EVS mid term meeting for Volunteers in Ukraine Mid-term...EVS mid term meeting for Volunteers in...

Mid-term meeting for EVS volunteers in Ukraine 02-06 of March 2009, Khadzy-Sala

EVS mid term meeting for Volunteers in Ukraine Khadzy-Sala, Crimea, 02-06.03.2009

Introduction Programme framework Day-by-day programme Comments and Recommendations

Reporter Andriy Donets


Introduction

Dates and venue: Khadzy-Sala, 02-06.03.2009

Trainer: Andriy Donets, Olena Yaremko, Yaryna Borenko

Number of participants: 13

The group

The session was addressed to 13 volunteers in EVS projects (9 women and 4 men), coming from Poland (11) and Estonia (2). They were from five hosting organisations 4 in Lviv and 1 in Odessa. The volunteers started their activities in mid-summer-early autumn 2008. Most of the volunteers knew each other from EVS on-arrival trainings or met while implementing their projects in Ukraine. Two of the volunteers were sightless people.

Working languages: Ukrainian and English. Some group sessions were held in Polish.

List of participants

Name Hosting organisation

Sending organisation E-mail EVS volunteer

1 Mihkel Kangur The Way Home NGO HeadEst Estonia

[email protected]

2 Sirle Poikalainen The Way Home NGO HeadEst Estonia

[email protected],

3 Dorota Kaminska Academy of Ukrainian Youth

Polska Fundacja im. Roberta Schumana

[email protected]

4 Agnieszka Kania Academy of Ukrainian Youth

Polska Fundacja im. Roberta Schumana

[email protected]

5 Pawel Piatkowski Academy of Ukrainian Youth

Stowarzyszenie Inicjatyw Niemo liwych MOTYKA

[email protected]

6 Ewelina Ferenc Union of household owners �Galytski oseli�

Fundacja Krzy owa dla Porozumienia Europejskiego

[email protected]

7 Karolina Bednarz Union of household owners �Galytski oseli�

Fundacja Krzy owa dla Porozumienia Europejskiego

[email protected]

8 Bart omiej Klodnicki Education Initiatives Centre

ANAWOJ [email protected]

9 Monika witalska Education Initiatives Centre


10 Rafa Matczak Education Initiatives Centre


11 Marzena Luks Green Cross Society

Polski Zwiazek Niewidomych

[email protected]

12 Paolina Matyjek Green Cross Society

Polski Zwiazek Niewidomych

8093 354 29 09

13 Anna Biernacka Green Cross Society

Miasto Czestochowa [email protected]

The venue

The training took part in small hostel in Khadzy-Sala village by the foot of the Mangup plateau(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doros ) in the Crimean Mountains, 20 km. from Bakhchisaray.

mailto:[email protected]












http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doros


Programme framework

The aim of the training

- to make mid term evaluation of the projects - to reflect about achievements and plans for future - to prepare the follow up plan - to evaluate and reflect on the volunteers experience and project in the context of Youthpass - to support the volunteers learning processes during EVS - to learn more about Ukrainian culture, history, traditions - to discover Crimea and have fun together

Topics covered

- Current volunteers� situation - Midterm evaluation of voluntary service - Best practises of our EVS projects - Youthpass, what I achieved and what steel need to be improved - Future plans (what comes after the voluntary service and follow up plan) - Multiculturalism of Crimea

THE PROGRAMME

2 March 3 March 4 March 5 March 6 March 09.00-10.00 Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast

10.00- 13.00 Arrival Team building Trip to Khersones and Sevastopol

Youthpass

Trip to Bakhchisaray

Departure

13.30-14.30 Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch

15.00-18.30 Getting to know each other

Intro into the programme

Expectations

Project gallery

Truth of my project

How do I feel myself in the middle

of the project

What next after EVS

Q&A

Evaluation of MTM 19.00-20.00 Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner

20.00-22.00 Welcome Evening

Good practices Volunteers Experts book

Free evening


Day-by-Day Programme

Day 1, March 2

Getting to know each other

The whole group arrived in afternoon and the training started with get-to-know each other. As all the volunteers by the beginning of the training have experienced visa procedure, a special visa application form was developed to help the participants to get to know each other. The volunteers were divided to two groups sitting in the inner and outer circles face to face and asking questions from the application form and filling them. Having asked one question and filled the answer into the form the outer circle was moving clockwise. Thus everybody had a chance to talk to everyone. The questions for the visa were:

What are the interesting things on the street you live now? How many times a week do you consume alcohol? What are the funniest things in your EVS project? What is the biggest challenge in your EVS? What is the most striking thing in Ukraine for you? How many people you talked on your trip to the Crimea? How many EVS volunteers in Ukraine have you already got to know?

Expectations round

Participants were suggested to explore their expectations on a �face of volunteer� defining what they want to see (eyes), to hear (ears), to learn (head), to say/contribute (mouth) and to avoid (out of picture).

The results of expectations round:

Volunteers wanted to learn: Youthpass; How to keep my work and private life apart; How to work in a team; improve Ukrainian; Better understand and cooperate with others; To speak; To find out what city is the biggest; Improve Ukrainian, Cooperate better with people;

Volunteers wanted to see: More or less confident people; Effective work; Willingness to cooperate; The nature around here and mountains; Surroundings; Country and people; Everyone enjoying the time here; That it is interesting and fun; New games which I can use to work with children;

What volunteers wanted to hear: Want to hear everybody laughing; New things not only about EVS; Sometimes silence is important; Something interesting about EVS and the Crimea, address of Mihkel in Tallinn and Sirle in Estonia; Some truth about how people perceive me; About the EVS projects in Ukraine; The truth; Formal questions, influence of crisis on EVS.


What volunteers wanted to share: Music; Ideas, mood, good enthusiasm; Passion, advises, games; Experience in theater skills, energizers; Youthpass; Experience, tools, support; Experience and knowledge about EVS; How to work with disabled people;

What volunteers wanted to avoid: Passiveness of people and lack of initiative; Sickness; To be restrictive; unpleasant atmosphere; To get bored; Conflicts; Lack of motivations; Being excluded; Motivation "stuff" and expectations; Motivations; Eating too much (as it happened during on-

arrival); To get cold; Cold and darkness; Ideological package; To get cold.

The programme and aims of training were presented by the trainers. The participants didn�t suggest any changes for the programme but proposed to squeeze one of the lunch breaks and to visit Bakhcisaray.

Welcome evening.

Day 2, March 3

Team building

Taking into consideration the fact that only a part of the participants were well acquainted to each other and preferred to communicate in their smaller groups, the trainers' team decided to run several team building exercises. Using the opportunity of nice nature around and a good weather the team building exercise started outdoors. The group was suggested to pretend to be a dragon with its ayes in its tale. So the task of the group was to climb a small hill blindfolded standing one after one and only one person standing on the back was allowed to have the ayes open and leading the whole group. The group should have work out the communication strategy and decide how to make their way uphill.


The exercise was not easy for the group as there were constant problems with communications within the group and a problem of leadership. The group didn�t want to listen to the members and preferred the strategy of tries and mistakes. The trainers for two times should have stopped the exercise due to security reasons. Finally the group seceded to complete the task without any physical injuries.

The main outcome of the exercise was that it is necessary to listen to each other while working in the group and it necessary to participate actively in the decision making process.

After the "Dragon" exercise, the game "Secret mentor" was introduced. Every volunteer has got a name of the group member for whom she or he should become a secret mentor till the end of the training.

We continued with the team building indoor. The next assignment for the group was to cross the "electric fence", a rope strained between two chairs dividing the room on two parts. The heights of the rope was approx 100 cm. The group should have crossed it without touching the rope keeping hands of each other and only two persons from the ends had one hand free. If someone touches the rope in the process of crossing the whole group should have started from the beginning.

The group succeeded after 30-40 minutes of communications and tries. The main outcome of the exercise was communication within the group which improved group performance dramatically.

Having finished the assignment volunteers were ready to debrief on the group work process and to develop principles of our work till the end of the training.

The group came up with the following suggestions answering the question "What do I need for effective cooperation/interaction?"

Everyone do something Acceptation Leadership/democracy Shared responsibilities Right for a mistake Positive thinking To be heard System of communication/planning Possibility to have feedback To have clarification

At the end of the debriefing the group agreed to follow their findings to make the training as much efficient for the group as possible.

Project gallery

After lunch we started to get to know the projects of each other and create project gallery. The group was split up into pairs to chat about their projects and creating a sculpture of plasticine of the interlocutors' project. The creative work was followed by the presentations the projects of their interlocutors. The sculptures were exhibited in the main hall of the hostel till the end of the training.


The truth of my project

Having completed the presentations and created a projects' gallery the participants were suggested to complete the questionnaire to evaluate their projects according the following indicators:

- accommodation - food - language courses - mentor support - my tasks - integration with local community - contact with hosting organization - contact with sending organisation - my project

The outcome was the following:

Mikhel Sirle Dorota Aga Pawel Ewelina Karolina Bartek Monika Rafal Marzena Paolina Anka accommodation 5 9 9 10 9 5 9 9 10 9 10 8 5food 6 10 10 10 7 5 9 8 8 7 10 10 8language courses

3 3 10 10 7 5 6 8 10 8 7 10 5

mentor support 0 1 10 6 3 10 10 0 1 2 10 10 0my tasks 6 10 9 9 7 6 8 6 8 7 6 7 5integration with local community

6 3 9 8 7 7 10 8 8 8 10 9 10

contact with HO 7 7 9 8 6 10 10 8 9 9 10 10 1contact with SO 9 10 7 10 6 9 10 9 9 6 10 10 7my project 10 10 8 9 8 10 9,5 7 8 8 8 9 5average 5,78 7,00 9,00 8,89 6,67 7,44 9,06 7,00 7,89 7,11 9,00 9,22 5,11

Some comments of the volunteers willing to comment:

Mikhel � Life is irrational, these are mostly about the main things what can make me happy. I don�t want to change anything. About unsatisfactory points

Sirle and Mikhel don�t have mentor. Sirle: "there is someone called Tatiana who supposed to be mentor but we newer meet her"

Anka � I don�t have a mentor. Olenka: "Do you need one?" � Yes I need and want to have one.

Ewelina � we can call mentor all the time and in any situation. Mentor is very supportive. We know our mentor will help them anytime. She also helps to fix the problem with accommodation.

Bartek � mentor is on the paper but this person does not exist. At the beginning there were volunteers in the organization and they were our mentors.

Language course

Aga � cooperates with a girl and very satisfied, as she is supportive with the language. They have something like tandem. The girl was provided by the organization.

Sirle � we had a short course, official one for 2 weeks, covered from the project money. I don�t feel it was enough and expected deeper learning. Before departure from Estonia we had 1,5 week language course.

Rafal about sending organization: we communicate not so often because it is not necessary all the time, but when the contacts are necessary they happen.

As the next step it was suggested to have in-depth look at the project. The volunteers were divided into the smaller groups to discuss during 30 minutes two questions:


"What I like in my EVS project?" and "What I would like to change?"

The small groups were:

Group1: Sirle, Pawel, Rafal, Ewelina:

Group 2: Anka, Bartek, Karolina, Paulina, Dorota:

Anka: "hosting place (theatre) is open for suggestions, but not the HO" Karolina: "possibility to travel within the project"

The place of the project � Lviv, we all like to travel, to improve language, knowledge about Ukraine. HOs are open to suggestions. General feeling about personal development � it is possible to realize own potential and get to know new people.

To change: Karolina: "We feel like bored, need to feel that the work is useful. We feel Lack of feeling that our work is useful for others". Anka: "I want to be treated more as human being by HO not as ballast. Want to have money for local transport reimbursed. To feel that HO wants to solve problems but not only to make my life complicated".

Group 3: Monika, Marzena, Aga, Mihkel

Positives Our organization is good, we have good contact with them, and we can address them, they feel support and the attitude towards volunteers is good. They want to involve disable people into ecology project and make them more active. We like cities, people, culture, traveling, we can give the new people our philosophy of volunteers. We have possibilities to make our projects and develop ourselves. Euroclub � we like.

To change: Conflicts: Volunteers think that there are problems the HO thinks there are any. Lack of concreteness and directness. People can not say directly what do they think or want or don�t like.

Mihkel: Mentor � I'm really confused because I don�t have a mentor and this is important to have him/her at the beginning of the project. We have support but not all the time just from certain people who are nit at the office everyday. People at the office did not realize who we were, they have many local volunteers coming and going so nobody paid really attention to us. Not everyone knows what EVS is and what its philosophy.

Positives: Work with a lot of people and have a lot of fun. Many people are involved into our work and we get to know many interesting, pleasant people. Flexibility of our work and good possibilities for traveling around the country and get to know people and culture. I like the work at my office. People are kind everywhere, on the streets. Partner relationships within the organization, volunteers are treated as partners. Public transport in Ukraine is great/cool

To change: Sirle: "Sometimes I feel that people in my organization don�t trust me. Sometimes 'm there and want participate but they give me just information but don�t give me the tasks to do this and sometimes it is difficult to know what is going on within organization. Pawel: "I would like to have some kind of office to work as he does not have desk at home and have no place to work on other things". Ewelina: "More space for Ukrainian language classes and more professional teaching". Rafal: "Lack of technical facilities for work � computers, cameras, microphones".


Pluses and minuses elaborated by the whole group

Pluses:

- Cities, - places of our project; - travels; - open for suggestion; - friendly hospitable places; - feeling of self-development; - flexibility of the project (work) - opportunity to discover Ukrainian culture; organization

(support, attitude � they love volunteers, profile of HO);

- Development (profit of volunteers) � language; - meeting people sharing philosophy; - culture and travelling; - giving philosophy and development of personality;

- work with a lot of people and having a lot of fun; - possibilities and support of hosting organization to

travel; - free working schedule; - partner relations with my HO - knowing real Ukrainian life, culture, traditions, be

part of it; - Good people; - cheap to live; - public transport which is really logic and well

organised (Ewelina � trains, electrichkas); - meeting people, - volunteers from other countries; - Euroclubs, - I like my city.

Minuses/I want to change:

- a place where I can work in comfortable conditions; - lack of Ukrainian/Russian professional language

classes; - lack of bigger technical support to make my classes

(microphones, cameras, computers, etc); - I would like to ask about more responsibility, that I'm a

trusted person, to be treated as I'm a trusted person, I'm a normal person, part of the staff � not EVS volunteer making exactly the same like others;

- conflicts;

- lack of concreteness; - importance of mentors; - hosting organization don�t know about EVS. I

would like my HO to treat me as a person but not like a ballast, to help me with problems solving but not complicate my life, and to provide me money for local transport. I would like to feel that my work is more useful and efficient.

- Boredom (less satisfaction then in the beginning); - lack of concrete, precise tasks and activities; - lack of stable working place;

Good practices

Before the dinner the participants were suggested also to share experience they got during implementation of their projects and present the best practices they developed within their work. There were several proposals from the participants:

- Energizer for min 10 people for 10 min "Bacteria and vitamins"; - Interactive game "Look for the black". Topic � inclusion of people with disabilities; 5-30 min. - Workshop(s) on inclusion-exclusion. 1-1,5 hours, for everyone; - Games for sightless people, experiencing sightless, inclusion. 15-25 min. - Language animation. Topic � learning foreign languages. 10-15 min. - Exercise "Force the circle" Topic � inclusion. 45 min. - Game "Mafia" � 10 min � 2 hours - Movie about my trip to India � 2 hours.

The group decided to vote what of the best practices they would like to see and experience and after dinner four of them were presented:

Games for sightless people The main topics: experiencing sightless, inclusion. Time: 15-25 min. Group size: any

Three games were presented by Marzena and Paolina


Language animation Topic � learning foreign languages. Time: 10-15 min. Group size: any

It was presented by Pawel, Agnieszka and Rafal

Energizer "Bacteria and vitamins" was presented by the trainers' team

Late in the night the movie about my trip to India was presented by Ewelina

Day 3, March 4

Trip to Khersones and Sevastopol

The day started with the trip to old Greek city Khersones and Sevastopol: walking through see-front promenade, shopping, visiting sightseeing.

How do I feel myself in the middle of the project?

The group dynamics during the previous days of the training and the trip to the Crimean attractions gave us the filling that there is still something in the group which was not said, shared, expressed and understood. The group was still somehow informally divided into smaller subgroups which probably experiencing hidden conflicts in their local community, as the members of these different subgroups could not speak openly and share their problems and successes of the projects. Some of the people were obviously dominating and behaving glaringly and depreciatingly towards other members of the group. So it was decided to introduce changes into the programme and instead of initially planned team work on the EVS Expert Book we invited people into three smaller buzz groups to chat about their EVS. The groups were mixed up to split the informal groups. This was made with the purpose to provide volunteers a safe and comfortable space to reflect and share about their projects in general, their feelings, their achievements, thoughts for the future, and plans till the end of their EVS.

A famous "ghost on the tree" was helping us to chat. The participants got the picture and were asked to find themselves on the positions:

- I'm a week after on-arrival training - I'm just before coming to the mod-term meeting - I'm at the end of my EVS -

Having identified themselves at the first and the second positions and shared the reasons the participants were asked to answer the questions: What happened to me? Are there any change? And after identifying the third position the question to answer was: What I think will happen before the end of my EVS? What can I do to make it true?

That was a long and sensitive talk. Hopefully it helped participants to reflect and realized what EVS gave them so far and what else they can take from it.

EVS expert book

After dinner volunteers still full of energy started to work on their expert advice for the next volunteers coming to Ukraine. Before this activity "Handbook on volunteering in Georgia" has been presented to the volunteers. The book was written by several EVS volunteers in Georgia and some of the volunteers in Ukraine have shown the interest to produce something like this.

So to facilitate the creative and intellectual process the participants were suggested to reflect one or several issues about their life in Ukraine and about their projects.

Tips and hints of life and work in Ukraine and with Ukrainians What not to forget to do before the departure from EVS to my country? What to advise to future EVS volunteers in Ukraine?


What not to forget to see/visit in Ukraine during EVS? What to advise to the sending organisation of EVS volunteer to Ukraine? Advises to hosting organisations in Ukraine (for better hosting of volunteers what to know, do, say)? Advice for mentor

Day 4, March 5

Youthpass

The session started with the short input about the European concept of life long learning and recognition of non-formal education; introduction of youthpass as a step forward to recognition of NFE and facilitation of development of the key competences. The participants were explained the process of youthpass development including technical practicalities and presented the concept of "competence" and the list of key competences with detailed explanation of each of them.

After that the participants were suggested to reflect individually about what they have already learned during their project and then share their findings in the groups of 3 persons. Having shared with the others everyone could revise, add the learning points.

With the full bunch of postits containing the results of self reflection about learning achievements participants were suggested to place each of the achievements on the flipchart paper headed with one of the key competences. In a while everyone could see and read the learning achievements of the group.

The next suggestion for the group was to think individually and to write down on a postit pf different colour "What I want/need to learn".

The results of the individual and group work are the following:

Foreign languages

Have learned - Speak and write in other languages (Ukrainian,

English) - Ukrainian language (2) - Improving language competences (English, Russian,

Ukrainian) - Speaking and translating in Russian - Better translation skills - Improving of Ukrainian - Improving of English

- Understanding of Ukrainian - Basic communication with Ukrainians - Ukrainian - To read in Ukrainian - A bit Ukrainian - Better speaking in Ukrainian - Improved Ukrainian - Improving in Ukrainian

Plan to learn

- Russian language - Fluent Ukrainian in speaking and writing - Ukrainian

- Ukrainian in writing, reading and speaking in communication way

- English - Improving Ukrainian


Digital competences

Have learned

- in-design software (to create journals, brochures, catalogues)

- how to make a movie (full movie production) - to work with computer

- to work with office devices - photography (Photoshop, web site with photos) - researches in internet - to create home page tourism

Plan to learn

- to work with JAWS programme

Sense of initiative

Have learned:

- self-confidence in life and work - organization of Polish club - to believe in your inside, these are talents (maybe not

discovered yet) - to see positive site of life, in colour way - web site about green tourism - organization of international youth exchange - organization of youth clubs - work with youth in providing Polish and German

lessons - proactivity - Teaching Polish (to be a teacher, provide classes,

prepare materials, examining the knowledge) - I realized what I want to do in my life

- organization of movie-club - learned that something, not only work, is

important and you need give yourself for others (your time)

- support in development of European clubs - no need to constantly choose perfect in work or

life- work with youth and children in frame of

European clubs - Project management - To write a project in combating xenophobia - Working abroad - Working in international environment

Plan to learn

- organize exhibition (photography) - discipline myself to finish my work with MA - more my own projects - discipline in organizing in work

- make a schedule of my day and to have more time for myself (learning, hobbies)

- to issue a newspaper at the end of journalistic workshop � measurable output of my activities

Mathematic

Have learned

- Photoshop programme - Learn Exel and PDF programme � how to use it deeper and better

Communication in mother tongue

Have learned

- love affairs - to work with Polish language

Civic and social competences

Have learned

- to find myself in new realities - some children�s psychology

- to keep distance - to be confident and concurrent


- to work with children - to provide negotiations - to provide activities with big group - to stay calmly - to take decision in crisis situations - to be tolerant - to work in international team - to thing logical - that work with children don�t have to be a waist of time - to deal with problems not only by myself � there are

people, who can help - to stay assertive - To organize myself in new environment - To be tolerate to the people different as me - To coexist and be together with sightless people and

assist them - Ti use non-formal education approach in my work - To prepare and conduct Polish lessons - To conduct activities in big group - Transfer of experience - Work with children - self-confidence in negotiations in difficult situations - dealing with people

- to provide negotiations - to work abroad - self motivation - not to be so flexible that the people would on my

head (working on it at least) - organizing my time (at least I�m working at it) - to speak to the public and to provide activities in

big group - cooperation (asking for help if it is necessary) - work in international teams - Polish lessons were stressed at the beginning

and now I�m satisfied - Don�t assume too much - Self-confidence - Work with children - How to deal with authorities (negotiation) - How to be in foreign country without knowledge of

language and without mentor support - Self-confidence in life and work - Work in international team - How to activate the group - work with children - self-confidence - team working ability

Plan to learn

- how to teach Polish language � not only with children in a school, but teach somebody who really want it

- deeper sociality - provide more constructive conversations

- to be assertive and to know how to say �no� - to control own emotions, to be not explosive - to establish more contacts and knew new people - how to deal with conflicts

Learning to learn

Have learned

- how to write project application, fundraising - knowledge about EU - journalistic workshops - become better in promotion (for tourism) - how private entrepreneurships in Ukraine does work - to keep distance to myself, to realize, that I cannot

influence everything - to participate in different actions (week of tolerance) - tools for work with children - discipline myself with work I have to do

- teaching (work with children) - how to write international projects - knowledge about European Union structure

(training programmes) - language (independent learning) - intercultural learning - educational games - got to know difficulties in system of education of

Ukraine - work with children

Plan to learn

- play guitar - day schedule, better self-discipline - play bandura - to create thinks with glass-beads

- do improve teaching methods in teaching Polish - to cook Ukrainian traditional dishes - to improve my knowledge about Youth in Action - not to be afraid travel alone (not to wait for

anyone)

Cultural awareness

Have learned

- to cook better, to cook for others (and don�t think this is a waste of time)

- how �black theatre� is created - got to know Ukrainian traditions - got to know Ukrainian culture and traditions

- improve knowledge about Ukrainian culture and traditions

- got to know Ukrainian culture better - organized festival on equality and tolerance - more knowledge about other cultures - to find myself in new environment


Plan to learn

- to know better Ukrainian cooking - to know more about Ukraine through travelling - to become a chief

- meet more Ukrainian traditions ad culture through travelling

- to get to know small areas of Ukraine

Other

Have learned

- how to activate the group and to use non-formal education approach in youth work

- to work with adults (Polish lessons) - improving communication skills - public traffic in Ukraine and to drive in Ukraine - skills related to work with children - to work with adults, to prepare actions for them

- work with children/adults - realized that I cannot do some things - contacts with kids (teaching, playing,

understanding) - increasing cooking abilities - I discovered how much potential and hypothetical

talents I have

Plan to learn

- to continue activities I�ve did before and which I�m satisfied with

- to have fun

- still improving cooking abilities - gain more knowledge about EU (by providing

Euroclubs)

My EVS Learning Plan

After a break from the morning sessions the volunteers were asked to fill the "My EVS learning plan" form with the purpose to make their plans visible for them and to facilitate the process of youthpass development in the future.

Visit to Bakhchisaray

The lunch break was squeezed to provide participants to visit Bakhcisaray � the old capital of the Crimean Khanat and to get acquainted with the cultural heritage of the past and cultural diversity of the future. In order to foster team spirit within the group they were promised to get reimbursement for the snacks and drinks for the farewell party if the decision will be made jointly and all volunteers will participate in the process.

So for the three - three-and-a-half hours the volunteers managed to have a guided tour around the old town and the Khans Palace and to do shopping for the farewell party.

What next after EVS

In smaller groups participants were suggested to dream up and imagine themselves and other people in the closest future right after EVS. They were asked to try to answer the question "How I see you after EVS", so everyone could get plenty of ideas on how other people see him/her after EVS and to share ones own plans.


LSD/Q&A

There were several topics suggested for the session and three of them took place after voting: Promotion of EVS in Ukraine Fundraising in Ukraine EVS and Youth exchange project management

Evaluation

The evaluation started with summarizing of the "Secret mentor" game, when everyone first tried to guess who were his/her mentor and explain why she/he thinks about this person, what has been done by a mentor.

Special Cards with pictures were used for the group evaluation process. Every participant was asked to select a card which would symbolize ones mood at the end of the training and present it to the group.

Final round of the group evaluation provided the opportunity to participants to tell their impressions, feelings, recommendations and comments about the training in general, it's content, trainer's team, and anything else they wanted to tell and share

Written individual evaluation

(Not all comments are readable, as the volunteers wrote in own language in illegible handwriting)

1. How much did this meeting fulfil your expectations? Set some examples please:

- It was as I thought � normal - I got all answers to my questions and that was the main thing for me - My expectations have been fulfilled. I got to know some new things, got to know better several people. It

was good that I could participate properly in the activities, for instance plastering of plasticise, game with the rope (I was carried over not because of my disability);

- 90% regarding answers on all my questions about EVS. I like the place very much - I knew several persons from Lviv and here I got to know them better. I liked the group work - I didn't have any special expectations. But one thing � it helped me to deal with some problems thought I

was afraid the mid term could make them bigger and stronger; - Yes, the training fulfilled my expectations. I got to know a lot of important information. The training was

conducted in interesting way. I'm satisfied with the training programme; - It was motivating, it was fun and luckily I got to practice my English again. - I hoped for some interesting talks with the other participants and got the chance to fulfil my expectations in

this field; - Taking into consideration I didn't have any expectations before coming here it is difficult for me to answer

this question; - I was very satisfied person before mid term training so I had not any expectations; - I didn't have any concrete expectations regarding this training but I thought about visiting new places; - It didn't, because I didn�t have any expectations.

2. How much has this meeting been a learning process for you? Examples?

- I learn something new for example about myself, how the others perceive me. Energizers will be useful, games also on my own purpose;

- Acceptation of others and acceptation of situations I can not influence. Energisers. Methods of group work; - OK, now I have practical information about Youthpass and I know that youthpass could be useful at the

University - Session about Youthpass helped me to know more about this topic; - It was nice to exchange some points of view with other participants; - I realized what I have learned in my working field. Before this training I was more only assessing my EVS

through the experience I had gained on the personal level; - I have got the opportunity to evaluate my competences. I also got to know interesting information about

projects; - I always expect to get more (meaning knowledge) but as for such intensive programme I suppose we got

the information we needed. For example Youthpass � very good explanation. The tree of how we feel helped me to understand the process of how I feel sometimes;

- Coordination of EVS after coming back and Youth in Action;


- Youthpass helped me to form my thoughts into concrete sentences and it was hard, no it was learning; - Average. I didn�t learn a lot; - I got better acquainted with Youth in Action and European voluntary service.

3. What was the most interesting point for you during this session?

- I thought it was going to be boring � working in the groups (what after EVS) but surprisingly it was not. Project gallery was also interesting

- Everything was interesting to me: contacts with other people, self reflection, how the others perceive me, trips

- What after EVS, Youthpass, experts book - Session on what will happen to us after EVS - What after EVS, expert books - Group discussion where we had to guess what shell the others be doing after the end of the service - Implemented programme, trips, interesting forms of knowledge transfer - Getting volunteers better (though I would like something to listen to some serious things, not only

laughing), Sevastopol � very nice trip, good relax. Evaluation � how after volunteers make their projects. - Games like language games, feedback � how people perceive me - Last day where it was possible to ask questions and get concrete answer - Trips, youth in pass � practical - Trip to Sevastopol plus game where Ewelina and Dorota tried to walk blindfolded.

4. What did you miss during the meeting?

- Nothing � everything is OK! - Interesting activities - A spontaneous conversation with other volunteers but it was my own lack of activeness; - More time outdoors - Nothing in general - Some new sort of activities. After 2 days I was bored with the same schedule. Scheme of such meetings:

breakfast-work, lunch-work, supper-free. On-arrival looked the same, youth exchanges look the same. But unfortunately I don�t know what to propose instead.

- Fresh fruits or something else like that during coffee breaks. Warm water in the bathroom - Fresh fruits and a bit more of different food during coffee breaks - Nothing - Sometimes discipline, Text book where I could read the information given during the training but this is

more because I was lazy and should have made notes of the things I was interested in - Nothing

5. Please rate from 1 to 5 the following elements and preparation stages of the training course (5 - the highest, 1- the lowest)

Information and contacts with trainers before training 2 5 5 5 4 3 5 5 3 3 5 4 3 4

Training programme 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 5 5 3 2 5 4

Group atmosphere 4 3 4 5 5 5 4 4 5 4 3 3 4 4,08

Common activities 4 3 5 5 4 5 4 4 5 4 4 3 5 4,23

Trainers� level 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 4 3 5 4,31

Quality of hand-outs and materials 4 4 4 4 3,5 2 4 5 5 4 3 4 5 3,96

Food and accommodation 4 4 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 4 3 3 4 3,15

6. Your feedback to trainer team

- Good job - Having a two-lingual (sometimes 3 and 4) was something new. It was refreshing - You should learn more about social communication


- Everything was OK - It was nice you knew when to keep the distance, when to laugh when to be strict. Good think that when

you work with us we did not feel we don�t know anything - You are great people! - Sometimes it felt the trainers just wanted to fill al schedule even if it to surface and workshop does not

have profound element. Though the last day we had more straight conversation and it fulfilled my expectation

- My impression is it was too much of the programme and less free tome for myself, but in general it was very professional.

- Sometimes when people were tired and started to produce chaos, I was probably doing it myself you were not strict enough. In general very good job.

7. Other comments

- In the table above I evaluated element 4 with 3 points because it depended on the groups you work, because the tasks were OK but probably with other people their fulfilment would be better

- Very good place - Hopefully it is not the last meeting and we will meet in other situation with different projects - Thank you that you were trying to do the best - A bit more of free time - It was cold in the rooms and there were no fresh fruits during the breaks

Comments and recommendations

The biggest challenge for the team was to make the group participate in the training process seriously and sincerely.

We encourage hosting and sending organisations to read report and give us their feedback.

EVS mid term meeting for Volunteers in Ukraine Mid-term...EVS mid term meeting for Volunteers in...

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