employed by SCI which is more local and sustainable. I was impressed by the approach which I will call friend raising as opposed to fund raising.
I actively participated in the training of the outgoing volunteers, this gave me respectable time to try and understand the needs and aspirations of the young volunteer from Spain on why do they volunteer to different parts of the world. I was accorded the opportunity to present projects from East and Southern Africa, this was very health because it challenged my imagination. I also took advantage of being in Barcelona the home of Cocat and visit their office so as exchange notes as well as putting a human face behind the phone calls or email with the staff members at Cocat. This was an amazing experience because, I witnessed how two sister organisations are complementing each other in volarising international voluntary services in the same city but employing different strategies.
The key deliverable output of the job shadowing was the consensus agreement to pitch proposal with SCI Catalunya under the auspices of the Erasmus plus program. The proposal will try and raise resource for a joint camp coordinators capacity building program. We intend to harmonise training programs for camp coordinators, this will go a long way in improving effective and efficiency in running our workcamps as well as improving partnership between the two-sister organisation since we will be using the same manual for camp management. The idea is also to include other sister partner organisations in Asia and the Americas.
Ratherford Mwaruta, ZWA
