Bona Fides Association has an opportunity for Polish volunteers to join 2 long-term social projects with Internationale Jugendgemeinschaftsdienste (ijgd) in Berlin, Germany!
Place: Berlin, Germany
Dates:
1. WIR starting as soon as possible (1.06) – until 31.05.2027 (12 months)
2. LAVIDA from August/ September until 31.05.2027. (9 to 10 months)
About the ijgd
The ijgd (Internationale Jugendgemeinschaftsdienste) is one of Germany’s oldest and largest non-profit organizations, established in 1949 to promote international youth work, peace, and cross-cultural understanding. It helps around 4,000–5,000 young people annually participate in volunteering, workcamps, and social/ecological projects, focusing on social responsibility, anti-discrimination, and sustainability.
Project 1: Wir-Schule / Working in a school / day-care centre with a Montessori concept
The School
Website: https://www.wir-schule.de/
In the green district of Köpenick, we have rooms and open spaces for living and learning. Reform pedagogical practice according to Maria Montessori and Célestin Freinet shape our everyday life. The W-I-R Elementary School is a cooperation of Pfefferwerk Stadtkultur gGmbH as the school’s sponsor and the parents’ association Bewegte Eltern Berlin e. V., which acts as the after-school care provider. The school and after-school care center work according to a uniform concept and offer open all-day care. Our concept focuses on philosophy and communication based on reform pedagogy.
The school will grow to a maximum of 120 children in the coming years. The children learn in mixed-age groups in grades 1-3 and 4-6. Free work with Montessori materials and the open weekly schedule are essential. Experiential learning in studios, workshops and in the countryside characterizes the school’s daily routine.
Tasks for volunteer
The volunteer will be involved in the school as well as the associated after-school care. If the volunteer is interested, they can take care of individual children for a limited period during the free work phase. Professionals support the volunteer. The aim is primarily to observe, to assess a child’s “learning window” or “sensitive phases” and accordingly to show the child play and learning materials without explaining too much or too little. In addition, the volunteer learns how learning materials can be produced themselves. Furthermore, they have the opportunity to accompany the pedagogical team comprehensively and thus gain an intensive insight into the organization and work of a free school.
Tasks could include:
• Assistance in class
• Accompaniment the students in the after-school care center
• Supervision and playing with the students in the outdoor area
• Individual support of the students in the free work phases
• Development of own projects or group activities
• Kitchen service to prepare breakfast and lunch
• Service in the quiet area
Project 2: LA VIDA gGmbH – ZeitRaum / Working with people with psychosocial disabilities
Website: zeitraum-ggmbh.de/unternehmen/neukoelln/index.php
The Project
Located in the heart of Berlin-Neukölln, the LA VIDA day care and occupational activity centre offers adults with mental health conditions a structured, resource-oriented an participatory daily programme. Through social, creative and practical group activities, clients can strengthen their sense self-determination, communication skills and everyday abilities, all in a respectful and trusting atmosphere supported by a multidisciplinary team. As a client-
oriented team, we prioritise the individual needs and interests of our clients in our work.
As an ESC volunteer, you will be fully integrated into the centre’s daily life. You will support group and leisure activities, assist clients with creative or everyday projects, and contribute your own ideas, creativity, culture, and language to the community. You are also welcome to propose and implement your own projects. As a volunteer, you will gain valuable insights into the psychosocial and social-psychiatric work in Berlin, develop social and intercultural skills, and experience solidarity and inclusion in practice.
Intercultural exchange between volunteers, clients, and staff enriches everyone involved. It promotes an understanding of European values such as respect, equality, participation, and peaceful cooperation, while helping to reduce the mental health stigma.
Tasks for Volunteers
As a volunteer, you will familiarise yourself with the concepts and practical implementation of LA VIDA’s work, develop your teamwork skills, and expand your social and civic abilities.
We would like you to build a positive, mutual relationship with the clients over time, and to bring your own personality and interests into everyday life.
As a volunteer, you can get involved in a variety of supportive and participatory activities at the day care centre. You will always work as part of the team and will not replace professional staff.
The tasks are very diverse and flexible:
• supporting group activities such as creative projects, music, cooking, handicrafts, and discussions. Small excursions, walks, and outdoor activities;
• accompanying clients in their daily routine, welcoming them and joining in with shared activities, and encouraging social participation;
• preparing or creating materials for groups and activities, and getting to know the organizational routines such as planning, documentation, and basic administrative support;
• co-creating individual offers and sharing own interests, or hobbies in small projects such as cultural or language activities related to the volunteer’s home country, thematic workshops, music, games, photo or art projects;
• participating in team meetings to better understand methods, planning , and psychosocial processes;
• Gaining insight into social-psychiatric work methods by observing how staff assess needs and resources, as well as how they structure supportive activities.
Within these areas, you can gradually take on responsibility for clearly defined, pre-planned projects, with guidance and support from the professional team.
Key facts about the volunteer position:
• the volunteer will work with a team of about six people. There are 23 of us in the office. We have a team meeting with all colleagues once a month.
• The spoken languages in the team are German and English.
• The volunteer is expected to work 30 hours per week (six hours per day).
• Working hours are mostly from 9:00 a.m. to 03:00 p.m.
• The clients we work with are between 25 and 75 years old.
Application
Please send your CV and motivation letter (in English) to mariachiara@bonafides.pl and anna@bonafides.pl or contact us for any further information! Please write “ESC in Berlin, Germany” in the title of your e-mail.
Check out all the projects Bona Fides is currently recruiting for
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