Foyer Aubépine

01 October 2020 – 30 September 2021
Location : Havelange – South of Belgium

Theme 1: Inclusion

Theme 2: Youthwork

Theme 3: Citizenship and democratic participation

Looking for two volunteers

Trip type

ESC Volunteering

City + Country

Havelange, Belgium

Dates of the next project

01 October 2020 – 30 September 2021

Deadline to apply

NO DEADLINE

Due to Covid-19 crisis, dates are subject to modifications.

Hosting organization : Foyer Aubépine

The non-profit organization “Foyer Aubépine” was created in 1965 and is located in the village of Havelange, a rural area not far from the big city of Liège and close to the towns of Ciney and Marche-en-Famenne.

The association holds the official title of S.R.G (= “Service Résidentiel Général”) given by the French Community government. In this frame, the main aims of Aubépine are: social help, education, host, support of youngsters with difficult socio-economical and familial backgrounds. The action supposes a close collaboration between the youngsters’ relatives, the youngsters themselves and the workers of the SRG and a relationship based on trust in order to empower the public on the long term. Thanks to the activities of the Aubépine, youngsters and their relatives can experience constructive experiences in order to grow towards a more stable future. The workers’ main objective is to support the youngsters in everyday life in order to help them find the educational, professional and personal path that suits them best. SRG of Aubépine works in partnerships only if mandated by SPJ (“Service de Protection de la Jeunesse), SAJ (Service d’Aide à la Jeunesse) and Youth Court (“Tribunal de la Jeunesse”). Their social aim is to offer a specialized support to youngsters depending on the official youth help services in the frame of the “Code de l’Aide à la Jeunesse de 2019”. The association can perform other actions having direct or indirect links with this aim.

The team is made of more than 10 workers in total: social educators; a housekeeper; a cook; a “handyperson”; a chief-educator; a director; a clerk (in charge of secretary and accountancy tasks) and a social worker. Aubépine’s workers show many abilities to support youngsters. They are used to dealing with very different profiles and needs. This experience is a great asset when welcoming and accompanying a young volunteer in the learning process. The volunteers will be supervised by the director and the chief educator. In the association, even the workers with more technical tasks, work and support on a daily basis the residents of the SRG. They all form a cohesive team and are all well aware of the social challenges at stake. Therefore, the volunteers can count on the support of each of them. Aubépine has successfully hosted its first two ESC volunteers next year and the team has noticed that the presence of foreign volunteers did much good to the kids.

Aubépine’s team daily supports about 15 youngsters encountering all sorts of difficulties, in dangerous situations (health or security), lacking educational support due to their familial environment or to their behavior. The organization hosts minors from 3 up to 18 years benefitting from a right of protection and deal with their relatives. The public comes from three different regions (maximum 40 kilometers from Havelange). Their action covers 50 municipalities but of course with a special focus on the municipality of Havelange.

Website of Foyer Aubépine: http://foyer-aubepine.be/

Activities:

–Accommodate and host the youngsters: providing them with food, care, residential activities, regular support and projects during the time they would benefit from a time outside of their daily routine and usual environment;

–Welcome the youngsters’ relatives: working and discussion groups to help them overcoming the challenges, reinforcing the family bonds;

–Help the youngsters finding a project being beneficial for them, their relatives and the association.

Foyer Aubépine is part of a non-formal network of local associations called “Droûve tèsoûyes”(aka “DTO”). This network is described as a “short circuit network of solidarity for socio-cultural profit”. The member organizations have to be active in the municipality of Havelange and be “associations of natural persons”. They all share a number of common values and a charter. Four times a year, the member organizations meet in order to increase the mutual resources, share, develop new common projects and galvanize the social work in general. The gatherings often lead to workgroups and then to concrete local actions involving the member organizations. For that matter, a brand new yurt has been built in Foyer Aubépine’s garden where the organization “AMO LE CERCLE” welcomes youngsters for activities linked to school dropouts.

The volunteers are going to be invited to take part in activities organized by some of partner organizations, such as: Vis-à-vis ASBL and CPAS d’Havelange.

CBB host in total 19 international volunteers around Wallonia. The ESC team of CBB try his best to connect this network of volunteers together trought different collective activities, seminar …

Support organization : CBB

In addition to this, the hosting organization is supported by the Association des Compagnons Bâtisseurs, aka CBB located in Marche-en-Famenne. CBB is a non-profit, non-political youth organisation recognized and financially supported by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. The organisation proposes different kinds of activities, based on volunteering and non-formal education: local and international workcamps, medium and long term voluntary services (including ESC), and leisure time activities for and with disabled people, campleaders trainings…CBB is active within the different European Programmes of volunteering and non-formal education since 1997 and also hosts ESC volunteers each year.

CBB’s role as support organization is to:

Promote of the project and link between local and the international networks;
Support in the selection and preparation of European volunteers before arrival;
Manage of administrative matters: budget allowances; support in the creation of the bank account and enrollment at the municipality; enrollment in insurance (if not done by sending organization); preparation of activity agreement;
Provide pedagogical support for the volunteer and the hosting organization: ensures the participation to the NA seminars; organization of auto-evaluation meetings for the volunteer and the hosting organization to reflect on learning outcomes;
Handle practical arrangements: information about health insurance system in Belgium; indications about French lesson possibilities; online language tool…
Create networking between all ESC volunteers of the hosting organizations we support.

The two volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in the daily activities organized in the association. This activity involves work with kids and teenagers from 3 to 18 years. Aubépine is a children’s home, therefore, there are tasks to perform daily from 9 am to 22 pm. The daily tasks in which the ESC volunteers can be involved are mainly everyday life routine activities you could expect to be doing with young children and teenagers. To a lesser extent, the volunteers will be offered to take part in other extra activities taking place in the local network. For intern structural reasons, the ESC volunteers will not be on activity at the same time, they will therefore have two different “shifts” but based on the same type of activities:

Activity 1 : Support to the team of Aubépine and local activities

This activity involves work with kids and teenagers from 3 to 18 years. Aubépine is a children’s home, therefore, there are tasks to perform daily from 9 am to 22 pm. The daily tasks in which the ESC volunteers can be involved are mainly everyday life routine activities you could expect to do be doing with young children and teenagers

Support to the technical team: maintenance of the house; preparation of meals; cleaning of living spaces ;…
Support to the social educators:
– Spend time with kids and teenagers during meals and snacks;
– Welcome kids and teenagers after school days;
– Help them with homework;
– Prepare funny activities and games for leisure time;
– Help for preparation for bedtime;
– Participation in outside activities.
Participation in gravitating projects towards Aubépine’s daily activities, in tune with their general aims:
– Maintenance of the vegetable garden (“Pota’zen”) with the kids;
– Maintenance of the chicken coop;
– Help to develop the project of living space in the caravan;
– Help in the maintenance of the Yurt;
– Implement a personal activity in the last stage of the activity.
Participation in associative events and weekly activities taking place in the local organizations members of DTO network:
– Vis-à-vis ASBL: help them with providing workshops for people with disabilities once a week;
– CPAS d’Havelange: help them with the “social grocery for vegetables and fruit” organized one or twice a month;

Youth House: punctual help for events (ex: Christmas markets and concerts).

Activity 2: Collective activities with other ESC volunteers

The ESC activities within Foyer Aubépine, together with another ESC activity organized in the town of Ciney, participate in the aims of increasing European awareness among the local community and surroundings, as well as enhancing a closer networking between the local non-profit services. For this reason, some activities might be run with other ESC volunteers involved in other local organizations. The volunteers are encouraged to take any initiative that enhances such a kind of collaboration and make their presence visible in the community. Volunteer gatherings and activities will be planned in order for the European Solidarity Corps to gain visibility and encourage the cooperation between local associations through cultural events.

Accommodation in Havelange

The “Foyer Aubépine” is located in Havelange, a small village close to the city of Ciney (15 km), not far from Marche-en-Famenne (25 km) and Liège (45 km) in the Belgian province of Namur. This village will allow the volunteer to be fully immersed in a rural lifestyle in a quite isolated place, with a few shops (e.g. small supermarkets, one pharmacist, one post office, one bar and some other facilities). Just like most villages and remote areas in Belgium, the village has one bus station (less buses on evenings and weekends). Hence, the volunteer must be aware that rural areas in Belgium are not very well connected, but remain close to the cities. Bigger cities like Namur, Brussels and Liège are reachable through bus and train.

However, the volunteers will however enjoy its charming situation if you enjoy spending time in the nature, wandering in the close forest, filled will local animals and birds. In addition to this, ESC volunteers on project in Aubépine (2) and another ESC volunteer in Ciney will be sharing the accommodation so that they still can experience the international collective and international life.

The volunteer must appreciate living in a rural village will be resourceful, quiet and will give you a break from your usual (urban) routine.

The country - BELGIUM

Squeezed between the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France, Belgium is one of Europe’s tiddlers.
The north is flat, the south dominated by the picturesque Ardennes and the 65km North Sea coastline monopolized by resorts, except for a few patches of windswept dunes. The 4 seasons are well divided, cold and white winter and warm and sunny summer… But be ready to grey sky at least haf part of the year.

But the belgian population are usually warm. A lot of cultural and free EVENT in the street happen during the year, which brings your journey in this little country funny and ressourcefull.

This project will be taking part in the south of the country which is french speaking. Be therefore ready to learn and speak french! Especially in this projec involving kids.

Specialities : FRIES and BEERS and FESTIVALS
AREA: 30,518 sq km
POPULATION: 11.420.163 million
CAPITAL: Brussels (pop: 1.191.604)
REGIONS: Flanders (North), Wallonia (South), Brussels – Capital
COMMUNITIES: Flemish, French and German speaking community
LANGUAGE: Dutch (±59%), French (±37%) and German (±1%)
CURRENCY: Euro

Practical arrangements

Working Hours

Working hours will be FLEXIBLE from Monday until Sunday and can also involve occasional participations in evening and weekend events. Once a week, when helping the educators for the late shift, the volunteer will be asked to sleep over at the Foyer. On average, 5 days per week will be worked and days off will compensate the extra shift hours if necessary to keep an average of 38 hours maximum a week (French lesson included). The volunteer will generally have two consecutive free days per week except for special events and has the right to two days of holiday per month.

Inssurance

All participants in cross-border activities have to be covered, throughout the activity period, by the obligatory European Solidarity Corps insurance plan set up by the European Commission. This coverage is only complementary to the mandatory coverage of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which must be obtained prior to departure.

In certain cases, when national rules deprive participants from coverage under EHIC for the duration of the placement, CIGNA will provide full coverage. However, participants must provide proof that obtaining the EHIC in their case was not possible and they should contact their National Agency in order to seek tailored advice, for their specific circumstance.

The participant must read carefully the insurance-related information found online here: https://www.cignahealthbenefits.com/en/plan-members.

Accomodation

The volunteers will have a private room in a fully-equipped shared 3-bedrooms-apartment in the municipality. The transport costs from the house to the location of activities will be foreseen and covered.

Language course

OLS + French lesson: an online language course is provided as part of the project support from the Commission allocated on the basis of a level test to complete before the activity starts. The volunteer is also encouraged to join free French lessons given in the municipality or around.

Food

The volunteer will receive a budget and will take care of the meals by her/himself.

Pocket Money

Participation in the European Solidarity Corps is free of charge for the participant, except for exceptional contribution to travel costs. The volunteer will receive free board and lodging during the whole activity. In addition, she/he will receive a small allowance (pocket money) for personal expenses throughout the duration of the activity, including holidays.

Profile of the volunteer

Age requirement to take part in ESC programme: 18-30 years old.
Prior to departure, the volunteer should be in contact with a support (sending) organization in order to receive information and preparation. Look up for a support organization in your region via this link: https://europa.eu/youth/volunteering/organisations_en
Our project is open to anybody motivated by volunteering and who wishes to be involved in our local organization and working in the field of education, regardless of their nationality, religion, beliefs, diploma, professional experience.
We expect the volunteer to be very motivated in joining the activity; interested in local initiatives; active citizenship and intercultural openness. The volunteer who likes cooking, doing DIY and gardening will find plenty of opportunities.
As the activity involves most of the time working with kids having a difficult background the volunteer should be a stable point of reference for them and adopt a benevolent attitude. The volunteer should not be afraid of spending time outside and to appreciate the contact with nature.
Because the kids do not speak English or other languages, the volunteer is advised to learn some basics of French before starting the activity.
The volunteer has to provide the support and hosting organization with a copy certificate of good conduct related to the work with minors before starting the activity.

How to apply ?

Deadline: 26th July at 11:59 p.m. (brussels time).

1. In the frame of the new program of the European Commission, the European Solidarity Corps, you first need to create a profile on the new data base: https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en (“JOIN THE CORPS”).

2. Find the project and click on “apply” > HERE – To apply

3. Answer the questionnaire below (NB: you will be asked to attach a CV at the end of the form)

4. (optional) if you’re feeling creative, please feel free to send us any addtional material related to your application: esc@compagnonsbatisseurs.be

The application through the ESC portal and fulfilling the form are compulsory for us to take your application into consideration.

In the days following the 26th July, the pre-selected volunteers will be contacted for a skype interview.

ESC Foyer L'Aubépine / Apply form and motivation letter

Step 1 of 4 - Personal Data

Personnal data
By filling the information below, you provide us with personal information. You are aware of the fact and agree that the pieces of information will be used in the frame of the call for candidates for the Erasmus+ volunteering project. Your personal data will be used by the persons in charge of the selection of volunteers in the sending and coordinating/hosting organizations. Each part mentioned takes the responsibility of erasing the documents containing your personal data once the selection procedure is over.
Name*
Surname Name
PNR (if you already have it: it’s a super long number you receive when you get registered into the PASS)*
E-mail*
Birthdate*
Phone number*
Current address*
Street Address City ZIP / Postal Code Country
Languages spoken*
Please specify which level you have
Availability period for the project (preference will be given to the volunteers able to join the project for the all period*
Have you ever taken part in a volunteering project under ERASMUS+?*
- YES
- NO
If yes, what was it and for how long?*
Sending organization (Name, Accreditation or PIC number, post address, phone number, contact person’s name and email address)*
What are your (long term) travel experiences?*

Here you get more into the AMO Micados project
What are your general motivations to join a volunteering activity under the ESC programme abroad?*
What do you like about this project?*
How do you see your role, as volunteer, within these activities?*
Which of your qualities could be useful for the work at Foyer Aubépine?*
What would be difficult for you in this project?*

Can you explain a typical week of a volunteer (working hours, tasks, colleagues, location,…) on this project?*
Do you feel ready to work with kids/teenagers with a difficult familial background and people with light mental disabilities? How would you interact with them?*
What would you like to implement as personal project during the activity?*
What kind of support would you need during your project?*
What do you like to do in your free time? What do you think about working and living in a semi-rural environment?*
Regarding recent events with the COVID-19 crisis, how do you see yourself adapting to possible measures that may come in the future (regarding social contact, work & traveling) considering you will be living in a foreign country?*
How do you feel about collective international life ?*

And now, write down in (1500-3000 caracter) +- 20 lines, your motivation letter*
Please add your CV*
Drop files here or
Name
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