Support Mothers at Risk with Caritas Sofia

Deadline: 3 September 2013
Open to: applicants 18-30 years old
Benefits: accomodation, food, insurance, pocket money, 90% travel expenses, language course, monhtly passes for public transport covered

Description

Caritas Sofia is looking for two long-term EVS volunteers for its daycare center for mothers in disadvantaged situation “Rojdestvo Hristovo” in Sofia, Bulgaria. The volunteer is supposed to start their service at the beginning of February or March 2013 and stay for a year.

The center was established some 12 years ago in order to financially and morally support women at risk. The priority group are women who raise their children on their own and the assistance provided to them is aimed at preventing the abandonment of their children in institutions. Besides them, there are mothers who have many childred, adoptive mothers, mothers lacking support because of domestic violence, mothers with sick children, mothers with mental and physical disabilities and girls who have grown up in orphanages.

The goal of the center is to empower women to cope on their own. It offers personalized social programs that deal with the specific problems of each individual. There are craft workshops where the women can work according to their interests. The workshops function as both work therapy and a source of some, albeit modest, additional income. The center also assists women in finding employment. It supports young women from institutions to transition into leading an independent life by providing temporary
accommodation and work.

The center works closely with the regional state administration, employment bureaus, and social services institutions. Throughout the years the center has helped more than 300 mothers in need. More than 60 of them achieved and maintain a stable material and social status, 6 of them were hired as full-time employees at the center itself. The center has 3 workshops – a ceramic, a textile, and a felt one, where the staff and the mothers work daily and make different dolls, ornaments, pottery, etc. to be sold at charity bazaars and for export. More on the website of the center here.

Tasks of volunteers:
The volunteers will work closely with the staff and the other volunteers at the center. The staff is open to new suggestions and activities if the volunteers want to organize such.

Activities:
70% of the time:

  • work in the workshops
  • spend time with the mothers at the center – keep them company, encourage and motivate them in their efforts and pursuits
  • interview new mothers coming to the center
  • meet and visit beneficiaries at their homes if necessary
  • work with children who sometimes come to the center
  • up-keep (cleaning, cooking, gardening, grocery shopping, laundry, etc.
  • organize an activity of their own with the mothers
  • maintenance of the web page of the center

30% of the time:

  • Meet and participate in other activities together with other volunteers at Caritas Sofia. Besides working with the disadvantaged mothers, they could work with refugee children at the Integration Center of the Bulgarian State Agency for Refugees, where Caritas has a volunteer tutoring project. Thus, the volunteer will be able to help more people and see social work from different angles.
  • Promotional activities. The volunteers can be involved or organize different promotional activities about the project and EVS, organize an info-session about their country (about experiences, folklore & culinary specialties).
  • The volunteer could also work with children from ethnic minorities, in locations where Caritas has organized such an activity

Eligibility

The staff at the center is very dedicated, friendly and hard-working. They care very very much about their little community and they want to host a volunteer who is responsible, punctual, and has the need to help people in vulnerable situations. The center has hosted a number of volunteers so far and they are looking for someone motivated and caring in order to create a positive, satisfactory, and mutually-beneficial relationship. The volunteer needs to know English at an intermediate level in order to be able to communicate with the staff at Caritas Sofia. Previous voluntary experience and curiosity towards new places and cultures are a plus. Applicants must be 18-30 years old.

Benefits

Accomodation, food, insurance, pocket money and 90% travel expenses are covered from the project budget. The volunteers will be enrolled in a Bulgarian language course. The daycare center is not far from the Sofia city center by tram and the volunteers will get monthly passes for the public transport.

Application

Interested volunteers must send a CV, a motivation letter (with the Ref Number of the Sending organization), and any questions they have to Diana Nedeva – volunteers@caritas-bg.org. The deadline for applying is 3 September 2013. The shortlisted candidates will be contacted for a Skype interview by the 6 September 2013.

Visit the official website of the organization.

2 thoughts on “Support Mothers at Risk with Caritas Sofia

  1. Hi there,my Name’s Paul from South Africa would like to Voulontering in caritas,is this opportinity is only for the european?I have that soul of vouluntering and assist other

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