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Centrul Scout Kapraluv mlyn cauta 1 voluntar roman pentru un stagiu in cadrul Serviciului European de voluntariat pe o perioada de 12 luni.

Mai jos aveti, in limba engleza detaliile legate ce implica munca voastra de voluntari acolo si de centru (locatie si facilitati).

Working place:

We work both outside and inside, dependently on the weather and the season. Outside we usually make some programme with children – in the garden, on the meadow or in the forest. There is also still enough work around the building so it is also part of our job (e.g. cutting gras, picking apples…). Sometimes the volunteers are taken to more remote place for the conservation work in the Protected Landscape Area or within a educational programme.
Inside there are three parts for the accommodation, small and big hall, canteen, kitchen and office. Except educational programme held in whole building, volunteers usually work in the kitchen (assist the cookers) or in the office which consists of one bigger room for staff, one smaller room for volunteers and small kitchen. Everybody has access to the computer with internet.

Leisure time opportunities:

Kapraluv mlyn is situated in the beautiful area of the Ricka valley ideal for outdoor activities from jogging and biking to rockclimbing and caving. Natural lake for swimming (with a restaurant in the summer) is 20 minutes walk. The ranch offering horse riding is 10 minute walk. There are plenty of leisure time opportunities in Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic.

Economy:

The amount of the pocket money that a volunteer receives follows EVS rules. When you eat at Kapraluv mlyn and occasionally visit some culture event or buy some basic needs, it is enough. Official currency is the Czech crown (CZK). There are a lot of cash-machines and exchange offices in Brno.

Rules, preferences and restrictions:

Kapraluv mlyn is a non-smoking area. Consumption of alcohol and drugs is strictly forbidden here (a pub is 300 metres down the valley). Smoking is possible only outside the Kapraluv mlyn’s property. It is not possible to bring your own pets.

Location:

Kapraluv mlyn is located 2 kilometres from the Ochoz u Brna village (1200 inhabitants), there is a shop, post office, doctor, Roman Catholic church (service every Sunday) and several typical Czech pubs. However, Kapraluv mlyn is very close to Brno, a regional capital city with 400 000 inhabitants, five universities, a lot of historical monuments, great cultural life and sport opportunities. It is just 10 minutes to Brno by the public transport, Brno downtown is accessible within 30 minutes by public transport (bus going at least every hour except the night).

Accomodation and food:

Accomodation for volunteers is provided at Kapraluv mlyn in lockable rooms with two or three beds and own bathroom (photos at www.kapraluvmlyn.cz). It is possible that during the night there are only volunteers, not staff, in the Centre. When we cook meals for the guests we can provide the perfect home-made cuisine 3 times a day for volunteers as well. Small kitchen with a sink is located in the corridor providing opportunity to make continental breakfasts, cook tea or coffee, heat in microwave etc. Wireless internet is available for free, but cell phone signal in most indoor spaces is poor. Washing machine is available for free.

Social environment:

The Kapraluv mlyn team consists of full and part time staff members and a group of Czech volunteers who provide great support. Most of the staff members are 25-30 years of age and together with a head and a deputy directors below 40 they make relax and welcoming atmosphere based on mutual respect and confidence. Nevertheless they all are hard-workers often staying overnight to finish their jobs. They love their work and want to kickstart the newly established institution.

Proposed activities for EVS volunteers:

Kapraluv mlyn offers to volunteers learning possibilities in the following topics: conservation management, environmental education methods, sustainable technologies and environment-friendly building techniques. Throughout the volunteer experience the participans will have a chance to meet with different Brno NGOs, city representatives and to explore successful environmental projects. As a result of the everyday contact with Kapraluv mlyn guests (mostly Czech and foreign high school students), volunteers will be given the opportunity to explore different cultures and on the other hand a volunteer represents his own culture to the guests.
Language training will be part of the voluntary experience.

Volunteers will become members of the Kapraluv mlyn staff. Although it is impossible for volunteers to lead environmental education programme on their own, they could help leaders by carrying props etc. and watch the programmes. They will also help with preparation of the environmental programmes and with everyday operation of the centre. Personal project of a volunteer should focus on application of the experience obtained at Kapraluv mlyn (either in nature conservation, environmental education, sustainable technologies, environmentaly friendly building techniques) in his homeland and/or a career. Thanks to informal connections between the Kapraluv mlyn and many Brno NGOs it is also possible to visit organizations with different missions and methods of work: conservation, civil rights, animal rigths, social inclusion, anti-discrimination campaigns. In this case, volunteers will obtain possibility to explore activities of different Czech NGOs.

During EVS service at Kapraluv mlyn, volunteers will pass through different kinds of jobs. The work scheme is balanced to mix manual and intellectual activities. Volunteers are supposed to participate at Kapraluv mlyn everyday duties (looking after the garden and animals, help in kitchen, clean-up, maintenance of Kapraluv mlyn grounds, etc.), environmental education programmes (assisting lecturers, creating, testing and evaluating their own environmental education programmes and projects), natural management (cutting grass and invasive plants in natural reservations under supervision of the Moravian karst rangers with special training in natural management techniques). They should also participate in a long-time project of construction of house for future volunteers made of natural materials.
Working hours are flexible and up to agreement between volunteers and coordinator. Main point affecting the working time are programmes for children (usually Monday-Friday, the most in Summer). Volunteer has right to two free days per week (usually weekend) but he has to arrange it always with coordinator in advance. It is also possible to go home for longer time (e.g. Christmas).
Time schedule:
35 hours per week

8 hours of manual work
8 hours of supporting works for environmental education
6 hours for volunteers personal project
4 hours of occasional works
3 hours of language courses
2 hours of meeting and service evaluation with coordinator and other volunteers
2 hours of meeting with mentor
2 hours of special educational programme (NGO, environment, conservation)

In time schedule are also included two hour spent with mentor. Every volunteer has a mentor (usually person of same gender and similar age) who can help him with orientation in local environment, with problems in the work, with other people, or how spend leisure time etc. Time spent with mentor in addition to these two hours is up to agreement between volunteer and mentor.

Volunteer profiles and recruitment process:

Volunteer profiles:
In line with the mission of the Kapraluv mlyn Scout Environmental Education Centre we prefer volunteers interested in nature conservation topics, environmental education, sustainable technologies and leisure time activities for kids and youth.

Although we appreciate skilled volunteers, we take our EVS participation as a way to share our knowledge and teach the necessary skills. Open-mindedness, will to learn new things and discipline are qualities we are asking for.

Reason, why we want to host the EVS volunteers, is clear. Although other volunteers are coming to us, most of them are Czech and their activities are occasional. We want to work with volunteers on long-term basis and also provide them possibility of intercultural exchange. Also we have good experience from 2005-8 when we hosted some EVS-ers. We think that this type of cooperation can bring big additional value to both sides.