European Voluntary Service (English) // By El Patio de Franky (Carmen y Pilar) //

Welcome!!

If you are here, it can be that you know the EVS (European Voluntary Service) or maybe you need more information about how to participate in this European program.
First of all, the aim of this blog is share the work we are going to do in our respective projects and to describe our experience.
Start by explaining what it is and how to apply for an EVS:

The Youth in Action programme offers young Europeans the chance to make a real difference to the world – and to their own lives – through the European Voluntary Service.

EVS is a partnership project between two or more organisations allowing young people to do a voluntary service in another country.

The aim is to develop solidarity and promote tolerance, mutual understanding and active citizenship (particularly European citizenship).

A strong focus on training and personal and task-related support helps young people develop skills and competences which will be useful in their future employment or education.

NOTE: Youth in Action program was created from 2007 until 2013. 
Now, EVS is taking part in a new program, ERASMUS + (2014 - 2020).

A volunteer participates in EVS through a Sending Organisation in the country where he/she is legally resident and a Host Organisation which receives and hosts the volunteer during the Service period.
In order to get in contact with an organisation you may consult the database of accredited organisations http://europa.eu/youth/volunteering/project_en

Requirements:

Age: volunteers must be 18 - 30 years old on the application deadline (young people with fewer opportunities can participate from age of 16).

Home country: volunteers must be legally resident in the country of the Sending Organisation.

★★★★★★★★ So, to sum up ★★★★★★★★

1º Finding a Sending Organization (SO). 

2º Preparing your CV Europass and a Motivation Letter.

¡ADVICE! Personalizing your Motivation Letter, be creative, sincere and above all try to express your desire to participate in that project as a volunteer.

3º Searching projects on the data base, for project's theme, country, Short/Long term, etc.  on

¡ADVICE! Focus your search on the project's theme, not the country ... You should think that you are going to spend months doing your volunteering, therefore, you have to like the work that you perform. After you select projects, you can read about the Host Organisation, the city where you could live, etc.

4º Sending your CV y ML to the Host Organization (HO) whose project you will have read previously.
 
5º Waiting...Your requests will be managed in several ways: you can receive a reply in a few days telling you the volunteer selection process is open and they count on your application, or there aren't vacancies, or they answer you several weeks or months later, or may be you don't receive a response from them...

6º Good news! You will be shortlisted or selected directly in one of the projects you have requested!

7º You have been selected! congratulations!

After being selected, begins a long process, since the project is approved until the date of your departure to the country destination, it will take months and months, but calm because your SO and HO will inform you.
In case you are selected for a project that is already approved and they are looking for volunteers urgently, you will join to the project in a short time.

So much for steps that we must continue since we started looking for the project until we are selected.
Further on we will tell you how it was in our case the following process: waiting for approval of the project by the National Agency, the departure training, Activity agreement, insurance, etc...  

We encourage you to follow us the track :)