Bona Fides Association and Beyond Barriers Association are looking for Polish candidates for short and long-term ESC projects working with young people and local communities in Tirana, Albania!
Place: Tirana, Albania
When: next available projects start in June 2024 – Apply now!
Duration: short-term: 30, 45 or 60 days & long-term: 2 – 6 months
About the Hosting Organisation
Beyond Barriers Association was created in June 2004 in Tirana, Albania with the initiative of a group of youngsters with and without disability. BBA is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that defends the rights and the interests of the young people. The mission of BBA is to empower young people in Albania by promoting active participation, inclusion, equal chances and better quality of life.
Through civic education and qualitative youth work for young people and local communities, BBA supports the foundations of building a better society for the present and the future generations. Our motto is: We believe in what we do!
Our Activities
BBA staff is organizing a variety of activities in local, national, regional and European level such as Advocacy and Youth Policy Intervention, Research and publications, technical assistance as the Contact point of E+Youth and ESC in Albania, Capacity building activities, Community Development activities, Networking, Art and Creativity, Culture and Sport activities etc.
Our Target Group
The focus of the association’s work remains on young people with fewer opportunities, with the scope to offer them a chance for empowerment and to be active citizens of the community where they live. Target groups: youngster with social disadvantages, youngsters with disabilities, youngsters from Roma communities, LGBT+ community and other young people in Albania. Special focus is on special target group which are young people with disabilities (all type of disabilities).
Our History with ESC
Volunteering and solidarity with youngsters in need is one of the main pillars of BBA work since its creation and volunteers itself either local or international has been a great asset for development of organisation. BBA was involved in previous EVS program, since 2006 and since then we have hosted in Albania around 150 volunteers from EU organizations in short and long-term projects. Also, we have sent more than 130 young people from Albania in diverse projects in European organizations being one of the first pioneer of European volunteer program in Albania. Throughout participation in European volunteer programs, BBA offered to hundred youngsters opportunity for development in personal, social and professional level.
What activities will you do?
The philosophy of our work is that the volunteer becomes part of the team and as such, they should be integrated in most (if not all) of the projects that the team is currently working with, even if this means assisting with small tasks or taking up a more important role (if they would like to get out of their comfort zone).
1. Social animation with children and youngsters with intellectual disabilities,
at the special school “Luigj Gurakuqi” in Tirana
Once per week you will work with children and youngsters (6-18 years old) with intellectual disability (autism, down syndrome, delayed intellectual development, etc). You will be trained by our specialized staff before starting this project and all the time you will be assisting the specialized teachers at the school. Together with the other ESC volunteers you will design and implement extra-curricular (artistic, cultural, sports) activities in order to socialize with the children and help them develop some important life skills.
2. Gardening & Greenhouse
In the premises of the school BBA has built a greenhouse, aiming to help the children learn about horticulture and gain a profession that can be valuable for their future, taking into consideration that the employment opportunities for people with intellectual disability in Albania are very low. The main aim of this activity is to create a friendly learning environment for children and youngsters with intellectual disabilities, which in addition to plant cultivation, will also help them build skills for life and the labor market. Our goal is not simply to teach agricultural skills but also empower children and youngsters with intellectual disabilities, enhance their mental and physical well-being and promote inclusion and volunteering for this target group. While taking care of the vegetables and flower that are planted in the greenhouse, the children will interact, communicate and socialize with the volunteers, as well as their motor skills will be improved.
*Also, greenhouse volunteers will help with tasks such as potting; plant propagation; care and maintenance of plants. They will help to maintain plants from weeds and dried leaves; breeding; reorganization; tillage of the land and planting plants in or around the greenhouse, and other similar tasks.
3. Other Youth Led Activities
Youth-led activities are a category of activities which aim to give volunteers the opportunity to raise their capacities to organize, plan, create and implement workshops, seminars, coffee-talks, info sessions, promotional campaigns, language courses for children, educational activities for youngsters, organizing activities for international days etc. These types of activities will be organized not only in the premises of BBA’s office, but also in school for disabled children, public spaces, libraries, institutions (city hall, schools, museums, cultural centers, etc.). They will be implemented by the volunteers, always with the assistance of our qualified staff. Invited as participants will be young people, activists, our local volunteers but also important stakeholders in our community (depending on the topic of the activity), in order to create a communication bridge between local actors and our international volunteers and ensure intercultural exchange.
Accommodation and Allowances
Your accommodation and transportation will be covered. You will get the money for food and pocket money at the beginning of every month, quantified on the basis of the amount necessary to live in dignity in our country. You will need to sign a form for receiving the money. The way you spend it it’s up to you and we do not need any bills for your own expenses. Please check the Infopack for more details!
More about us
https://beyondbarriers.org/
https://www.facebook.com/PertejBarrierave
https://www.instagram.com/beyondbarriersngo/
Download the INFOPACK
Application
If you are interested in joining us, please send your CV and a motivation letter in English (with a title: “ESC in Tirana, Albania”) to mariachiara@bonafides.pl and anna@bonafides.pl