Bona Fides Association and Xeracion Valencia are looking for one Polish volunteer for an ESC project at Hogar Buenavista in Spain – a social center hosting unaccompanied migrant teenagers, who need support in their daily routines.

Place: Gandia, Spain
Start: ASAP
Duration: 7 months

Summary of the project

More than 4.700 minors arrived to Spain during 2018 without any family, an increase of 78% compared to the previous year. And despite the fact that according to the latest available official data on crime in Spain (2016), only 6.4% of the crimes registered in Spain are committed by people of African nationality, some political parties blame them for ending up in criminal circuits and to deteriorate the coexistence in the neighborhoods, even going so far as to say that “they are out of control.” And as if that were not enough, these young people face an even greater problem when they turn 18 and reach their legal adult age, since the situation of these migrants changes radically because they are no longer under public guardianship. In reality, many of them are left unprotected and without a residence permit, despite the fact that the authorities should have provided them with the necessary documentation to obtain it. By ceasing to be minors many of them are on the street, in the most absolute social marginalization. In this context, we think that it is absolutely essential to have centers like ours, where we have a resource for minors providing comprehensive and educational care for children and adolescents in a situation of custody and guardianship who are deprived of a suitable family environment, providing them with a place of residence and coexistence and an attention oriented to its holistic and community development.

PLEASE READ VERY CAREFULLY:

This is a very challenging project volunteering with migrant minors who arrive to Spain and they do not have a family. Often the background of these minors is very delicate with very difficult life situations that provokes that their behaviour might tend to be verbally aggressive and complicated. It’s very demanding but also extremely enriching and satisfying for volunteers. Please take this into consideration before applying for this project.

Activities

There will be a very wide range of possible activities available for the volunteers, with a maximum of 6 hours per day and being able to help and give support in tasks such as:

● Planning, implementing and evaluating their daily schedule and educational activities (literacy, workshops) as well as making sports and leisure resources for minors.
● Planning, designing and evaluating socio-educational and psychosocial intervention with the minors and accompany them to medical appointments.
● Participating in the coordination meetings of the Working Group and the Educational Team.
● Recording data and prepare and write reports that are required by the Technical Team.
● Requesting transportation needs to Management at the educational team meeting.
● Recording weekly outings planned for your tutelage in the diary field, and interviews and communication with family members (if possible) to follow up on their evolution.
● Supporting with the management of purchases for the needs of minors or for the activities that are carried out, as well as clothing inventory.
● Completing the documents included in the Individualized Intervention Project (P.I.I.): Initial Observation Record, Prolonged Observation Record, Follow-up Record and Final Report.
● Supporting the creation and development of activities, campaigns and events (cultural, environmental, social) for children and youth to promote the values of the center.
● Helping with the coordination of local volunteers, as well as getting new people interested in collaborating to perform tasks of all kinds in the center.
● Promoting ESC and the Erasmus + program to encourage youth to participate.
● Helping with the maintenance of the website, as well as social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik-Tok) for dissemination of the center’s activities and help eliminate the stigma suffered by these young migrants.
● Create audiovisual material (photography, videos, time-lapses, stop motions) and design of logos or other promotional material that allows to give visibility to the day to day of these young people thus eliminating the status of criminals that is attributed to them on many occasions.

Practical details (participants, food, accommodation)

We are looking for the last volunteer for the team of 3 volunteers from EU countries.
The accommodation will be in private rooms in a 6 bedroom shared apartment situated in Gandia (together with other ESC volunteers from other project) and all the expenses in the house will be paid by the organisation (electricity, internet, water, gas). Each volunteer will receive a SIM card for their telephone and a bicycle to move around locally.


In addition, they will have the option of getting a fertile small holding for themselves to grow their own vegetables, fruits and herbs. We will give them all the support needed to start, but they will have to compromise to take care of it.


Once a month (starting by arrival date) each volunteer will receive their pocket money and food money for a total of 300€ (5€/day as pocket money and 5€/day for food).

VERY IMPORTANT INFO!

“Hogar Buenavista” is located near a very small village called “Real de Gandia”. However, volunteers will be living in Gandia town and every day they will have to go by bicycle from their house to the centre and back. This is a distance of 4,3 kilometers and around 15 minutes ride. Here you can check the route: https://goo.gl/maps/EiPrtFNxVJSY3AWc7. Please take this into consideration before applying!

Application/contact information

We are looking for one last highly motivated volunteer with a very positive attitude and initiative, adaptable to change, with problem-solving capacity and able to work both independently and as a team member. The ideal candidates should have some experience, studies or a major interest in:

  • – Social Education and integration, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology or similar.
  • – Audio-visuals, Web management, Social media or any related topics.
  • – Working/volunteering with minors, refugees or disadvantaged youth.

Based on previous experiences at least an intermediate level of Spanish language (B1/B2) is required for this project.

If you want to join us, please send your CV to mariachiara@bonafides.pl and anna@bonafides.pl and fill in the application HERE! Applications will be accepted until all 3 volunteers are found.

More info: https://shorturl.at/pyCV2


Muchas gracias!