ESC in Madeira (Portugal)
Portugal
ESC in Madeira (Portugal)
Eastpackers is looking for volunteers who want to share their passion for history to tourists on the beautiful island of Madeira, Portugal.
A walk through the History of Madeira is a project that intends to present the culture, history, and heritage of Madeira through guided tours and other cultural activities such as exhibitions or fado concerts. Throughout the last few years, the University of Madeira Students’ Union (AAUMa) has been developing several initiatives with a heavy focus on Tourism and Culture, under the Madeiran Heritage program. These initiatives are also directly connected with its social support programmes, which help the local community of Madeira. Through the contribution of everyone involved (EVS volunteers, Portuguese volunteers, and staff members of AAUMa), the Madeiran Heritage program received two national-level awards: a National University Volunteering Award and a National Award for Good Practices in Youth Associativism.
The guided tours take place across Funchal in several locations such as the Historical City Centre, the City Hall, the Jesuits’ College, the Church of Saint John the Evangelist, the Legislative Assembly of Madeira, the Santa Clara Monastery, Saint Peter’s Church and to Quinta Vigia (the Official Residence of the Regional Government).
By accompanying the visitors and presenting the history of these sites, the volunteer has an active role in the project which will enable him/her to acquire a specific set of skills and competencies, from linguistic abilities to time management and public speaking, as well as awareness of European values, such as tolerance and cultural diversity.
Aside from the attractions, there is a connection between the project and the social support programmes developed by AAUMa which enable various endeavours such as the refurbishment of the University of Madeira, providing school supplies and daily meals to less fortunate students or acquiring scientific publications for the library of the University of Madeira. By performing the guided tours and explaining their purpose to the guests, the volunteer assumes a very important role in the promotion of these social support programmes.
For more information about the Madeiran Heritage program, you can check this webpage.
Information about ESC opportunities:
This organization is going to host new ESC volunteers from March 2023 onwards.
You can apply anytime through this platform (“Prospective volunteers” section).
Alles over dit project
The working methods used will be always non formal education. The Volunteer will be directly involved in planned activities in its different stages (preparation, development, monitoring and implementation).
The activities developed by the volunteer under this project include:
- Collaborate in AAUMa’s attractions by performing guided tours or assisting the visitors in the service points
- To research scientific articles, chapters and excerpts of technical and scientific publications in the field of social sciences (5 weekly hours)
- Writing articles for advertising on various platforms, both on paper and digital
- Performing translations of scientific documents
- Collaborate in the organization and promotion of exhibitions and other cultural activities
- Take part in On-arrival and Mid-Term trainings, held by the Erasmus+ Portuguese National Agency
- To promote and to participate in other activities developed by AAUMa, as well as proposing possible projects and activities to undertake as personal projects.
Young persons from from 18 to 30 years who are interested to work with people with different backgrounds.
- Willingness to learn Portuguese
- Interested in working with tourists.
- Interested in history
- Able to take own initiative
- Interested in Portuguese culture
Food
The volunteer will receive money for their breakfast, lunch and dinner (for every day) each month, directly from the hosting organization, in total of 199,95 €. For the working days, the volunteer chooses between ordering the meals through the HO or receiving the equivalent money of those meals.
Accommodation
The University of Madeira Students’ Union (AAUMa) has an agreement with the Social Services of the University of Madeira, so volunteers will be accommodated in University Residence located in the centre of Funchal, in a few minutes by walk from their working place. Volunteers will have free Wi-Fi connection, access to a common kitchen with freezers, microwave, individual lockers, tables and chairs and containers of waste, access to a common living room and also to a laundry with washing and dry machines
The rooms must be shared with other roommates of the same sex (2 or 3 people in one room). Each room has a wardrobe, a desk, a lamp and a chair per occupant, a mini-fridge, blankets and a pillow and a private bathroom with basics utensils.
The local transportation costs of the volunteers necessary for the activities implementation will be covered 100% by the Receiving Organization from the project budget.
The volunteers will be enrolled to Portuguese language course at the OLS Platform.
The volunteers will contribute with a maximum of 35 hours and they will have 2 days off per week (usually weekends). If they need to work during the weekends (special events or excursions, special campaigns, etc.), they will have the opportunity to take those days off on other terms. They will also receive days off during national holidays.
The volunteer has the right of 2 days of holidays per working month. The holidays need to be requested and agreed with the project coordinator at least two weeks in advance. In any case, the extra days off cannot surpass the total of 2 working days per month.
Waarom kiezen voor Eastpackers?
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Eastpackers begeleidt Nederlandse jongeren kosteloos bij het vinden van een EU gefinancierd vrijwilligerswerkproject.
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Ervaren mentoren die altijd voor je klaar staan.
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Wij zijn flexibel: geen vaste deadlines, geen onzekerheid
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Laag inschrijfgeld dat je terugkrijgt na je EVS project
Faq
Funchal was the first city established by the Portuguese royal family in the Portuguese Empire during the Portuguese Discoveries. In the 16th century, Funchal was created to welcome the developments achieved by the booming sugar cane industry and had the short term aim of reorganizing the territory discovered by the Portuguese. The city, settled in the 15th century, was a cosmopolitan center with many foreigners, as it was a port for fleets heading towards the South Atlantic. As the first experience of colonizing uninhabited areas in the Atlantic Ocean, Funchal became an example for Portuguese expansion. Funchal and its port emerged as Europe’s cosmopolitan and international gateway to the New World.
Ja. Je kunt je inschrijven voor ESC zolang je nog 30 bent op de dag dat je ESC project begint.
Dit project (onderdeel van de European Solidarity Corps, ESC) wordt geheel gefinancierd vanuit het Erasmus+ programma van de Europese Unie. Dit programma is bedoeld om uitwisseling tussen Europese jongeren en hun culturen te stimuleren. Eastpackers is één van de Nederlandse organisaties die bemiddelt tussen Nederlandse jongeren en buitenlandse organisaties die vrijwilligers ontvangen. Onze werkzaamheden worden ook door de EU gefinancierd. Deelnemers betalen hier niets voor.
Er zijn wel een aantal voorwaarden verbonden aan deelname aan dit project. Je moet tussen de 18 en 30 jaar oud zijn, minimaal 6 en liefst 9 maanden beschikbaar zijn (voor andere projecten is dit soms anders) en gemotiveerd zijn om full-time vrijwilligerswerk te doen.
Het is kenmerkend voor ESC projecten dat het werk en de werkomgeving soms anders uitvallen dan van te voren gedacht. Een flexibele instelling is noodzakelijk om van ESC de leerervaring te maken die het kan zijn. Wanneer je het moeilijk hebt, heimwee ervaart of onvoldoende uitdaging hebt, helpen wij je om de situatie te verbeteren. Je bent en blijft te allen tijden vrijwilliger. Wij kunnen je dus niet dwingen om tegen je zin te blijven. Bedenk wel dat je slechts één keer in je leven ESC kunt doen. Als je jouw project voortijdig beëindigt, kun je geen ander project gaan doen.
Alle reis,- en verblijfkosten (plus je eventuele visa) zijn inbegrepen. Daarnaast krijg je eten en drinken of een vergoeding om dit zelf te kopen. Daarnaast krijg je nog zakgeld die door Eastpackers maandelijks wordt overgemaakt. Verder krijg je een aanvullende zorgverzekering een online taal cursus voor EU landen en taallessen voor landen buiten de EU. Bovendien krijg je een trainingen aangeboden waar je leert het meeste uit je ESC te halen. Deze zijn in Nederland en in het land waar jouw gastorganisatie gevestigd is.
Elke gastorganisatie regelt huisvesting op een andere manier. De meest gangbare vorm van huisvesting is dat meerdere ESC-vrijwilligers samen in een appartement worden gehuisvest. Vrijwilligers delen de keuken en badkamer en hebben elk een eigen slaapkamer. Er zijn echter ook landen en projecten waarbij twee vrijwilligers een kamer delen. Als je dit niet wilt, is het belangrijk om van te voren met de gastorganisatie goed door te spreken hoe de huisvesting is geregeld.
In bijna alle ESC projecten kun je zelf maaltijden kopen en bereiden. Hiervoor krijg je een maandelijkse toelage.